Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Highways England will bring forward further measures to tackle congestion on the A27 between Worthing and Shoreham; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Freeman
Highways England continues to engage with local stakeholders to understand their needs and priorities for the A27. Decisions on future enhancements on the Strategic Road Network will be announced before the end of 2019 as part of the second Road Investment Strategy.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the number of archaeologists required for the construction of HS2; and what discussions he has had with archaeologists' professional bodies.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
HS2 Ltd estimates that over 1,000 archaeologists, period specialists, scientists and conservators will be needed to deliver the HS2 archaeology programme.
Neither myself, nor the Secretary of State, have discussed HS2 with archaeologists’ professional bodies directly. HS2 Ltd engages regularly with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and Historic England in relation to industry matters, including capacity and skills. This includes participating in the National Infrastructure Plan and Skills Capacity Working Group, chaired by Historic England.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 20610 on Road Traffic Control: West Sussex, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to prevent a scheme from going ahead in the event that the WCHAR's findings indicate that it contravenes these policies or design standards.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding prevention of a scheme going ahead if the Walking, Cycling and Horse-riding Assessment findings indicate it contravenes these policies or design standards.
The Secretary of State for Transport would expect that any scheme would comply with the relevant policies and design standards unless there were very good reasons for it not to do so.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 206710 on Road Traffic Control: West Sussex, whether a Walking, Cycling and Horse-riding assessment, including stakeholder engagement, will be undertaken by staff that are independent of the design team.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is a requirement of Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessments and Reviews that the lead assessor should be part of the design team and not independent of it.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 20610 on Road Traffic Control: West Sussex, what steps he is taking to ensure that Highways England will revise the scheme in the event that the scheme (a) worsens pedestrian, cycle and equestrian access and in the vicinity of the South Downs National Park and (b) is not compliant with Highways England's design standards for cycle provision.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment is carried out by the relevant design team, not Highways England. In this case, we understand that the options and concept stages of the scheme began in the autumn of 2016 before the publication of the Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment and were subject to the applicable standard on Non-Motorised User Audits. The Transport Assessment accompanying the planning application provided information satisfying the criteria for a non-motorised user context report.
A Review Report is required at the end of the preliminary design stage and before commencement of detailed design followed by a further Review Report at the end of the detailed design phase and before construction commences. The design team is now at the end of the preliminary design stage, but detailed design has not yet begun. A Review Report is now due and will be completed before the commencement of detailed design.
The preliminary design improved pedestrian, cycle and equestrian access in the vicinity of the South Downs National Park, and further opportunities for improvement may be identified through a forthcoming Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Review. The preliminary design was also compliant with Highways England’s design standards for cycle provision. Any non-compliance identified during detailed design will be removed or be subject to the process of assessment whether there may be grounds for a specific variation.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 20610 on Road Traffic Control: West Sussex, what criteria Highways England used to support the scheme in the absence of a Walking, Cycling and Horse-riding assessment at each stage of the process.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment is carried out by the relevant design team, not Highways England. In this case, we understand that the options and concept stages of the scheme began in the autumn of 2016 before the publication of the Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment and were subject to the applicable standard on Non-Motorised User Audits. The Transport Assessment accompanying the planning application provided information satisfying the criteria for a non-motorised user context report.
A Review Report is required at the end of the preliminary design stage and before commencement of detailed design followed by a further Review Report at the end of the detailed design phase and before construction commences. The design team is now at the end of the preliminary design stage, but detailed design has not yet begun. A Review Report is now due and will be completed before the commencement of detailed design.
The preliminary design improved pedestrian, cycle and equestrian access in the vicinity of the South Downs National Park, and further opportunities for improvement may be identified through a forthcoming Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Review. The preliminary design was also compliant with Highways England’s design standards for cycle provision. Any non-compliance identified during detailed design will be removed or be subject to the process of assessment whether there may be grounds for a specific variation.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 206710 on Road Traffic Control: West Sussex, for what reason Highways England did not undertake a (a) Walking, Cycling and Horse-riding assessment during the options and concept stages of the scheme's development and (b) Review report at the conclusion of the preliminary design stage, in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment is carried out by the relevant design team, not Highways England. In this case, we understand that the options and concept stages of the scheme began in the autumn of 2016 before the publication of the Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment and were subject to the applicable standard on Non-Motorised User Audits. The Transport Assessment accompanying the planning application provided information satisfying the criteria for a non-motorised user context report.
A Review Report is required at the end of the preliminary design stage and before commencement of detailed design followed by a further Review Report at the end of the detailed design phase and before construction commences. The design team is now at the end of the preliminary design stage, but detailed design has not yet begun. A Review Report is now due and will be completed before the commencement of detailed design.
The preliminary design improved pedestrian, cycle and equestrian access in the vicinity of the South Downs National Park, and further opportunities for improvement may be identified through a forthcoming Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Review. The preliminary design was also compliant with Highways England’s design standards for cycle provision. Any non-compliance identified during detailed design will be removed or be subject to the process of assessment whether there may be grounds for a specific variation.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Highways England carried out a formally authorised Walking, Cycling and Horseriding Assessment and Review of the proposed alternatives to the Sussex Pad road crossing as part of the New Marks Farm Development that was recently approved by the planning committee of Adur Council.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, a Walking, Cycling and Horseriding Review will be carried out before the start of the detailed design of the proposals.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Network Rail staff have left employment with a discretionary payment in each of the last three years; and how much each payment was.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail does not make discretionary payments to leavers. Network Rail does, on occasion, make ‘special severance payments’. These are outside of the usual severance arrangements as part of settlement agreements. All ‘special severance payments’ are approved by HMT and information about these are published on the transparency section of Network Rail’s website, available at: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/transparency-and-ethics/transparency/datasets/
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish Network Rail's policy on whistleblowing.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail’s whistleblowing policy is published online on the Network Rail website and is available at: https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Speak-Out-Policy-2017.pdf