Aviation Industry
(Denton
and Reddish) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to help ensure the recovery of the UK
aviation sector following the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine.
(East Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
support for the aviation industry.
(Ealing, Southall) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to support jobs in the aviation sector.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government have provided significant financial support to
aviation workers and businesses. The global travel taskforce will
report in April on a return to safe and sustainable international
travel.
[V]
Last week, the Chancellor set out the support he is providing to
businesses until they can reopen their doors, but although the
Office for National Statistics showed that aviation was the
worst-affected sector, it was not given a single mention. Does
the Minister agree that the support already provided to airports
will not be enough to cover them losing many times that amount
each month? Is he not missing a trick here both to help the
sector to survive and help it to modernise to meet our climate
change obligations?
The Government have given the aviation sector approximately £7
billion of support over the course of the pandemic. The Budget we
heard last week from the Chancellor extended both the furlough
scheme and the airport and ground operations support scheme for
another six months. What we are doing to support and help the
sector is the global travel taskforce. It is through getting
people travelling sustainably and robustly that we will see
brighter days ahead.
[V]
Duty free arrival was not part of the Government’s post-Brexit
consultations, despite industry stakeholders asking for it to be
introduced. The Tory Government decision to end VAT-free shopping
schemes for travellers will cost hundreds of jobs across
Scotland. Establishing arrival duty free outlets could offset
some of that. Can the Minister tell the House whether he lobbied
the Chancellor prior to that decision? If so, will he continue to
push the Treasury to change its view and save jobs?
The hon. Member will understand that there had to be a change on
that taxation regime at the end of the transition period. All
taxation matters are a matter for the Treasury. They are kept
under review by the Chancellor at all times, and I am sure he has
heard very carefully what she said.
[V]
The future of the aviation sector needs greening, which will
bring lower pollution and new high-quality jobs. Will the
Minister commit to working with the Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy to increase the Aerospace
Technology Institute budget, so that we as a country can focus on
developing the technology that will support future zero emission
aircraft?
The hon. Member is quite right that aviation must play its part
in the net zero challenge. It is a challenge, but it is also an
enormous opportunity. We are already working with BEIS through
the Jet Zero Council and the working groups not only on new
airframe types and new technology for aircraft, but on things
like sustainable aviation fuel.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP) [V]
It is simply not good enough. The Office for National Statistics
confirmed that aviation has been hardest hit. This Government
promised a sector deal but then did not deliver, barring a last
minute and somewhat diluted version of the uncapped business
rates relief available in Scotland. Let us recap: ending VAT-free
shopping at airports and refusing to consider arrival duty free;
the most indebted aviation sector in the world, now about a third
smaller with thousands of jobs gone; and now EU cargo and
chartered airlines operating in the UK without reciprocal rights
in many EU countries—this Government have utterly failed aviation
and its 1 million workers, have they not?
This is a Government who stand foursquare behind aviation, which
is a real mark of global Britain. As I said, we have seen
approximately £7 billion-worth of support going to the aviation
sector. Through the global travel taskforce we will be expanding
horizons even further. Most recently, the consultation has been
announced on air passenger duty, which I note has not happened in
Scotland.
(Wythenshawe
and Sale East) (Lab)
The Minister is strong on rhetoric, but weak on delivery. First,
I thank the Secretary of State for writing to me to correct the
record after our previous exchange and confirming how few times
the Jet Zero Council had actually met.
On this global travel taskforce, the ONS says, as my hon. Friend
the Member for Denton and Reddish () pointed
out, that it will take three years for the sector to recovery.
The Airport Operators Association is saying five years. What
assurances are there that what the workstreams produce—are there
any going on at the moment and is it meeting?—will be robustly
implemented? We have not seen that so far with other
announcements by this Government.
I simply have to disagree with the hon. Member. The first global
travel taskforce reported in November, as promised. We had the
robust release of the test to release scheme in December in time
for the Christmas market. Now it is right that we take stock,
look at the whole aviation sector, consult carefully and have a
new GTT. We will, as we have said, report to the Prime Minister
and publish the reports on 12 April, and 17 May is the earliest
date on which international travel can resume. We are working
with and meeting and consulting the sector on a weekly and daily
basis. It is a major ongoing piece of work very much at pace.
Union Connectivity Review
(Delyn) (Con)
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Union
connectivity review.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
Yesterday, I welcomed the Union connectivity review interim
report. It marks an important moment in looking at how transport
can bring people together across our United Kingdom.
Transport infrastructure is one of the most vital areas of
development needed in my constituency. I was delighted to see
that improvements in connectivity to the north Wales coastline
and the A55 featured strongly in yesterday’s interim report. Can
my right hon. Friend confirm when he expects the review to
publish its final report, and that there will be funding
available to implement its recommendations, even though some
cases were not mentioned specifically in the Budget?
The interim report did, of course, mention the A55, which my hon.
Friend has campaigned hard for. I have released £20 million to
carry on further work and studies on some of these routes and the
final report will be released in the summer.
Transport Decarbonisation
(Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)
What recent steps his Department has taken to help facilitate
transport decarbonisation in line with the Government’s
commitments (a) to the Paris agreement and (b) for COP26.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The transport decarbonisation plan will set out transport’s
contribution to net zero. We are also delivering ambitious
international COP26 campaigns.
[V]
When does the Minister consider that there will be enough public
charging points available for electric-powered vehicles to ensure
that no domestic user requires an internal combustion engine? I
would settle for her best estimate of when urban motorists could
be fossil-free. How quickly does she think the network can be
built?
We have ambitious plans to meet our target dates of phasing out
the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. At the moment, a
driver is never more than 25 miles away from a rapid charge point
anywhere on England’s motorways, and there are 36 rapid charge
points available per 100 miles, but we obviously need to go
further. We are working through our rapid charging fund and we
will make further announcements very shortly on this topic.
