Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled Network North, published on 4 October 2023, how many and what proportion of the Network North projects have an approved business case.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Projects have different business cases during their life cycle. Since the Government announced Network North on 4 October, the Department has been working closely with delivery bodies to establish plans for delivery. Announcements on progress of business cases and delivery will be made as schemes develop.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when (a) he and (b) the Minister of State for Rail last met with ASLEF to discuss industrial action.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Negotiations must take place between the employer, which the Rail Delivery Group has done on behalf of the train operators, and the trade union over its dispute. The Government has no role in these negotiations and discussions. We remain committed to supporting the parties in the resolution of industrial action and the Secretary of State and I have previously met with all the rail unions to help facilitate discussions with the rail industry. ASLEF is the only trade union in a national level dispute, and we continue to urge them to put the industry’s offer to its members so that their dispute can be settled. On 13 May I met with ASLEF. I am also due to meet the RMT on 20 May.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Eurostar on the potential merits of stopping their services at stations in Kent.
Answered by Huw Merriman
My officials engage regularly with Eurostar and, alongside other issues, continue to discuss the potential reinstatement of services at Kent stations once it is commercially viable for them to do so.
I met with Eurostar in December 2023 and, as I also made clear to the House last October, I emphasised the UK Government’s desire to see the return of international services to Ebbsfleet and Ashford as soon as reasonably possible, particularly given the important benefits they provide for people and businesses in Kent.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to grow the international rail sector.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Government fully supports the growth of international rail passenger services given the environmental, social and economic benefits they provide.
My officials continue to engage on a regular basis with infrastructure managers and European partners to discuss the potential for new routes and potential market entrants, particularly given the unique requirements of operating through the Channel Tunnel. My officials welcome engagement with prospective operators where there is a credible proposition to develop new services.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote job creation in British ports.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department supports the entire maritime sector to help industry create jobs around British Ports, ensuring that ports can operate effectively within the right regulatory environment for growth. For example, the Department works jointly with the sector through the Maritime Skills Commission to build the right employment skills to underpin this. We are also investing directly with our match funded £206m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme to accelerate decarbonisation, using innovation to drive economic growth and job creation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help improve port infrastructure in (a) Portsmouth and (b) across the UK.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Development and improvement of port infrastructure is a matter for the sector itself and we work with them to create the right conditions to facilitate growth, investment and enhancement by all ports.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on HS2 tunnelling between Old Oak Common and Euston Station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Government remains committed to delivering a privately financed HS2 Euston station as part of a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’ outlined in the Network North paper. The Department continues to define and develop a range of development models and financing mechanisms to best meet the objectives of the ‘Euston Quarter’. This includes consideration of options for using alternative funding to cover the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston, underpinned by contributions from those people and businesses this development supports. In the interim, as part of the construction of the Old Oak Common station, site preparations and enabling works are continuing to enable the future launch of the tunnel boring machines.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financing mechanisms he plans to use to help deliver the HS2 station at London Euston.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Government remains committed to delivering a privately financed HS2 Euston station as part of a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’ outlined in the Network North paper. The Department continues to define and develop a range of development models and financing mechanisms to best meet the objectives of the ‘Euston Quarter’. This includes consideration of options for using alternative funding to cover the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston, underpinned by contributions from those people and businesses this development supports. This would deliver value for money for the taxpayer and could create as many as 10,000 new homes and opportunities for businesses to thrive. Bringing HS2 to Euston will help grow the economy whilst unlocking much needed homes, jobs and commercial opportunities in the area.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department (a) is taking steps to reduce the time taken for to receive a practical car driving test slot in Portsmouth South constituency and (b) plans to increase the number of slots for such tests in that area.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.
To increase the number of car practical driving test slots available, including in the Portsmouth South constituency, the DVSA deployed all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to do driving tests from the beginning of October 2023 until the end of March 2024, which created over 145,000 additional test slots. Eligible managers and administrative staff will continue to spend a portion of their time conducting car tests in the coming months to help continue to reduce waiting times.
To further increase the number of available test slots, including in the Portsmouth South constituency, it is conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.
Since April 2021, measures put in place by the DVSA to reduce waiting times for its customers, together with the ongoing recruitment of driving examiners, is creating on average over 48,300 extra car test slots each month.
The average waiting time in March 2024 for a car practical driving test in Great Britain was 17.1 weeks, and in the Portsmouth South constituency it was 22.4 weeks. To address the continued high demand for tests in the South, the DVSA is asking driving examiners from areas with lower waiting times to travel and test in centres with higher waiting times. This is in addition to recruiting over 160 driving examiners in the areas where waiting times are highest, including the Portsmouth South constituency.
It is not possible to know the number of people waiting to be allocated a driving test slot.
It is not possible to know the time between requesting (seeking) and receiving (booking) a driving test slot, or the time between requesting (booking) and receiving (taking) a driving test slot.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of car driving test slots in Portsmouth South constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.
To increase the number of car practical driving test slots available, including in the Portsmouth South constituency, the DVSA deployed all eligible managers and administrative staff back on the front line to do driving tests from the beginning of October 2023 until the end of March 2024, which created over 145,000 additional test slots. Eligible managers and administrative staff will continue to spend a portion of their time conducting car tests in the coming months to help continue to reduce waiting times.
To further increase the number of available test slots, including in the Portsmouth South constituency, it is conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.
Since April 2021, measures put in place by the DVSA to reduce waiting times for its customers, together with the ongoing recruitment of driving examiners, is creating on average over 48,300 extra car test slots each month.
The average waiting time in March 2024 for a car practical driving test in Great Britain was 17.1 weeks, and in the Portsmouth South constituency it was 22.4 weeks. To address the continued high demand for tests in the South, the DVSA is asking driving examiners from areas with lower waiting times to travel and test in centres with higher waiting times. This is in addition to recruiting over 160 driving examiners in the areas where waiting times are highest, including the Portsmouth South constituency.
It is not possible to know the number of people waiting to be allocated a driving test slot.
It is not possible to know the time between requesting (seeking) and receiving (booking) a driving test slot, or the time between requesting (booking) and receiving (taking) a driving test slot.