Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on (a) strategic and (b) local roads since December 2019.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
For the Strategic Road Network (SRN), which is managed by National Highways, funding is allocated in 5-year road periods which align to Road Investment Strategies. Please note that the funding covers National Highways' total expenditure during this period, covering both Capital and Resource spend. The total spent from December 2019 up to September 2022 is £12.7 billion.
For local roads, highways maintenance and pothole funding is allocated to local highway authorities by formula and can be spent on any part of the highway including bridges and lighting, not just the road itself. Within the total figure stated below, for the spend in 2022/23 this includes the local highways formula funding that has been rolled into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding settlements. The total figure below also includes the Integrated Transport Block which is for small-scale transport improvements including safety, cycling and bus improvement measures; and bid based funding for specific projects including the Challenge Fund, Safer Roads Fund, Local Growth Fund, and the Major Road Network/Large Local Major Fund.
For the complete financial years 2019/20 to 2021/22, plus the forecast spend for 2022/23, the total is £7.608 billion.
The figures above don’t include any discretionary funding that other Government Departments may have provided to local authorities for spending on local infrastructure.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on (a) roads, (b) rail and (c) other transport infrastructure since December 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport’s Annual Report and Accounts provides accounting and expenditure information for each financial year. The financial overview section includes an analysis of spend by mode.
The DfT Annual Report and Accounts can be accessed via the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dft-annual-reports-and-accounts
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to support victims of car registration cloning; and what resources are available to victims to help them to resolve issues relating to that cloning.
Answered by Karl McCartney
The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must, by law, be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It is a legal requirement for number plate suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.
The DVLA visits number plate suppliers to monitor compliance with the legal requirements and works closely with the police and trading standards to share intelligence and support investigations and prosecutions of suppliers who do not comply.
Anyone who suspects that their number plate has been cloned should report this to the police, who are responsible for on road enforcement. Any fines or correspondence received for offences which have not been committed should be returned to the issuing authorities for investigation. Vehicle keepers can also write to the DVLA, who can issue a new registration number for a vehicle where necessary.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of flights that have departed from Heathrow after 23:00 since 1 June 2022; and if he will provide a breakdown of the days that these flights took place.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
No assessment has been made of the impact of the increase in night flights from Heathrow Airport.
The Department does not hold data on the number of flights that have departed Heathrow after 23:00.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the increase in night flights from Heathrow airport since April 2022 on the London Boroughs of (a) Richmond upon Thames and (b) Kingston upon Thames.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
No assessment has been made of the impact of the increase in night flights from Heathrow Airport.
The Department does not hold data on the number of flights that have departed Heathrow after 23:00.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the calculated benefit-cost ration was for HS2 (a) in its original conception, including a link to HS1 and a spur to Heathrow airport, (b) as originally envisaged but without the link to HS1, (c) as originally envisaged but without the link to HS1 and without the Heathrow link, (d) in the configuration following the deletion of most of the eastern leg, and (e) in its present configuration with the deletion of the link from HS2 to the west coast main line just south of Wigan.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Benefit Cost Ratios for the HS2 programme have been published within business cases at different stages of the scheme’s development. A list of relevant business cases is provided below.
It is important to note that the BCRs set out below have been developed over a significant period of time and will reflect different inputs and assumptions as well as changes to the network assessed. This includes changes in exogenous forecasts such as GDP and population forecasts, which are inputted into the models and which impact on benefit and revenue estimates. Cost estimates have also been developed over time, reflecting changing levels of cost maturity. These factors mean that direct comparison between the BCRs for the different HS2 networks set out below is not possible. It should also be noted that there is an inherent degree of uncertainty in developing a single BCR for a programme being developed and delivered over several decades.
Nevertheless, the below are available as publicly assessable documents. The BCRs requested are provided below as is a link to the documents they were published in:
(a) In its original conception, including a link to HS1 and a spur to Heathrow airport
https://hs2ltd.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/summary-economic-case_0.pdf
(b) As originally envisaged but without the link to HS1
(c) As originally envisaged but without the link to HS1 and without the Heathrow link
(d) In the configuration following the deletion of most of the eastern leg
We do not have a BCR for the full HS2 network which accounts for the commitments on the Eastern Leg made in the Integrated Rail Plan, as options are being developed. The BCR for the full network for HS2 which includes Phase One, 2a and 2b Western Leg was published in the January 2022 business case: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1051209/hs2-phase-2b-western-leg-crewe-to-manchester-an-update-on-the-strategic-outline-business-case.pdf
(e) In its present configuration with the deletion of the link from HS2 to the West Coast Main line just south of Wigan.