(Bristol East) (Lab) [V]
We know that the Government’s road-building expansion will lead
to an estimated 270,000 additional tonnes of carbon entering the
atmosphere by 2032. However, in an answer to a recent question,
the Minister told me that she was content that the Government’s
road-building expansion programme was compatible with the net
zero target. Will she tell me how she reached that view when the
Secretary of State overruled his own civil servants on the need
to conduct an environmental review of the policy? And does she
agree that if the Government are serious about reaching net zero
and setting an example before COP26, that review should be
carried out now?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. She will know that we are
serious about decarbonising the entire transport sector. We will
publish our transport decarbonisation plan in spring this year,
as we have committed to do, which will set out how we will
decarbonise the entire sector, including roads. I just say to her
that, of course, we do need roads, but we want the vehicles
driving on them to be electric, and we are investing in electric
vehicles—cars, vans, buses and lorries.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP) [V]
Over a year has gone and we have seen neither hide nor hair of
this transport decarbonisation plan, or the national bus
strategy, or the £3 billion on green buses. In contrast, Scotland
is fast becoming a world leader in transport decarbonisation,
with higher take-up of electric cars, an impressive charging
network, actual investment in electric buses, on which everyone
under the age of 22 is now able to travel free, and a much
praised rolling rail electrification scheme. Spring is an elastic
term in parliamentary terminology. When will we actually see the
decarbonisation plan, and when will we actually see zero-emission
buses being ordered?
I remind the hon. Gentleman that we have invested £2.8 billion to
support the transition to electric vehicles, and a lot of that
money has gone to Scotland. The funds for the plug-in car grants
are available UK-wide, and, as I said, we will publish the
transport decarbonisation plan in spring, as we have promised.
Transport Infrastructure Projects
(Dudley North) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
(Hastings and
Rye) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
(Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
(Aylesbury) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
(Dewsbury) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
(South East Cornwall) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of
transport infrastructure projects.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Transport infrastructure is central to the Government’s plans to
build back better from covid-19, and the Department for Transport
is at the forefront of Project Speed. We have also created our
own acceleration unit as well as establishing the Northern
Transport Acceleration Council, through which we have identified
112 schemes to progress.
[V]
My Dudley North constituents are seeing record levels of
investment coming to them, and much of it is dedicated to very
light rail, metro extension and the new transport interchange.
However, connectivity from local housing estates to these
transport networks is key. What assurances can my hon. Friend
give my constituents that every link in this chain will result in
a truly integrated transport system?
Dudley is indeed pioneering research and development into very
light rail, and I am pleased that the West Midlands Combined
Authority recently signed off funding into the Dudley
interchange. Mayor Andy Street’s vision is for it to be the
best-connected region in the country, and the Chancellor has
confirmed the £4.2 billion intra-city transport fund, as well as
the levelling up fund, in the Budget. I am sure that, with his
help, Dudley will get its fair share of transport infrastructure
funding. I am looking forward to riding the metro to Dudley Zoo
very soon.
Mr Speaker
And they will all go in twos.
[V]
Investing in improved transport infrastructure is well recognised
by my hon. Friend as a necessity for turbocharging our economy
and levelling up. Beautiful Hastings and Rye has some of the most
antiquated road and rail infrastructure in the country, which
inhibits economic growth and is the reason why HS1 must be
prioritised.
If we are serious about levelling up left-behind communities,
does my hon. Friend not agree that HS1, as promised by previous
Ministers, now needs to be delivered? What discussions has he had
with the Treasury to ensure that funding will be available to
finance such a vital project?
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s determination in drawing
attention to this important local issue; this is the second time
she has done so this week, I believe. As she will know, the
strategic outline business case for the Kent and East Sussex
coastal connectivity scheme is currently being progressed by
Network Rail, and it is due to be submitted to the Department in
April. I am sure that the rail Minister will be able to update
her more in due course.
[V]
Network Rail has finished developing plans for the Croydon area
remodelling scheme to help to unblock the Croydon bottleneck—one
of the most congested parts of the rail network, which impacts
300,000 commuters every day on the Brighton main line as well as
those in areas of suburban London such as Carshalton and
Wallington. What steps is my hon. Friend taking to ensure that
this scheme has Government support in order to make it a success?
I know that my hon. Friend has met the Rail Minister on numerous
occasions to discuss the Croydon bottleneck and the impact on
stations across his constituency. We recognise the importance of
the issue and are continuing to work closely with Network Rail
and operators to develop the scheme further.
[V]
My constituents are really enthusiastic about a piece of rail
infrastructure that could bring a real benefit to their lives.
No, they have not changed their minds about HS2; the railway they
really want to see is the Aylesbury spur of East West Rail.
However, funding has so far not been secured, despite it being in
the original proposals and despite the DFT’s own figures showing
a stronger business case for East West Rail than for HS2. Will my
hon. Friend commit to working across Government to get funding
for the Aylesbury spur, which would reduce car use, cut emissions
and help to level up my town?
As my hon. Friend is aware, in January the Government approved an
additional £760 million of new funding to deliver East West Rail
between Oxford and Milton Keynes. I know that he has met the
Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Rail Minister to make the
case for connecting Aylesbury to East West Rail. I understand how
important the connection is to his constituency, and we continue
to explore the options.
[V]
The Penistone line stops at three stations in my
constituency—Stocksmoor, Denby Dale and Shepley—and currently
runs an hourly service, hampering the connectivity of those
villages. There is genuine cross-party support for having the
whole of the line upgraded so that it runs half-hourly services,
levelling up all our communities. A delivery plan is already in
place for this much-needed upgrade, so will the Minister agree to
assist with co-ordinating this proposal with the Treasury and the
relevant rail authorities?
