International Travel: Covid-19
(Vale of Clwyd) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to prepare for the safe
reopening of international travel as covid-19 lockdown
restrictions are eased.
(Ealing, Southall) (Lab)
What steps his Department is taking to ensure the safe operation
of international travel as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are
eased.
(York Outer) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to prepare for the safe
reopening of international travel as covid-19 lockdown
restrictions are eased.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The global travel taskforce report clearly sets out how, when the
time is right, we will be able to restart international travel,
without putting our hard-won progress against the virus at risk.
We will confirm by early May whether non-essential international
travel can resume from 17 May.
Dr Davies [V]
Comprehensive covid testing will be critical for the safe
reopening of wider international travel. We already know that
countries with very low rates of covid infection will be placed
on a green list. Will my right hon. Friend confirm whether there
are plans to allow individuals travelling from those countries at
least to meet baseline testing requirements using lateral flow
devices rather than the costly Polymerase chain reaction tests?
I know my hon. Friend will agree that it is very important to
ensure that, whatever we do, we keep the British people safe. It
is a question very much for the scientists to let us know whether
PCR or lateral flow tests would be the appropriate test for a
day, too. However, it is the case that I am very anxious to get
the cost of those tests down. I can bring some good news to the
House: there are now test providers providing tests for £60 and,
indeed, one now for £44.90.
Mr Sharma [V]
Constituents have come to me raising the issue of queues at
airports. There are long waits, no food and drinks, and nowhere
to sit, in some cases for five hours. There is totally inadequate
social distancing, and arrivals from safe destinations and from
red list countries are forced into the same queues all mixed
together. Heathrow Airport has been clear that Border Force is
the problem. What conversations has the Secretary of State had
with his counterpart in the Home Office about fixing this fiasco?
I should remind the hon. Gentleman and the House that people
should not be travelling right now. In fact, they cannot travel
right now without a very exceptional reason indeed, because
people have to stay at home—stay domestically. However, it is the
case that Border Force is checking every single person who enters
the country to make sure that they have completed the
pre-departure test and the locator form to say where they will
be. I am afraid that, at the moment, that inevitably creates some
queues. As we move towards the unlocking of international travel,
we will be addressing this issue not least through beginning to
automate the e-gates with the pre-departure form.
[V]
My right hon. Friend will be aware that Leeds-based Jet2 has
recently announced the cancellation of all flights until 23 June,
citing continued uncertainty about Government restrictions. With
the wider travel industry braced for many European holiday
destinations being off limits for some time, will the Secretary
of State commit to publishing detailed assessments of the
categorisation of specific countries in the traffic light system
so that the industry bodies can see whether there is an immediate
prospect of improvements? Furthermore, will he take into account
the economic value of certain European destinations to the UK
travel industry?
I can confirm to my hon. Friend that we will be having the Joint
Biosecurity Centre look at four principal factors: the level of
coronavirus in any given country; the number of vaccines that has
been dispensed in that country; the concern over any particular
variants; and the quality of the data. Those are the facts and
figures that it will be looking at. None the less, I do share his
concerns about when a country jumps from one category to another,
and we saw that last year. We are taking a couple of different
steps to try to help with that. One is to have a green watch list
where we are able to flag up, perhaps a couple of weeks in
advance, to say that we are looking at a variation of interest,
which could turn into a variation of concern, in order to help
provide a bit more forward guidance this year.
Mr Speaker
We now come to shadow Minister .
(Wythenshawe
and Sale East) (Lab)
My hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr Sharma) is
bang on the money today. Border Force is operating an onerous,
manual, assurance check on inbound passengers’ covid compliance
despite there being very low incidence of non-compliance and
robust pre-departure checks by carriers, causing huge queues in
our immigration halls. The Secretary of State likes his
taskforces. Where is the one to alleviate these bottlenecks
before our skies reopen on 17 May?
I am somewhat confused. The hon. Gentleman’s colleague, the
shadow Transport Secretary—the hon. Member for Oldham West and
Royton ()—wants 100% mandatory quarantine for those coming
from all countries everywhere in the world, which surely could
only lead to even more problems and delays at airports. So which
is it to be: 100% quarantine and therefore much longer queues, or
a practical and rational approach that has red list countries but
also recognises that there are people who can quarantine at home?