As above, we do not have a BCR for the full HS2 network which accounts for the commitments on the Eastern Leg made in the Integrated Rail Plan, as options are being developed. However there is a BCR for the full network for HS2 which includes Phase One, 2a and 2b Western Leg (excluding the link from HS2 to the west coast main line (known as the Golborne Link)) which was published in the June 2022 business case: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1084080/hs2-phase-2b-western-leg-crewe-to-manchester-supplement-to-the-update-on-the-strategic-outline-business-case.pdf
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will consult the public on any proposals in respect of the relaxation of the night flights regime at London airports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government accepts that there are health impacts associated with aircraft noise and keeps all relevant evidence under review. The Department for Transport has previously commissioned research on the effects of aviation noise on annoyance, health and wellbeing and has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to carry out a further survey in the next year. The Department has also commissioned an Aviation Night Noise Study, to understand specifically how impacts associated with exposure to aviation noise vary by time of night.
The Government sets noise and night flight controls at the designated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted). At other airports, these controls are agreed locally.
Following consultation, the Government announced in July 2021 that the existing night flight movement limits at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are to be rolled over for a period of three years – until October 2025.
We expect to consult publicly on proposals for the regime from 2025 onwards by the end of 2023.
The Department has regular engagement with representatives of community groups overflown by night flights, including through our formal Airspace and Noise Engagement Group (ANEG).
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of community groups that are overflown by night flights.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government accepts that there are health impacts associated with aircraft noise and keeps all relevant evidence under review. The Department for Transport has previously commissioned research on the effects of aviation noise on annoyance, health and wellbeing and has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to carry out a further survey in the next year. The Department has also commissioned an Aviation Night Noise Study, to understand specifically how impacts associated with exposure to aviation noise vary by time of night.
The Government sets noise and night flight controls at the designated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted). At other airports, these controls are agreed locally.
Following consultation, the Government announced in July 2021 that the existing night flight movement limits at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are to be rolled over for a period of three years – until October 2025.
We expect to consult publicly on proposals for the regime from 2025 onwards by the end of 2023.
The Department has regular engagement with representatives of community groups overflown by night flights, including through our formal Airspace and Noise Engagement Group (ANEG).
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on health of a future increase in night flights at (a) Heathrow and (b) other UK airports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government accepts that there are health impacts associated with aircraft noise and keeps all relevant evidence under review. The Department for Transport has previously commissioned research on the effects of aviation noise on annoyance, health and wellbeing and has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to carry out a further survey in the next year. The Department has also commissioned an Aviation Night Noise Study, to understand specifically how impacts associated with exposure to aviation noise vary by time of night.
The Government sets noise and night flight controls at the designated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted). At other airports, these controls are agreed locally.
Following consultation, the Government announced in July 2021 that the existing night flight movement limits at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are to be rolled over for a period of three years – until October 2025.
We expect to consult publicly on proposals for the regime from 2025 onwards by the end of 2023.
The Department has regular engagement with representatives of community groups overflown by night flights, including through our formal Airspace and Noise Engagement Group (ANEG).
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of and (b) percentage increase in public electric vehicle chargers in London that would be required to help support a target of (i) 50 and (ii) 70 per cent of new vehicle purchases being electric in 2030.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In March the Government published its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure strategy setting out our vision and commitments to make electric vehicle charging cheaper and more convenient than refuelling at a petrol station.
In the strategy we laid out our expectation that at least ten times more public chargepoints to be installed across the UK by the end of the decade, bringing the number to around 300,000 by 2030. To support our vision, we will invest £1.6 billion in accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure.
Government has not set targets for chargepoint provision per region because the exact number and type of chargepoints will be highly dependent on local circumstances and the range and technology of future electric vehicles. Local authorities have a key role to play as they are best places to consider local needs. We will require all local transport authorities in England to develop their own chargepoint strategies, subject to consultation.
The Mayor of London and Transport for London have produced their own EV Infrastructure Strategy for 2030 which was updated in December 2021. This estimates that London will need around 40,000 to 60,000 charge points by 2030, of which up to 4,000 will be rapids. This is based on there being between one and 1.4 million EVs in London, which is between 34 per cent and 49 per cent of London’s total car and van fleet.
Of the £1.6 billion, at least £500 million will support local chargepoint provision to ensure that the transition to electric vehicles takes place in every part of the country, the local electric vehicle infrastructure fund (LEVI) will provide approximately £400 million of capital and £50 million of resource funding to support local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking. Local authorities in London will be eligible to apply for this funding.