As my hon. Friend will be aware, last week marked one year since
the Government stepped in to take over the ailing Northern Rail
franchise. Since then, Northern has transformed services with a
huge investment in new trains and the retirement of Pacers, and
completed the extension of platforms at more than 70 stations. He
makes a strong case for increasing local services, and I know
that the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my hon.
Friend the Member for Daventry (),
the Rail Minister, will be happy to meet him to discuss this
issue.
Mrs Murray [V]
As my hon. Friend knows, I have long campaigned for the
much-needed upgrade to the A38, which is the main trunk road
through my constituency to the nearest city, Plymouth. I am
working with Highways England and undertaking surveys, but in the
light of the fantastic news that Plymouth is to become a
freeport, will my hon. Friend revaluate the urgency of
improvements, so that the whole of Cornwall can take advantage of
Plymouth’s new status?
I congratulate Plymouth on its status as one of the eight new
freeports announced in the Budget last week. Freeports will
create national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, thereby
levelling up communities throughout the UK, creating new jobs and
turbocharging our economic recovery. We are working across
Government to support these exciting developments and will look
closely at any changes to transport infrastructure that are
required.
(Slough) (Lab)
Our rail industry must play a pivotal role in fighting the
climate crisis with ambitious plans for decarbonising transport
infrastructure and extensive electrification. Shockingly, despite
the UK’s being the country that pioneered rail, only 38% of our
network is electrified—thanks to the Tory Government’s chronic
failure to act. We have been left far behind by the likes of
Germany, France, Italy and Spain, which have electrified the
majority of their railways. Given that we do not have time for
further delay and dithering, and to keep costs down, why will the
Minister not commit, here and now, to a long-term rolling
programme of electrification?
I politely remind the shadow Minister of the statistics: under
the Labour Government of 1997 to 2010, only 63 miles of the
railways were electrified; since 2010, we have already
electrified 1,110 miles, and we continue to invest.
Ports: New Trading Arrangements
(Portsmouth South) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the
adequacy of support for ports adapting to new trading
arrangements since the end of the transition period.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government continue to deliver wide-ranging support measures
to British ports, including unprecedented levels of direct
funding such as grants.
[V]
Ministers continue to withhold the vital funds needed for
Portsmouth international port to complete the post-Brexit
infrastructure mandated by the Government’s own border-operating
model. With full customs checks coming in July, what steps is the
Minister taking to secure the vital funding needed to ensure that
our local authority-owned port remains competitive and
prosperous, and that the chaos we saw at Dover in December does
not become a reality in my city?
As a general rule, the “user pays” principle applies, so the
Government would expect ports to pay for improvements themselves,
but the Government have taken an unprecedented approach through
the ports infrastructure fund to support as many ports as
possible with grants. Portsmouth was awarded more than £17
million, which is the third-largest amount awarded to any port
and is extremely significant funding. The hon. Gentleman’s city
is, of course, part of the successful Solent freeport bid, which
I am sure he welcomes.
Electric Vehicles
(Ynys Môn)
(Con)
What steps his Department is taking to increase the use of
electric vehicles.
(South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to increase the use of
electric vehicles.
(Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to increase the use of
electric vehicles.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
By 2035, all new cars and vans need to be zero emission at the
tailpipe. We are investing £2.8 billion to support this
transition.
Pentraeth Automotive on my island constituency of Ynys Môn is at
the forefront of electric vehicle provision locally. Will the
Minister consider providing support so that businesses like
Pentraeth Automotive can retrain their skilled mechanics to
ensure that electric vehicles can be maintained safely?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the UK is at the
forefront of the electric-vehicle industry, and I want her
constituency to play its part. We are working with the Institute
of the Motor Industry to ensure that the UK’s mechanics workforce
is well-trained and has the skills needed to safely repair
electric vehicles. Through consultation with the automotive
sector, the IMI has developed Techsafe, a register and
professional standard for electric vehicle technicians that the
Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has endorsed.
[V]
To be able to truly embrace the EV revolution, does my hon.
Friend agree that there needs to be a comprehensive network of
on-street residential charging points close to where people live,
especially where they have no dedicated parking space? Will she
work with local authorities to start this work now, so that that
is one less barrier to EV adoption?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right and we are already working
closely with local authorities. Our on-street residential charge
point scheme has so far supported more than 105 different local
authorities to fund more than 3,800 charge points. We have
recently announced that £20 million will be made available under
this scheme for the year 2021-22. We are working so closely with
local authorities to ensure the maximum take-up of the scheme,
because we do not want a lack of charging infrastructure to be a
barrier to anyone wanting to transition to an EV.
Following on from the previous question, that charging
infrastructure concern can be a barrier to purchase. We know that
most owners of electric cars charge their vehicles at home. That
often relies on their having a garage or drive, which is not
always appropriate or possible in a block of flats or in a very
urban area.
Will my hon. Friend keep the House updated on progress on
charging facilities in the more built-up urban areas, because
that is absolutely critical if we are to see significant take-up
of these vehicles?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is absolutely right
that we need to tackle all these barriers, which is why we have
recently announced that we are changing the criteria for our EV
charging schemes to include small businesses, leaseholders and
those in rented accommodation, especially flats, to accelerate
uptake. Worth up to £50 million, the updated schemes will
complement a further £20 million that we are providing for our
on-street charging scheme.
(Ilford
South) (Lab)
I am pleased to hear the Minister talk about electric vehicles,
but the reality is that we have seen little in the way of
concrete measures from this Government. We were promised 4,000
zero-emission buses by 2025, but we have heard little more about
that—or, indeed, about the national bus strategy, which was
expected months ago and has still yet to materialise.
It has now been a year since the Government published their
transport decarbonisation plan. The Secretary of State himself
said that
“Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of
our time”,
yet all we have had is dither and delay. Although last week’s
Budget saw the Chancellor freeze fuel duty for the 11th year
running, costing the taxpayer about £1 billion and flying in the
face of the commitment to tackle carbon emissions, this
Government have a legal obligation, lest we forget, to achieve
net zero carbon emissions by 2050. When will they start
delivering?