As I mentioned to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr
Sharma), we are working with Border Force on electronic gates,
but it is not quite as straightforward as the hon. Member for
Wythenshawe and Sale East () makes out,
not least because it requires both hardware and software in order
to make those e-gates.
(Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
I very much hope that in 18 days’ time people in this country
will be able to enjoy international travel once again. Could I
just press the Secretary of State with regard to the need for a
PCR test for those coming in from green list countries?
Currently, those coming in from amber countries take the lateral
flow test, yet those who come back from green countries will have
to have a more expensive PCR test. I recognise the need to detect
mutant strains, so may I suggest that we require green country
travellers to take a lateral flow test and, if they are positive,
then take a PCR test so that we could detect the strain? That may
be a good balance to strike.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend and his Select Committee for the
excellent work that they do on this subject and many others. Of
course, like him, I look to the scientists to provide the
evidence as to what should be the appropriate level of testing at
any stage. Just to reassure him, while we will most likely need
to start off with PCR tests, I have incorporated three separate
checkpoints during this process, the first of which is on 28
June, when we will look at the rules guiding this in order to
make them as low as they can possibly be while at the same time
making sure that we maintain the hard-won gains of the British
people in this lockdown.
Rural Transport Connections
(Hastings and
Rye) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in rural areas.
(Wantage) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in rural areas.
(High Peak) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve transport
connections in rural areas.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Through schemes such as the Beeching reversal fund and the
national bus strategy, we are determined to ensure that rural
areas have the transport links they need to grow and prosper.
[V]
Beautiful Hastings and Rye has an extensive rural area and low
population density, making practical and affordable public
transport difficult to provide. However, accessible and
affordable transport is a lifeline for many rural residents.
Transport for the South East has highlighted the need for
integrated transport approaches with better integrated transport
hubs to achieve efficient provision of transport services,
including integrated timetables, ticketing and fares, among other
measures. What steps is my hon. Friend taking to facilitate
innovation and new services in rural transport?
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We have established the
rural mobility fund worth £20 million to trial more
demand-responsive services, and we have awarded funding to 17
pilot projects already. We have also published a call for
evidence for the future of transport rural strategy that sought
views on how rural communities can benefit best from transport
innovation.
My constituency has lots of the challenges that one would
associate with a predominantly rural area, but No. 1 on my list
is trying to reopen Grove station, which, in a recent survey, 98%
of people supported. We have submitted our bid to the Restoring
Your Railway fund. Will my hon. Friend provide an update on when
we will hear—hopefully good—news?
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his continued advocacy on
behalf of his constituency, as I know this is an issue that he
has raised repeatedly with Ministers. The Department has received
the bid for development funding. Decisions will be made by our
expert panel following an initial review carried out by the
Department for Transport and Network Rail. We expect to announce
outcomes in the summer.
[V]
After five years, is finally getting on with franchising bus services
in Greater Manchester, and this is a step that I broadly welcome.
However, there are many towns, like Glossop, Hadfield and New
Mills, that are just outside Greater Manchester and rely heavily
on cross-border bus services. Does the Minister agree that the
Mayor of Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County Council need to
work closely together to ensure that my constituents are not
forgotten in any changes to bus services, and that we should take
this opportunity to improve local bus routes, including
delivering a badly needed direct bus from Glossop and Hadfield to
Tameside General Hospital?
Mr Speaker
I am sure the same will apply to Lancashire.
Indeed, Mr Speaker. I thank my hon. Friend for being such a great
champion of active travel across his constituency of High Peak.
Of course, it is for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to
determine the geographical area of the franchising scheme. Local
transport authorities may also join together to produce joint
plans and should seek to do so where local economies and
travel-to-work areas overlap significantly. He makes a strong
case, and I certainly hope that the local authorities in question
will listen to him.
Mr Speaker
We now come to shadow Minister .
(Ilford
South) (Lab)
Recent research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England has
found that the past decade of Government cuts has seen the loss
of 134 million miles of bus coverage, leading to the creation of
so-called transport deserts. There needs to be proper funding for
bus manufacturers—such as Mellor in Rochdale, which I recently
spoke to—that produce the vehicles that serve rural towns and
villages. Mellor produces state-of-the-art low emission vehicles
that are used in many rural areas, but unfortunately it is a
victim of the big bus bias and is being excluded from the
Government’s “bus back better” strategy for producing vehicles at
a 23-passenger capacity or less.
