Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost of (a) lengthening the Manchester East tunnel by 259 metres and (b) other parts of the new gyratory road junction at J6 of the M56 at Q3 2019 prices; and whether those changes are planned to be implemented as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail core route.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government is seeking to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) only, removing scope south of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for HS2. A motion to formalise the point of truncation will be brought to the House and a supplementary environmental statement will be produced.
As set out in the Network North Command paper, £12 billion in 2023 prices has been retained to deliver NPR scope between Manchester and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne. The funding has not been disaggregated further.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is of the proposed Manchester Metrolink infrastructure in the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government is seeking to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) only, removing scope south of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for HS2. A motion to formalise the point of truncation will be brought to the House and a supplementary environmental statement will be produced.
As set out in the Network North Command paper, up to £12 billion in 2023 prices has been retained to deliver NPR scope between Manchester and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne. The funding has not been disagregated further.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the proposed HS2 station at Manchester Airport will be constructed according to the design set out in the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill; and what the estimated cost of the construction is.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government is seeking to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) only, removing scope south of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for HS2. A motion to formalise the point of truncation will be brought to the House and a supplementary environmental statement will be produced.
As set out in the Network North Command paper, up to £12 billion in 2023 prices has been retained to deliver NPR scope between Manchester and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne. The funding has not been disagregated further.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Arpley Chord will be used to connect the Northern Powerhouse Rail core route to the West Coast Mainline; and how much budget has been allocated to upgrade that line.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Work on the NPR scheme between Liverpool and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne is currently at strategic scheme development stage. This work is being carried out in line with the favoured calling points set out in the WMS of 25 March, to include new platforms at Warrington Bank Quay. We are keen to understand Warrington Borough Council’s priorities and to ensure views on the priorities and any alternatives are understood.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Northern Powerhouse Rail will include a six-platform surface turnback station at Manchester Piccadilly; and what the estimated cost of that station is.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government is seeking to adapt the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) only, removing scope south of the Parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for HS2. A motion to formalise the point of truncation will be brought to the House and a supplementary environmental statement will be produced.
As set out in the Network North Command paper, £12 billion in 2023 prices has been retained to deliver NPR scope between Manchester and the Parish of Millington and Rostherne. The funding has not been disaggregated further.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help increase business investment (a) outside London and (b) in (i) York and (ii) north Yorkshire.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government-owned British Business Bank is supporting business investment across the UK including through its Nations and Regions Investment Funds. This includes the £660m Northern Powerhouse Fund II programme, supporting growing businesses across the North of England.
Our Growth Hub network is also supporting businesses of all sizes and sectors across England. The Department for Business and Trade is working across the UK, including in York and North Yorkshire to showcase strong, commercial investment opportunities to potential investors and support business to grow. The Government has also agreed a £540 million mayoral devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire to support growth and business investment.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, to which domestic destinations Ministers in her Department and its predecessor Departments have attended overnight visits in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The regions visited with an overnight stay over the last 3 financial years are as follows:
Financial Year | Regions visited |
2021 – 2022 | Scotland – 12 Northern Powerhouse – 4 Wales – 1 South West – 2 Jersey – 1 Northern Ireland – 2 |
2022 – 2023 | Scotland – 3 Northern Ireland – 4 South West – 2 Northern Powerhouse – 2 Wales – 1 |
2023 – 2024 | Northern Powerhouse – 3 Northern Ireland – 7 Midlands – 1 Scotland – 1 Channel Islands – 2 South West – 1 |
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline status and (b) Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment stage of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project between Bradford and Manchester is; and when Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment approval was received.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We are making progress on planning and delivering the schemes within Network North alongside our other rail enhancements priorities, working with Network Rail and other delivery partners to develop and deliver the benefits of this investment
The Northern Powerhouse Rail project between Bradford and Manchester is part of the Government’s Network North proposals, which commit to providing up to £2bn (in 2019 prices) for significant improvements in rail connectivity between Bradford and Manchester (via Huddersfield) and a new station in Bradford.
The £2bn from Network North is in addition to £500m committed in the Integrated Rail Plan to upgrading the line between Leeds and Bradford Interchange with opportunity to reduce journey times to as low as 12 minutes between Leeds and Bradford.
All the projects within Network North will be progressed and developed in line with the principles of Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE), which is the new approach used by Network Rail to govern, manage and progress rail enhancements, replacing GRIP. We are working closely with our Arms Length Bodies, and other delivery partners, to develop delivery timescales and further information will be shared once work is more mature.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) final cost to the public purse and (b) completion date of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project between Bradford and Manchester.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We are making progress on planning and delivering the schemes within Network North alongside our other rail enhancements priorities, working with Network Rail and other delivery partners to develop and deliver the benefits of this investment
The Northern Powerhouse Rail project between Bradford and Manchester is part of the Government’s Network North proposals, which commit to providing up to £2bn (in 2019 prices) for significant improvements in rail connectivity between Bradford and Manchester (via Huddersfield) and a new station in Bradford.
The £2bn from Network North is in addition to £500m committed in the Integrated Rail Plan to upgrading the line between Leeds and Bradford Interchange with opportunity to reduce journey times to as low as 12 minutes between Leeds and Bradford.
All the projects within Network North will be progressed and developed in line with the principles of Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE), which is the new approach used by Network Rail to govern, manage and progress rail enhancements, replacing GRIP. We are working closely with our Arms Length Bodies, and other delivery partners, to develop delivery timescales and further information will be shared once work is more mature.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve railway connectivity between Liverpool and Manchester.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network North confirmed the Government’s commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and to improving connectivity between Liverpool and Manchester. Funding has been made available to allow the Liverpool to Manchester section of Northern Powerhouse Rail to be delivered as previously set out in the Integrated Rail Plan. Government committed to working with local leaders and that engagement with local leaders is underway.