Let me politely disagree strongly with the hon. Gentleman on the
Labour Front Bench. I would need longer than this one simple
question to answer the allegations that he has put to me. Shall
we start with the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan? Shall we also
refer to the transport decarbonisation plan, which, as I have now
said three times, we will publish in the spring. The national bus
strategy, as my colleagues have reminded me, will be brought
forward very shortly. Not only that, but we are installing charge
points up and down the country. We have already committed to
phasing out petrol and diesel cars by 2030. We are leading the
world in this fight against climate change, and we will continue
to do so.
Bakerloo Line Extension
(Bermondsey
and Old Southwark) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on funding for the Bakerloo line extension since the
Government’s formal issuing of safeguarding directions on 1 March
2021.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
I can confirm to the hon. Member that neither I nor ministerial
colleagues in the Department have discussed this matter with the
Chancellor since the safeguarding directions were issued 11 days
ago.
[V]
I thank the Government for safeguarding the land for the Bakerloo
line extension. This is a project that will not just improve
transport across London, but create jobs and homes and provide a
much-needed economic boost for the whole national economy. The
next step, though, is that crucial funding. It is disappointing
to hear that there have not been any discussions. What resources
have the Department and the Treasury set aside to develop a
single preferred option for the extension to ensure that
construction is under way as soon as possible, to boost our
national economy?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. The Chancellor has
been a tad busy in the past week or so on a very important
economic piece for the country. The Bakerloo line extension is a
Transport for London project and the issuing of safeguarding
directions actually represents the Government’s commitment to
fund the project, but it protects the route from conflicting
development that could have raised the cost of the project
significantly in the future. His question is best aimed at the
Mayor.
International Travel: Safe Restart
(Burnley) (Con)
What preparatory steps his Department is taking on the safe
restart of international travel during the covid-19 pandemic.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government have launched the global travel taskforce mark 2
in order to help facilitate international travel as we deal with
this virus.
My right hon. Friend will be aware that thousands of
manufacturing jobs in my constituency are reliant on the
aerospace and aviation sector. What those people need more than
anything else is aircraft in the air, flying again. Will my right
hon. Friend set out what steps he is taking with global partners,
including looking at schemes such as the International Air
Transport Association’s travel pass, to get aircraft flying again
in a way that is safe and sustainable?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He will recall that mark 1 of
the global travel taskforce introduced test to release to assist
with this. Mark 2 will introduce travel certification by using
schemes such as IATA’s travel pass or the World Economic Forum’s
CommonPass. He will be interested to know that I have been having
conversations with my US counterpart and many others around the
world to get that travel going again. The report will be on 12
April.
(Bexhill and Battle) (Con) [V]
The Secretary of State just mentioned 12 April for the global
travel taskforce recommendations. Is that the date on which the
public and the aviation industry will know what the rules will
be, or is it just the date when the recommendations will be given
to No. 10?
The Chair of the Transport Committee is absolutely right; 12
April is the date that we will report back, and we will make it
public on the same day. Travel for leisure or other purposes will
not resume or be allowed until 17 May at the earliest. It is
important that people realise that that is the earliest date, but
we are very keen to get the aviation sector that many Members
across the House have talked about back in the air, and this is
the route to get it there.
Midlands Rail Hub
Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the midlands
rail hub project as part of the midlands engine rail plan.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Department has approved £20 million of funding for the
development of an outline business case for the midlands rail
hub. We are working closely with Network Rail to apply the
principles of Project SPEED to the development of this project to
ensure that it can progress as quickly as possible.
Karl MᶜCartney [V]
It is good to see you again this morning, Mr Speaker. I thank the
Minister for his reply. The rail corridor to Lincoln, which the
Minister knows well, has a proposed upgrade of signalling at
Newark, as well as plans for faster and more frequent trains to
my constituency of Lincoln. Some of these schemes are almost
shovel-ready and can begin this year. Will my hon. Friend
consider these schemes and help Lincoln to receive the train
services that my constituents deserve?
Mr Speaker, I think we can both agree that my hon. Friend is a
wonder to behold, as he demonstrates to us all that a sensible,
coherent campaigning strategy—bringing together people and
businesses, and demonstrating the potential economic growth that
could result from schemes and infrastructure—leads to this
Government delivering that infrastructure. One only has to look
at the roads around his great city and the direct trains to
London for which he has campaigned. Midlands Connect is
developing a proposal, as he outlines, and if history is anything
to go by, his resourcefulness will help to speed it through the
process.
Investment in Rail: North of England
(Lancaster
and Fleetwood) (Lab)
What recent assessment he has made of the effect of his policies
on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s
levelling-up agenda.
(Easington) (Lab)
What recent assessment he has made of the effect of his policies
on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s
levelling-up agenda.
(Southport)
(Con)
What steps his Department is taking to invest in rail
infrastructure projects in the north-west.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to increase rail connections
in the north of England.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Government are committed to levelling up rail infrastructure
across the north. In that spirit, I am delighted to confirm that
we have awarded £137 million to Network Rail to complete detailed
design and deliver the Hope Valley capacity scheme. The scheme
will transform journeys between the northern powerhouse cities of
Manchester and Sheffield by removing bottlenecks on the Hope
Valley line. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for High
Peak (), who has campaigned relentlessly for the scheme since
he was elected and has helped to get it over the line.
May I take this opportunity to remind the Minister that my
constituents in Fleetwood would like to be connected to the rail
network?
I heard the Minister’s answer to my question, but I do not
understand—perhaps he could help me out here—how he squares that
with a 40% cut to Transport for the North’s budget.
I know about the proposals to reconnect Fleetwood; I know them
very well, because they have been championed so well by my hon.
Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys ().