At the same time, by the Government’s own figures, the rural
mobility fund totals just £19.4 million, a sixth of the £120
million ZEBRA—zero emission bus regional areas—funding for zero
emission vehicles. What assurances will the Minister give that
significant investment will be offered to ensure that such
companies have greater support to deliver the vehicles that green
our industries and ensure that our rural communities are
genuinely connected?
There can be no greater champion of buses than the Prime
Minister, who has committed us to bus back better following the
pandemic. The House will be aware that he announced £5 billion in
funding for buses, cycling and walking, of which £3 billion is
allocated to buses. The roll-out of 4,000 zero emission buses is
crucial. We are keen to work with all manufacturers, large and
small, to ensure that we get the best technology available, the
best value for taxpayers and the best service for passengers.
Network Rail: Staff Levels, Working Arrangements and Employment
Conditions
(Easington) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with representatives of
Network Rail on (a) future staff levels, (b) working arrangements
and (c) employment conditions.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
As sole shareholder, the Secretary of State has regular
discussions with the chair and chief executive officer of Network
Rail, as do I. Obviously those discussions sometimes cover
matters such as the structure and operation of that organisation.
[V]
I thank Network Rail for contacting me yesterday, but may I point
out that the trade unions are alarmed to hear of its recent
proposals, which could involve the loss of thousands of rail jobs
and a halving of the frequency of safety-critical planned
maintenance work? We certainly do not want any return to the
cost-cutting and safety failures under Railtrack. Can the
Minister assure the House that safety will not be compromised and
that any changes will be agreed with the trade unions and the
regulator, which play such a vital role in protecting safety on
our railways?
Yes.
Motorcycle and Moped Training Centres
(Salford and Eccles) (Lab)
What steps he has taken to support motorcycle and moped training
centres (a) during and (b) between covid-19 lockdowns.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government have made financial support available through the
self-employment income support scheme grant, which is set at 80%
of three months’ average trading profits. The Driver and Vehicle
Standards Agency has provided trainers with guidance on operating
safely and on testing restart dates.
My constituent was not self-employed. She worked supporting
vaccine research during the pandemic, but with poor public
transport connections and limited income, her only option was
using a moped to get to work. Sadly, the Government’s failure to
sufficiently extend the validity period of compulsory basic
training certification during lockdown until test centres could
safely reopen has resulted in her being forced to leave her job.
What will the Minister do to support essential workers such as my
constituent who have suffered because of the closure of training
centres and the lack of extensions to their certificates?
I completely agree that our frontline workers have played a vital
role in the response to the pandemic—our thanks go to all of
them. The hon. Lady will know that it is important that learners
have the right skills to drive, because safety on the road is
just as important during a lockdown as at any other time. It is
vital that up-to-date road safety knowledge is there at the
critical point when people drive and supervise for the first
time. She will also know that motorcycle training resumed on 29
March, with testing restarting on 12 April in England and Wales.
We got that testing up and running, which was possible because it
is easier to maintain a covid-safe working environment for
motorcyclists than for in-vehicle training and testing.
Road Condition: England
(Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of
England’s roads.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
In addition to investing £1.7 billion in 2021-22 in local roads,
plus an unprecedented £27 billion in the strategic road network
through to 2025, we are working towards the creation of a common
data standard for the monitoring of road condition. That will aim
to drive innovation and flexibility in monitoring local roads,
enabling authorities to target defects in their networks more
quickly.
Fifty of my constituents in Boatman Drive, Etruria, have been
unable to access the road to their homes for over a year due to a
large sinkhole that has forced Stoke-on-Trent City Council to
close the road to all vehicles, including emergency services.
Many of the residents have been in contact with me. One, Mr
Madadi, was offered a fantastic new employment opportunity but
could not accept the offer as it required relocation, and his
home could not be sold because of the sinkhole. Will the Minister
meet me to help resolve this issue, which I am sure she will
agree has been going on for far too long?
I commend my hon. Friend for raising that concern in the House
and standing up for her constituents. I fully understand that
this is a long-running issue involving several parties, including
the water utility company and the housing developer. I completely
share her and her constituents’ frustration. I would be delighted
to ask my noble Friend the roads Minister, who deals with this,
to meet her; she has already undertaken to do so.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
I do not know whether the Minister has recently visited
Tory-controlled Derbyshire, but I have, and the roads are in a
shocking state. Plugging potholes and patching up roads in a
piecemeal fashion simply does not work. What we need is a proper
road maintenance programme, yet the Government have slashed
funding by £375 million and are ploughing £27 billion into road
expansion during a climate emergency. Does the Minister not think
that it would be better for motorists, cyclists and the planet if
we focused on fixing what we have got?
