Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the viability of alternative schemes to the Highways PFI contract for Birmingham.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has assessed the viability of a range of alternative schemes to the Birmingham PFI contract. Following this, we have committed to continue Birmingham’s existing funding at approximately £50m for 2024/5. In subsequent years, Birmingham would be allocated formula funding in the same way as other local highways authorities across the country, as part of the highways maintenance block grant. This will be paid via the West Midlands Combined Authority in the usual way.
The Department will increase the additional funding going to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) under the Network North Roads Resurfacing fund to take account of the fact that the allocations announced in November 2023 did not include an amount for Birmingham. WMCA is also benefiting from over £1 billion of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding up to 2026/27, and set to benefit from indicative CRSTS2 funding of over £2.6 billion between 2027/28 and 2031/32.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on seafarer jobs supported by the North Sea (a) oil and gas decommissioning and (b) offshore wind sectors; and if she will make an estimate of the number of such jobs supported by those sectors in each year to 2030.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State discusses a range of issues with my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, including offshore wind, and oil and gas.
The North Sea Transition Deal will support the transition of existing parts of the oil and gas workforce to ensure that people and skills are transferrable across the wider energy sector.
The Offshore Wind Industry Council estimate in their Skills Intelligence Report, published June 2023, that the offshore wind sector is expected to grow to support over 100,000 jobs by 2030.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of Network North funding will be allocated to improving public transport connections in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations.
Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:
It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.
Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.
The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Find out about every new transport project in your region, published on 5 October 2023, how much and what proportion of funding for local transport connections across areas in the West and East Midlands outside the city regions will be spent on transport in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations.
Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:
It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.
Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.
The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's press release of 4 October 2023 on the redirection of HS2 funding to transport across the North and Midlands, what newly funded road schemes in the Midlands will be (a) in North Shropshire constituency and (b) funded by money redirected from HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations.
Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:
It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.
Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.
The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the funding for the Midlands Rail Hub will be spent in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations.
Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:
It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.
Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.
The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources they will provide to compensate local authorities for their expenditure in preparation for the HS2 rail link.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
HS2 Ltd has in place a series of Service Level Agreements with line of route local authorities which provide for those authorities to be reimbursed for the reasonable costs they incur in helping to deliver the new railway. This includes reimbursement for the role local authorities play in the consenting process, and in various other areas.
In the meantime, Network North has enabled the reinvestment of £36 billion in hundreds of transport projects across the country, and we will keep working with local authorities and stakeholders to deliver improvements in local communities.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to release funds from the northern leg of HS2 to improve the railway line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Although upgrading this line was not included in the Network North plan, £9.6 billion funding has been allocated towards transport infrastructure enhancements across the Midlands. This does not preclude the scheme from being funded in the future, and I understand Midlands Connect’s Strategic Outline Business Case outlines the potential benefits of the scheme for line-speed improvements to the Shewsbury to Wolverhampton line.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department (a) has provided to local authorities to help reduce congestion on local roads in each of the last two years and (b) plans to provide to local authorities for this purpose in each of the next five years.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
During the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24 the Department has provided a total of over £2.1 billion of highway maintenance support to local authorities through the Highways Maintenance Block, Potholes Fund, and the additional funding from the Network North announcement. It has also provided £340 million for small scale transport improvements through the Integrated Transport Block to eligible local authorities. All of this will help enable smoother, safer journeys. In addition to this, Combined Authorities receiving City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements receive a settlement that incorporates funding for similar improvements in their areas. The Department is also providing £70 million in 2023/24 for a new traffic signals upgrade programme, which will help traffic flow more freely.
As for future years, the Department has already announced an £8.3 billion uplift for local highway maintenance over the years 2023/24 to 2033/34 as part of the Network North programme. Further details of this are available on gov.uk. In 2024/25 the Department will provide £1.065bn of Highways Maintenance Block and £170 million of Integrated Transport Block funding to eligible local authorities. The profiling of funding in the years beyond 2024/25 will be subject to a future Spending Review.
The Department has also supported various local road schemes across the country through the Major Road Network and Large Local Major programmes, the details of which are available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-north.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase transport choices to further and higher education for young people aged between 16 and 24 in Newcastle.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Students will benefit from the near £600 million invested into the £2 Bus Fare Cap scheme introduced by the Department for Transport, and now extended until 31 December 2024. This provides affordable transport links across England, including the North East.
The government recognises the wider cost of living pressures that have impacted students. The department has made available £276 million of Student Premium and Mental Health funding for the 2023/24 academic year, to support students who need additional help, including disadvantaged students. This funding will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes.
In the 2023/24 academic year, the department has also allocated £160 million to further education institutions for discretionary bursaries to help disadvantaged students with costs such as travel.
The government has continued to increase living costs support each year with a 2.8% increase for the 2023/24 academic year. The department is considering options for loans and grants for living and other costs for the 2024/25 academic year and will be making an announcement in due course.