Transport for the North, which, of course, was established under
the Conservatives—has seen its funding for Northern Powerhouse
Rail and the Rail North partnership increase year on year. Last
year, TfN had funding available to it of £59 million for Northern
Powerhouse Rail and of £680,000 for the Rail North partnership.
For the next year, both those figures have increased—to £67
million and £700,000. We are getting on with delivering schemes.
Whether it be the trans-Pennine route upgrade, the Hope Valley
line or phase 2a of HS2 coming to the north of England, we are
getting on with delivering.
[V]
On that very point, will the Minister take this opportunity to
correct the Prime Minister’s statement in which he denied that
cuts were taking place to Transport for the North’s budget? Does
the Minister believe that cutting core funding to Transport for
the North by 40%, which is what is happening, freezing Northern
Powerhouse Rail’s budget at £75 million—a third less than was
requested—and mothballing plans to roll out contactless ticketing
on services like the Tyne and Wear Metro will level up and
improve transport infrastructure in the north?
The hon. Gentleman has been in this House long enough to know
that the Prime Minister is always right.
Mr Speaker
You might be proved wrong.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I have just told the House, the budget
for Northern Powerhouse Rail available to Transport for the North
last year was £59 million; next year it is £67 million. Looking
at that funding alone, it has all the money it needs in order to
deliver on the priorities in the north of England. At the same
time, we are getting on with delivering, with £29 billion
invested in transport across the north of England since 2010,
while in the Budget we committed to over £40 billion more for
transport and rail infrastructure projects, £17.5 billion in
renewals and upgrades over the next three years, and £22.6
billion for HS2. We are getting on with delivering, levelling up
and building back better from covid-19.
The infrastructure that underpins the Southport to Manchester
Piccadilly service, which serves my constituency, is part of the
plan to bring in £400 million-worth of investment and to create
jobs. Does my hon. Friend agree that connecting people to jobs
and attracting investment is a key part of the levelling-up
agenda?
Fresh from securing £37.5 million for the towns deal for
Southport in the Budget, I understand that yesterday my hon.
Friend met the Rail Minister once again to make the case for his
local rail services, as he has consistently done since he was
elected. I can assure him that the industry taskforce will be
doing its utmost to address the concerns he has raised while
preserving the core aim of producing a simplified timetable that
all passengers can rely on.
Newcastle-under-Lyme is the second largest town in the UK without
a railway station of its own, and if the Minister gives my hon.
Friend the Member for Dudley North () what he wants, we will be up to No. 1. Keele
University is the only major British university without a railway
station nearby. Will the Minister welcome the bid that I have
submitted to the Restoring Your Railway ideas fund that would
solve both those problems with a station in Newcastle and one at
Silverdale for Keele University? Will he meet me to discuss the
bid so that I can show him some of the details of how it will
benefit my constituency?
My hon. Friend makes a very strong case for his constituency. As
he correctly points out, the £500 million Restoring Your Railway
fund is one of the many ways in which we are intending to level
up the country and build back better. The Rail Minister, as chair
of the panel, looks forward to reviewing the bid that my hon.
Friend has submitted, and I know he would be happy to meet him to
discuss the proposals further.
Transport for London: Funding
(Harrow East)
(Con)
What recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on a
future funding agreement.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government regularly engage with Transport for London on the
impacts of covid-19, and—dare I say?—the Mayor’s management of
Transport for London.
[V]
My right hon. Friend will be well aware that the current Mayor
has increased council tax by 30%, brought TfL to the brink of
bankruptcy with £12 billion of debt, even before the pandemic
struck, and now wants to charge motorists for coming into the
outskirts of London. Does he agree that it is time for a fresh
start?
I cannot have my hon. Friend be unfair to the London Mayor; we do
have to consider that covid has been a part of that. This
Government have stumped up £3.4 billion to assist TfL so far, and
we are talking to the Mayor and TfL again. But my hon. Friend is
absolutely right to say that there was already a £494 million
on-year deficit. Now the Mayor, through not having collected or
raised the price of fares over the years, is considering a
boundary tax to tax people without representation to enter
London. It is appalling mismanagement of our rail services.
Cruises
(Southampton, Itchen) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to allow cruises to safely
recommence during the covid-19 pandemic.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
Domestic cruises will restart alongside domestic tourism and
indoor hospitality. International cruises will be considered
within the global travel taskforce.
The cruise sector is worth more than £10 billion to the UK
economy and supports more than 88,000 jobs. Southampton is the
cruise capital of northern Europe, with 500 cruise ship visits
per year, each one generating £2.5 million for the local economy.
Cruises are covid-safe and they are ready to go, but they need
three months’ notice to become operational. Will my hon. Friend
work with his colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office to ensure that the Prime Minister’s road map
includes cruises, so that operators have the confidence to start
booking passengers?
I completely agree with my hon. Friend about the impressive steps
taken by the cruise industry in its covid-19 framework, which was
published in October 2020. He is right to celebrate the immense
financial and employment contribution of the cruise industry to
the UK, including to the Southampton, Itchen constituency, for
which he speaks so powerfully. I am pleased that domestic cruises
in England will be able to restart under step 3 of the road map,
which will be no earlier than 17 May. The restart of
international cruises will be considered through the global
travel taskforce report on 12 April. My hon. Friend is right that
travel advice remains a matter for the FCDO, but he can be
absolutely sure that my officials and I will continue to engage
with that Department.
Transport Devolution Deal: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
(Cambridge) (Lab)
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2017
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough devolution deal on transport
connectivity in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) Peterborough.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has
recently carried out a review on the progress of the devolution
deal, and I understand that the outcome of that will be announced
in due course.
[V]
In the Budget last week, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was the
only mayoral authority not to get money from the intra-city
transport settlement. We are still awaiting the blocked £45
million in housing funding, and we got just 75% of the indicative
amount for active travel, when everyone else got at least 95%.