I am delighted that the hon. Lady enjoyed her visit to
Derbyshire—long may it continue to be Conservative-controlled.
She is wrong to say that we are not investing in local roads. The
Government announced £1.7 billion for maintenance and upgrades to
tackle potholes, relieve congestion and boost connectivity.
I would like to address this allegation head-on. It is incorrect
to say that we are spending £27 billion on road building or that
4,000 miles of new roads are planned. We are actually investing
£27 billion in the operation, maintenance and renewal of
England’s strategic road network to secure safer and more
reliable journeys that have less impact on adjacent communities
and places.
Cycling and Walking
(Penrith and The Border) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of
cycling and walking.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
My Department is investing an unprecedented £2 billion in active
travel over the course of this Parliament, which is the biggest
ever boost for cycling and walking.
Dr Hudson [V]
In Cumbria, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to walking and
cycling routes, such as the Hadrian’s wall trail, coast to coast
and countless Wainwrights. As well as those activities being
hugely important for physical and mental health, many businesses
in my constituency depend on tourism, and encouraging visitors
will assist the recovery of those businesses. Does my hon. Friend
agree that now is a great time to enjoy the beautiful Cumbrian
countryside by walking and cycling and that longer-term projects
such as reopening Gilsland railway station will improve the
accessibility and connectivity of our region, which will make
these activities easier to enjoy?
Yes, I do encourage people to cycle and walk in Cumbria. I
welcome the bid for funding from Gilsland station and visited it
only last Thursday to see what it looks like for myself. We will
announce in due course whether the bid has been successful, but
if successful, the money will unlock funding for a strategic
outline business case that could see a fantastic development of a
station that has huge potential for tourism and other things.
Rail Passenger Numbers
(Rochdale) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to increase passenger numbers on the rail
network.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
We are working with the rail industry to develop a number of
recovery initiatives focused on restoring passenger confidence in
travelling by rail.
[V]
Any steps to encourage people post covid to regard rail travel as
safe have to be welcomed, but would the Minister recognise that
the very poor quality of the train service between Rochdale and
Manchester, for example, a major community route—poor-quality
trains, unreliable service—is a handicap both to commuters and to
the economic development of the town of Rochdale? What is going
to be done about that in the short term? We need the Government
to act.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Actually a huge
amount is being done while there are fewer passengers on our
network. When passengers return to travelling, hopefully, as they
previously did between Rochdale and Manchester, I would like to
think that they will not find a Pacer train being used, because
they have been replaced by a new fleet, and that they will find
these trains in spotless condition, because they are unbelievably
clean. We are also working, and there has been a big
consultation, as he will know, to sort out some of the very big
structural problems that we have with, for example, the
Castlefield corridor and the timetabling of trains through it. We
are trying to have short, medium and long-term solutions to this
very thorny problem, which will guarantee much better service in
the long run.
(Slough) (Lab)
The Government’s approach to recovering our railways is chaotic.
They have introduced inflation-busting rail fares while freezing
fuel duty. They talk about the green agenda, yet fail to commit
to a rolling programme of electrification. They talk about
levelling up, but have put into doubt dozens of key rail
infrastructure projects. They have brought franchises back into
public ownership just to pay risk-free profits to private
companies, and where are the flexible season tickets for
cash-strapped passengers? All hidden, no doubt, in the
long-promised Williams review, which never seems to arrive. So my
question to the Minister is simple: does not the British public
deserve much better than this?
I do not recognise the picture that the hon. Gentleman has
painted. We have electrified way more miles of rail than any
previous Labour Government. The Government have stood behind the
railways. A huge amount of money is going into our rail system at
this point in time; nearly £12 billion over the course of the
last year—money that would not have been able to be spent under a
Labour Administration, because the economy would have been in
tatters and we would have been in a very different place.
Cruises: Covid-19 Travel Advice
(Inverclyde) (SNP)
What discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) devolved
Administrations on the global travel taskforce and restarting
cruises as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
(Romsey and Southampton North) (Con)
What recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of
State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b)
representatives of the cruise industry on amending the covid-19
travel advice on cruises.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Department for Transport engages regularly with the Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office, the devolved Administrations
and the cruise industry on the global travel taskforce and cruise
restart. Travel advice is the responsibility of the FCDO.
