Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help preserve the historic character of North Road Station during works to increase the stepping distance between the platform and the train.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The station is still under consideration for Northern’s ongoing platform improvement programme, but all issues and aspects of the station are being assessed which will include the historic character.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on the economy of investment in Darlington railway station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The decision to provide £105m of Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) funding to deliver the Darlington Station Enhancements scheme was taken not only due to the direct journey time and reliability improvements it will provide to rail users, but also the result of the wider economic benefits it will generate for Darlington and the region, resulting from increased productivity.
These benefits will be further enhanced through complementary investment from Tees Valley Combined Authority, who are utilising a number of funding streams – including the Active Travel England Fund – to improve the public realm surrounding the station.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Darlington Borough Council on the adequacy of the provision of on-street charging for electric vehicles in Darlington.
Answered by Anthony Browne
In March 2023, the Department wrote to all tier one local authorities in England to announce the launch of the £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. This Fund will enable them to transform the availability of charging infrastructure for drivers without off-street parking in their area.
Tees Valley Combined Authority – which includes Darlington Borough Council – has been allocated £6.6 million in capital funding, and £570,000 in capability funding to recruit dedicated in-house expertise, through the LEVI Fund.
Last year, the LEVI Support Body led communication with local authority applicants, hosted LEVI roadshows across England and developed an EV officer training course to engage, educate and equip those involved in the planning and deployment of EV infrastructure.
The Department and the LEVI Support Body will continue to offer expert advice and support to local authorities, including Tees Valley Combined Authority, throughout the Fund’s timeline.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on improvements to North Road Station in Darlington ahead of the 200th Anniversaries of the Railways.
Answered by Huw Merriman
North Road Station is currently under consideration for Northern’s ongoing platform improvement programme, designed to improve the stepping distance between the platform and the train.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has allocated to Darlington Borough Council for (a) pothole and (b) other road repairs in each year since 2019.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Funding for pothole and road maintenance in Darlington is allocated to Tees Valley Combined Authority, not the borough council.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is monitoring the adequacy of (a) pothole and (b) other road repairs by local authorities in the North East.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department has recently introduced some new reporting requirements for all local highway authorities to ensure that there is transparency around how the additional funding provided as part of the Prime Minister’s Network North plan is being used. All local authorities receiving this funding should publish prominently on their websites by March 2024 a summary of the additional resurfacing work they will deliver, or have already delivered, with the new funding in the 23/24 and 24/25 financial years. Thereafter they will be required to publish quarterly reports summarising what additional work they have done, including, for example, which roads they have resurfaced. This will allow local people to see for themselves how well their local authority is carrying out its responsibilities.
DfT monitors the condition of local roads, which is reported here : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/road-condition-statistics-data-tables-rdc
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £139 million investment in Darlington railway station on (a) Darlington and (b) the North East.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Through provision of additional through and bay platforms, the decision to provide £105m of Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline funding to deliver the Darlington Station Enhancements scheme will provide direct benefits to rail users throughout the North-East through journey time and reliability improvements. When combined with complementary investment from Tees Valley Combined Authority – who are delivering a multi-storey car park and public realm improvements – the scheme will also generate wider economic benefits to Darlington.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking with (a) Highways England and (b) Tees Valley Combined Authority to construct a north link road for Darlington.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Proposals for a link road between the A66 and Junction 59 of the A1(M) were originally developed by Tees Valley Combined Authority. National Highways has applied feasibility assessments to the proposals and more recently, its Route Strategies process has considered the current pressures and future needs of the strategic road network in the Tees Valley area and specific issues facing the A1(M) and A66 around Darlington. This work in addition to TVCA’s proposals will inform investment priorities for the strategic road network as part of future road investment strategies.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with (a) Network Rail and (b) other stakeholders to (i) improve the accessibility of the platform and (ii) reinstate the use of the train shed canopy at North Road railway station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Transport authorities and the rail industry did not nominate North Road station for the next round of the Access for All programme when the Department sought nominations in 2022. However, the Department will continue to work with the rail industry in improving accessibility at the station. My officials have actively participated in conversations with Network Rail, the local authority and yourself on the re-instatement of the canopy, but at present, no funding has been identified to do so.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cruise ship passengers visited (a) UK ports and (b) surrounding areas as part of their itinerary in the last 12 months; and if he will make an assessment of the contribution of these visits to the economy.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department for Transport does not hold data on transit cruise passengers, so we are unable to provide data on the number of cruise ship passengers who visited UK ports and surrounding areas as part of their itinerary in the last 12 months or an assessment of the contribution of these visits to the economy.
The Department for Transport does publish cruise passengers who start or finish their cruise journey at a UK port, which includes all passengers on domestic and international cruise journeys.
The data published by the Department for Transport on cruise passenger numbers can be found at the following link in table SPAS0101 for international cruise passenger numbers and SPAS0201 for domestic cruise passenger numbers. Sea passenger statistics: data tables (SPAS) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).