Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time available for debate on a motion to formalise the point of truncation of Nothern Powerhouse Rail and the former HS2 Phase 2b; and what plans he has to (a) publish a supplementary environmental statement and (b) consult on that issue.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I will table a motion that would allow the High-Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill to be adapted to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne shortly. The arrangements for a debate on the motion will be announced in the usual way.
The changes to the scheme will prompt a new supplementary environmental statement, which will be published in due course. As with previous environmental statements there will be a public consultation. Responses received to consultation will be analysed by an Independent Assessor appointed by parliament.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Network North budget allocated to connect Manchester to Liverpool applies to the entire section of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail has been set out in the Integrated Rail Plan and Network North. Network North confirmed £12 billion (2023 prices) of investment to enable Northern Powerhouse Rail to proceed in line with previous plans to better connect Liverpool and Manchester. On 25 March 2024, following extensive engagement with local leaders and local MPs, Government announced that it had heard clear support for Northern Powerhouse Rail to serve Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport. Taking account of local views, this will be the primary options for the next stage of development for the NPR route between Liverpool and Manchester.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have had recent discussions with Cross Country trains on plans to add additional stops at Worcestershire Parkway station on their Bristol to Manchester services.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
CrossCountry has been working with the Department on the best way to deploy the 60 additional Voyager Intercity carriages that the Department has agreed they can lease. This includes the possibility of calls at Worcestershire Parkway in CrossCountry Intercity services. Subject to these discussions and industry planning processes, such calls could be introduced from May 2025.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to help support train companies to (a) buy rather than lease trains and (b) purchase UK-made trains.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Rolling stock assets have an expected operational lifespan of between thirty to thirty-five years exceeding the duration of the operating contracts currently in place with train operators.
These long-term investments made by the rolling stock owners passes risk from the Government to the private sector. It also means that such capital does not need to be spent by the Government on rolling stock but can be invested elsewhere in infrastructure such as schools, prisons and roads.
Train manufacturing is a competitive, commercial market in which there can be no guarantee of orders to individual manufacturers. All contracts need to be assessed thoroughly to demonstrate a business need for the trains and comply with the law.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of vehicles on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database are not taxed in (a) England and (b) Easington constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The outcome of the most recent roadside survey, which provides an estimate of the number of unlicensed vehicles in traffic, was published in December 2023. This showed that 98.7 per cent of vehicles across the UK were correctly licensed, which equates to an estimated 498,000 unlicensed vehicles and an evasion rate of 1.3 per cent. The estimated evasion rate in England was also 1.3 per cent. This information is not held by parliamentary constituency. A copy of the roadside survey can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-excise-duty-evasion-statistics-2023/vehicle-excise-duty-evasion-statistics-2023.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of vehicles on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency database do not have a valid MOT in (a) England and (b) Easington constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) database records every vehicle that has an MOT, and the dates the MOTs were carried out. Authorities, such as the Police, have access to that data should they need to check if a vehicle has a valid MOT. There is no comparable database for vehicles which do not have a valid MOT.
As such, it is not possible to determine the number, or proportion, of vehicles being used illegally without an MOT in England or the constituency of Easington.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timescales are for making Local Transport Fund payments to local authorities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Local Transport Fund is a £4.7 billion fund beginning in 2025 for seven years. The money will start to be paid from early next year, giving councils time now to prepare. The Department will shortly publish advice for local authorities. We will ask local authorities to determine their local transport priorities and develop delivery plans so that they are ready to deliver improvements with Local Transport Fund funding from April 2025.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to publish revised national road traffic projections before the Summer recess.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The National Road Traffic Projections were last published in December 2022. The Department has no plans to publish updated projections before the Summer recess. The Department regularly reviews evidence and data on the drivers of travel demand and will publish an update in due course.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with Avanti West Coast on the closure of the ticket office at Euston railway station.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is aware of the current temporary closure of the ticket office at Euston station arising from a bird infestation. Network Rail is responsible for managing Euston and is working on a remedy for staff and passengers.
The Government has been clear to the industry that no ticket offices should close.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when strategic development of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne to Liverpool section of Northern Powerhouse Rail commenced; who is responsible for overseeing that work; what the estimated timeline for completing the work is; and what budget his Department has allocated for delivering that section.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) and Network North set out the strategic plan and funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail. The high-level route will continue to be developed as set out in the IRP. This includes sections of the track between the Parish of Millington and Rostherne and Liverpool. The government is working closely with our delivery partners including Network Rail and HS2 Ltd to achieve this. The government aims to complete Northern Powerhouse Rail by the mid-2040s.