[V]
My constituency of Inverclyde hosts over 80 visits from
international cruise ships each year. They make a valued
contribution to the local economy and, when the time is right, we
look forward to welcoming them back. However, with health to the
fore, can the Minister tell me how the travel regime operates
under the traffic light system with countries that have emerging
variants of concern, or a prevalent spread of variants, and in
what ways will the Government seek to react in good time to
prevent transmission?
The hon. Member is right to draw attention to the huge economic
importance of the cruise industry to constituencies such as
Inverclyde. My Department continues to work closely with the FCDO
and with the Department of Health and Social Care. A covid-19
framework drawn up by the cruise industry informs health
protocols on board those ships. That has been recognised as good
practice by the UN’s International Maritime Organisation. We will
see a safe restart of international cruises in accordance with
those protocols.
[V]
The cruise industry is a significant employer in the Southampton
area, but British travellers are still advised by the FCDO
against cruising, even as advice on flying is set to be relaxed
along with eased restrictions. Approval has been given for
domestic cruising, but please can my hon. Friend work with
colleagues across Government to make sure that international
travel advice for cruising is aligned with that for aviation?
My right hon. Friend is quite right. A home port call is
estimated to generate approximately £2.95 million in today’s
money, which underlines the critical importance of cruises for
employment in Southampton and other ports. The restart of
domestic cruises has indeed been confirmed, and the global travel
taskforce advises that international cruises will restart
alongside the wider restart in international travel. I am
committed to working with colleagues at the FCDO and across
Government to see a safe restart of international cruises as soon
as possible, in line with the GTT.
Highland Bus Services: Net Zero Target
(Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)
What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on
increasing bus services in the highlands to help achieve the UK’s
net zero target.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
Responsibility for bus services is a devolved matter. My
Department engages with the devolved Administrations, including
in Scotland, on issues with bus services all the time.
[V]
I live near an Asda store. Many of the people who work there, who
are friends of mine, would like to use the local bus services to
get to work, but the timetables do not work. Equally, I have
people living in Caithness who are disabled, who would like to
use the buses to Inverness more, but the disabled facilities are
not what they should be. I have made representations to the
Scottish Government and to the bus company, Stagecoach, but to no
avail. I realise, of course, that transport is devolved, but what
advice can the Secretary of State offer me to try to sort this
wretched problem out?
The hon. Gentleman is quite right that this is a devolved matter,
but there are Barnett consequentials, so there is quite a lot of
money coming through, particularly from the “Bus Back Better”
plan. He is also right to be concerned, as I have been, about the
level of bus services and threatened cuts across Scotland,
including by First Bus in Glasgow and Stagecoach in Stirling. I
encourage him to work hard to highlight these issues and remind
the Scottish Government that they have a lot of money for buses
coming through as a result of Barnett consequentials.
Access to Airports: North of England
(Thirsk and Malton) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve access to airports
in the north of England.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government recognise that good access to airports is
essential and are happy to work with airports, transport bodies
and local authorities to bring improvements where needed.
Vital plans to expand Leeds Bradford airport have been delayed
due to planning matters. I realise that my hon. Friend cannot
comment on planning matters, but does he agree that expansion of
airports in Yorkshire, which is very under-served in airport
capacity, is vital to the economy and to leisure opportunities
for people in Yorkshire?
My hon. Friend is right that I am unable to comment on the
specific planning case at Leeds Bradford airport so as not to
prejudice any consideration of that proposal. This Government
have been clear that they are supportive of airports’ making best
use of their existing runways, and they fully understand and
value the critical connecting role of regional aviation.
Transport Decarbonisation
(Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) (SNP)
What recent steps his Department has taken to help facilitate
transport decarbonisation in line with the Government’s
commitments to (a) the Paris agreement and (b) COP26.
(Dunfermline and West Fife) (SNP)
What recent steps his Department has taken to help facilitate
transport decarbonisation in line with the Government’s
commitments to (a) the Paris agreement and (b) COP26.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The transport decarbonisation plan will set out transport
contributions to net zero, and we continue to work with our
international partners ahead of COP26.