What have the Government got against Cambridgeshire? Isn’t the
Mayor a chum?
The Mayor is a chum, and I would like to think the hon. Member is
a chum, too. The cities eligible for the intra-city fund
announced in the spending review 2020 have been chosen with the
appropriate governance and on the basis of a range of factors,
including population, economic growth rates and congestion. The
Government are already investing substantially in Cambridgeshire
and Peterborough through the £1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to
Huntingdon upgrade that was completed last year and a devolved
allocation of £95 million from the transforming cities fund for
2020 to 2023, and we are also developing plans for a new
Cambridge South station and, obviously, East West Rail.
Smart Motorways
(Rotherham) (Lab)
What plans he has to convert additional stretches of motorway to
smart motorways.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
Highways England is delivering its plan for 2020 to 2025, with
sets of all-lane running motorway schemes being delivered over
the current road investment period. We have committed £500
million to ensure these motorways are as safe as possible.
[V]
Since its conversion to a smart motorway, the 10-mile stretch of
the M1 between junctions 32 and 35A has seen an average of 68
breakdowns a month in live lanes. Each of these incidents has the
potential to end in a tragedy. By contrast, in the three years
prior to its conversion, not a serious incident occurred in which
a vehicle was struck on the hard shoulder. When will the
Government stop gambling with the lives of motorists and abandon
these dangerous, ill thought out death traps?
I congratulate the hon. Lady for all her campaigning on this
subject, and she knows that I share her passion. When I spoke to
her a year ago today to explain the 18 different steps involved
in the smart motorways stocktake, she warmly welcomed that work.
Smart motorways have been under development since 2001 under the
Blair-John Prescott Government. I think I am the first Secretary
of State in 12 to carry out the stocktake and review, and I will
not rest until these motorways are as safe as possible.
Cycling and Walking
(Exeter) (Lab)
What steps the Government are taking to help local authorities
increase levels of cycling and walking.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Government are investing £2 billion in active travel over the
rest of this Parliament, much of which will go to local
authorities. This is the biggest ever boost for cycling and
walking.
Mr Bradshaw [V]
Many local authorities, including Conservative-run Devon and
Labour-run Exeter, are working very well together to deliver on
the Government’s vision. What will the Minister do about the
small number of obstructionist local councils, such as Kensington
and Chelsea in London, which, incredibly, does not have a single
segregated bike lane in the whole borough and, furthermore,
recently tore out a new temporary one that was very popular with
local families, forcing those families and children back out on
to a busy main road on their way to school?
I welcome the right hon. Gentleman, who is a new member of the
Transport Committee, and look forward to working with him as we
move forward on this agenda especially. We have met on this
subject previously. He will know that local authorities across
the country are doing a marvellous job. Devon County Council has
received £1.6 million from the active travel fund in this
financial year and is spending it very wisely. There are local
authorities that have not consulted on schemes quite as well as
we would have liked in the past. We are trying to rectify that,
and we are working from the centre with local authorities that
are struggling to deliver schemes, to ensure that they deliver
them properly, with the appropriate consultation, and that
taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.
Mr Speaker
Congratulations on clearing the list—that is unique.
Topical Questions
(Hastings and
Rye) (Con)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
We aim to please, Mr Speaker.
Schools are reopening this week, and many more people, including
students and parents, are therefore making essential journeys, so
I am delighted to announce that today we have released another
150,000 Fix Your Bike vouchers, helping people to get on to their
bikes and back into active travel. Each voucher is worth £50 and
will help more people get their old bikes fixed and roadworthy
again—all part of our unprecedented £2 billion of active travel
funding throughout this Parliament.
[V]
I welcome the news that Transport for the South East has
submitted its ambitious 30-year transport strategy, and my right
hon. Friend is to have regard to that in setting policy and
investment decisions. Decarbonisation is vital, and as Transport
for the South East has shown, its ability to bring together local
authorities, Network Rail, Highways England and others and act at
scale with six other sub-national transport bodies puts them in a
perfect position to help deliver our decarbonisation initiatives.
What role does my right hon. Friend have in mind for STBs to help
bring about the interventions needed to meet our climate goals?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right: sub-national bodies are
extremely important in helping to bring together what can be
quite different, disparate systems within a sub-regional area, to
ensure that the transport is effective but also, as she rightly
says, decarbonised. I see their role as being pivotal to
delivering not only good transport but our transport
decarbonisation plan.
(Oldham West and Royton) (Lab/Co-op)
Last week, I met some of the families of those who have died on
smart motorways. I heard the pain and the devastation of those
who have been affected by all-lane-running schemes. We last had
an update on the number of deaths on smart motorways a year ago.
Will the Secretary of State set out what the most recent number
of fatalities on smart motorways is?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about public concern about
smart motorways, which, as I mentioned before, I very much share.
I was the first Transport Secretary to order a review and a
stocktake, which published a year ago yesterday with an 18-point
plan. Tomorrow, I will have an update on my desk that I have
ordered from Highways England, which will give me all the latest
data. The last information I have is the 39 deaths between 2015
and 2019.
I appreciate the answer, but I do not think it is acceptable at
all that the data appears to be at the very least a year out of
date about a scheme that has significant public interest and when
there are grieving families who want to know the true impact. I
ask the Secretary of State to improve and to press Highways
England to improve its data collection on that issue.
Yesterday, Highways England launched a campaign that encourages
drivers to sing a Pet Shop Boys song as a reminder to pull into a
refuge. That reduces it down to an insult, insinuating that
drivers who became stranded were somehow careless. They were not.
They were the victims of an ill-conceived scheme that still
leaves people at risk today. What the families really want to
know is, what is being done to ensure that there are no further
fatalities? At the last Transport orals, I asked the Transport
Secretary to pick up the phone and to reinstate the hard
shoulder. Did he do that, and if not, why not?
First, the figures to which I refer are national statistics. My
understanding is that they have to be quality assured, and it is
beyond the control of the Secretary of State to quote figures
that have not yet been checked. In answer to the hon. Gentleman’s
last point about why we do not simply reinstate the hard
shoulder— and I know that is his policy—I know from the work that
has been carried out that the statisticians, who have worked very
hard on this, tell us that per 1 billion miles travelled, which
is the way roads are measured, there are about a third more
deaths where there are hard shoulders, because one in 12
fatalities actually takes place on a hard shoulder.
As I mentioned before, I am the first Secretary of State to
undertake a full stocktake and review. Tomorrow, I will have a
report, and I will come back to this House and report on it very
quickly afterwards. These are not new things; they were
introduced in 2001 by . However, I do
absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman’s desire to see the
problem resolved. It is important to know that, while I mentioned
the 39 deaths on so-called smart motorways, at the same time
there were 368 deaths on regular motorways, so it is very
important that we take all of these steps.
On an education campaign so that people understand how to use all
motorways, not just smart motorways, the £5 million campaign was
one of the calls of the stocktake. Many of the victims’ families,
including Meera Naran, who lost her eight-year-old son, have
welcomed the fact that the Government are spending a record £5
million to ensure that people know what to do when they do break
down.
(Ipswich) (Con)
Last month, I paid a late-night visit to the Orwell bridge to
meet the teams who are working on introducing the new speed
limit, which will hopefully mean that, when we have recovered
from this pandemic, we no longer have to put up with constant
closures of the bridge during high wind, which has a very
negative economic impact. I actually went inside the bridge,
which is something I did not know you could do, and it was very
interesting. Also, the port of Felixstowe is to become a
freeport—very good news; Orwell bridge—good news. However, we do
know that with a freeport we are likely to see increased economic
activity and increased traffic. Will my right hon. Friend commit
to the increased investment in our road and rail infrastructure
to make sure that we can sustain and support this additional
growth and activity?
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
I am delighted to hear about the progress that has been made on
the Orwell bridge, which was the subject of an Adjournment debate
between my hon. Friend and I a few months back. I am also
delighted to hear about the success of the freeport bid.
Obviously, good transport links will be essential. We will
consider the implications of freeports on local transport
networks in future infrastructure investment decisions.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab) [V]
[R] Here in south Yorkshire, we are providing free community
transport to vaccination sites for those who need it. We are
doing what we can, but covid has pushed our underfunded bus
network to the brink. The national bus strategy is an opportunity
to make meaningful change, so can I ask the Secretary of State to
reassure me that Mayors and local authorities will be given the
powers and the resources needed to improve our bus services?
I know from our many conversations of the hon. Gentleman’s
enthusiasm to get greater control of bus services in his area. I
can reassure him, exactly as he has just asked, that not only is
that our intention, but—and this will interest other Members of
the House who have asked about it today—he will not have to wait
very long at all for the bus strategy.
(Wakefield) (Con) [V]
Interconnectivity is vital to the prosperity of our northern
towns and cities. In order to ensure that Wakefield is better
connected to neighbouring communities and is more accessible,
improving road capacity on routes is needed. Can my right hon.
Friend outline whether a Denby Dale bypass between Wakefield and
Kirklees will be considered in the third road investment strategy
to better connect us with Huddersfield, Manchester and beyond,
while relieving pressure on the M1 and M62 around Leeds and
Bradford?
My hon. Friend is a tireless champion for Wakefield. A bypass for
Denby Dale would be a matter for the local highways authority—in
this case, Kirklees Council—to consider, but it is something it
could consider as a bid into the Government’s recently announced
£4.8 billion levelling up fund, which has improving local
transport connectivity as one of its top priorities.
Mr Speaker
Let us go to Christian Matheson—[Interruption.] We will come back
to him.
(Delyn) (Con)
With the impending cutting-out of petrol and diesel cars from
production in the near future, will my right hon. Friend indicate
what discussions he has had with the Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy to ensure that cars can be more
affordable on a mass production basis?
The £2.8 billion referred to earlier is designed to do exactly
that—for example, investment in a megafactory or a gigafactory to
produce those batteries, which is one of the largest components
of bringing down the price so that cars are affordable. It is
also worth considering that we already have more rapid chargers
per 100 miles driven than any country in the EU.
(Rochdale) (Lab)
The Secretary of State will know that during the covid pandemic,
the number of people using bus transportation has fallen
dramatically, partly because of people’s fears, but partly
because of the social distancing rules. Does that not make it
astonishing that, in the middle of its industrial dispute with
Unite the Union, Go North West is now packing its buses to shove
passengers in? What will be done to increase bus transportation
post covid? Will the Secretary of State have a word with the
management of Go North West to insist that it does not put
passengers’ lives at risk?
I thank the hon. Gentleman. I am not familiar with that
situation, so I am grateful to him for bringing it to my
attention, and I assure him that I will look into it this
afternoon. On the wider point, he is right to say that right now
people are being told to stay at home and avoid travelling. We
must do a lot of work to encourage people back on to our public
transport—it is important we do that—and as I have hinted to
others, he will not have to wait long for a national bus
strategy, which I hope will answer all his questions.
(Cheadle) (Con)
Following Cheadle’s successful town’s fund bid, I am pulling
together an industry working group to collaborate on the delivery
of our new £8 million train station proposal. I look forward to
working with representatives from Stockport Council, the Ministry
of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Network Rail, and
Transport for Greater Manchester to restore connectivity, and put
Cheadle on the public transport map. Will the Minister agree to
meet me to explore opportunities for support from his Department,
and help drive that exciting transport project forward?
The Department is considering my hon. Friend’s ideas fund bid for
the East Didsbury to Stockport Metrolink line. We are working
closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government as part of the assessment process, and I am sure my
hon. Friend the rail Minister would be delighted to meet my hon.
Friend.
Mr Speaker
Let us return to .
(City of
Chester) (Lab) [V]
We will try again, Mr Speaker. I was pleased with the Hendy
report on cross border connectivity, which talked about improving
the north Wales coastline and access to HS2. Central to that is
the Chester to Crewe line. Why not crack on now with electrifying
and upgrading that line, and with the track re-layout as part of
the Growth Track 360 project at Chester? Will the Minister commit
to that?
It was worth the wait—it is always a delight to hear from the
hon. Gentleman. He will be aware that as part of the integrated
rail plan we are looking at a range of major investments across
the north of England. I am keen to see connections to Crewe
enhanced, and Royal Assent has now been given for phase 2a that
will take HS2 into Crewe. We have also been consulting with the
Crewe north connection on further investments, as part of the
design refinement consultation for HS2’s western leg into
Manchester. I am keen to speak to the hon. Gentleman about this
issue. I have been working with local stakeholders, I have met
Growth Track 360, and I am keen for us to work together to
achieve this.
(Gateshead) (Lab) [V]
[R] On Wednesday 10 February, in answer to my question, the Prime
Minister said: “I can certainly confirm that we are going to
develop the eastern leg as well as the whole of …HS2”—[Official
Report, 10 February 2021; Vol. 689, c. 325.]but an implied threat
was posed to that in the National Infrastructure Commission
report, so in order to adhere fully to the Prime Minister’s
commitment, can the Secretary of State tell us when work on the
eastern leg of HS2 will start, so that the promises of his
predecessors and the Prime Minister to the people of the north
and the north-east can be fully fulfilled?
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Prime Minister said
that it is not a case of to be or not to be. We are committed to
bringing the benefits of high-speed rail to the north of England
and work on the integrated rail plan is progressing well, but
Ministers need to take their time to fully consider all the
evidence from all stakeholders, including the National
Infrastructure Commission and the Government’s own analysis,
before finalising the plans. We therefore hope to publish the IRP
this spring.
(North East
Bedfordshire) (Con)
People in Bedfordshire who commute to London on the Bedford
midland main line can already take advantage of flexible season
tickets or carnet tickets, but my constituents who use stations
in Arlesey, Sandy and Biggleswade cannot. When will my hon.
Friend come forward with flexible season tickets, so that all my
constituents can take advantage of them?
The Government recognise that changes in travel patterns, which
have been accelerated by covid-19, need to be reflected, and we
need to accommodate them in a more flexible style of working and
travelling. We understand concerns about the cost of some rail
fares and the impact that can have on people’s budgets. The
Department is actively working with train operators to develop a
solution that offers better value and convenience for those who
commute flexibly, including on GTR routes, and we will provide a
further update on that as part of the Government’s four-step road
map out of lockdown.
(Ealing, Southall) (Lab)
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for my second bite at the cherry this
morning. I am deeply concerned that the traffic policy in my
constituency is pushing more traffic on to arterial routes and
disproportionately risking the health of the poorer and BAME
residents there. What monitoring are the Government doing to
ensure that well-intentioned pollution-cutting measures do not
shift the problem on to the most vulnerable?
I am very sorry to hear about what the hon. Gentleman’s local
Labour council has been doing with the traffic situation there. I
will ensure that the Roads Minister meets urgently with Ealing
Council to try to address his concerns, and those of other Ealing
Members, over their traffic process.
(Kettering)
(Con)
[R] Will Transport Ministers ensure that funding for a new
junction 10A on the A14 at Kettering is provided in road
investment strategy 3? Otherwise, with 2,700 new houses expected
to have been built in the new Hanwood Park development by that
time, traffic will grind to a halt in Kettering, Barton Seagrave
and Burton Latimer.
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. I believe he met
my noble Friend the Roads Minister just last week to press the
case once again. Highways England is undertaking a full technical
review of the options for that junction, to obtain certainty over
project costs. That will inform future decisions about how to
proceed.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
We know that as a result of the disruption caused by the
pandemic, many driving students have had to double-pay fees for a
driving test. When pressed on that, the Department said that the
Road Traffic Act 1988 forbids refunds. Will the Secretary of
State therefore support the private Member’s Bill of my hon.
Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (), the Driving Tests (Repayment of Test Fees) Bill?
Driving tests are among the many things for which there is a big
backlog due to the pandemic. I know that because my children are
desperate to take their driving tests—or will be shortly. We are
doing everything we can to bring them forward, particularly so
that people who have already taken their theory test do not end
up in a position where they have to pay again. We are doing
everything we can. We have already extended the period of time.
We have an issue in that we do not want people to take their
practical test with a theory test that is so old that it would
create new dangers on the roads, but I will look carefully at
what the hon. Gentleman has to say.
(East Devon) (Con) [V]
Exeter airport in my constituency of East Devon will continue to
access bespoke support following last week’s Budget and I thank
Ministers for engaging with me over the past year. Of course, we
continue to grapple with the pandemic. Passenger numbers are down
90% at Exeter airport, and it is clear that long-term solutions
will be needed to ensure the recovery of my regional airport and
many others across the nation. Please will the Secretary of State
provide an update on the progress made so far towards the
Government’s aviation recovery plan and say when it will be
published?
On 12 April, my hon. Friend can look forward to seeing that
report published. We will ensure that it contains a route not
only out of lockdown for travel but, all being well, and as long
the vaccination programme is going as it is at the moment here
and internationally, for international travel. I stress to the
House that while we are in control of our vaccination
programme—44% of our adult population are now vaccinated—we do
not have control over other countries’ vaccinations. That is why
we think we will require a combination of vaccination and testing
for international travel to work again. There is a lot to be
done. We are working hard, along with my hon. Friend the Aviation
Minister, and we will report back to the House on 12 April.