[V]
Promoting and investing in cycling and active travel is essential
if we are to reduce car journeys. The Scottish Government already
spend over £15 per person, compared with just over £7 in
England—more than twice as much. The SNP has pledged to increase
that investment to over 10% of the transport capital budget. Does
the Secretary of State agree that that is the sort of ambition
required to drive real change, and will his Government commit to
replicating it in England?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me an opportunity
to talk about our active travel plans. With £2 billion-worth of
spending, the Barnett consequentials from that will no doubt give
him something to boast about in the future—but invented in
Downing Street and, I hope, delivered in Scotland.
[V]
Shipping is a significant contributor to carbon emissions and
pollution around the world. We all know that change is coming,
but investment and incentives are required now, so what support
will the Secretary of State’s Department provide to those in our
maritime and shipping sectors as part of the Government’s
commitment to moving towards net zero shipping?
That is absolutely right. The shipping industry is one of the
harder to decarbonise areas of the economy. However, technologies
such as hydrogen have a big part to play, so this Government are
putting a lot of research and development investment behind
hydrogen in particular with a view to shipping. We have just
announced the Teesside hydrogen hub, the country’s first, to help
develop more of those technologies, and the hon. Gentleman will
not be disappointed by our ambition through our transport
decarbonisation plan.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)
As we have heard, the Government are finally, finally inching
forward with a fraction of their 4,000 green bus plan, but in
Scotland orders have already been placed for the equivalent of
2,720 battery electric buses, with many more to come. At the
Transport Committee, Baroness Vere called this investment
“brilliant”. Graham Vidler of the Confederation of Passenger
Transport also welcomed it, plus the £5 billion equivalent on bus
infrastructure, and called the Scottish Government’s commitment
to reducing car journeys by 20% by decade’s end a
“big, bold and ambitious target that we would like to see matched
in the UK Government’s decarbonisation plan”.
Will you match it, Secretary of State?
Once again, I am very pleased that the Barnett consequentials
ensure that money is available to spend in Scotland. We should
welcome the fact that £3 billion is going to buses. The hon.
Gentleman mentions the £120 million we have announced for
zero-emission buses in 2021-22, which will give many hundreds of
buses a start on the production line. We are on target to deliver
all 4,000 that we have promised to start building in this
Parliament.
That is not what the industry says. The gap in ambition is simply
startling. The SNP plans to have the majority of fossil fuel
buses removed from service by 2023. This Government’s plans
represent just one tenth of the English fleet. When we consider
that, along with commitments and action on rail decarbonisation
with a nationalised ScotRail, increasing the active travel budget
to 10% of transport capital, free bikes for children who cannot
afford them, interest-free loans for electric cars and free bus
travel for under-22s, does the Secretary of State agree that if
Scots want that progressive and decarbonised future it has to be
both votes SNP next Thursday?
Funnily enough, I do not agree. It is worth the hon. Gentleman’s
Scottish voters understanding that that money is available
through the Barnett consequentials. If bus services were as good
as is claimed, then it would not be the case that in Dundee bus
users were being warned just last November to expect big changes
to services, the worst since the 1950s, which would have negative
impacts for older people and those dependent on bus services. I
do not think it is quite as rosy as he likes to make it sound.
This Government in Westminster are committed to decarbonising the
whole of the United Kingdom.
Mr Speaker
Let’s get beyond next Thursday. Then it will be easier for all of
us. [Laughter.]
Greater London Boundary Charge
(Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) (Con)
Whether his Department plans to review the Greater London
boundary charge proposed by the Mayor of London.
(Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)
Whether his Department plans to review the Greater London
boundary charge proposed by the Mayor of London.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government do not support a boundary charge. The Mayor of
London cannot expect non-Londoners to clean up his mismanagement
of Transport for London finances.
[V]
Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is precisely not the
fresh start that TfL or London as a whole needs to see? The cost
of the Mayor’s financial mismanagement should not be passed on to
my constituents and other Londoners at precisely the time when we
are trying to kickstart our economy after covid. Does he agree
that this measure, if implemented, would be damaging particularly
for high streets in outer London boroughs, and especially for the
disabled and those who rely on their cars for personal reasons?
That is absolutely right. Let us be fair to the Mayor of London.
No one could have predicted the coronavirus. This Government have
generously backed TfL with more than £3 billion of support so
far, but it is because of the Mayor’s mismanagement of that
organisation, with years of being woefully unprepared, that he
was not ready when this economic shock came. If London wants a
real fresh start for TfL and does not want this boundary tax, it
should consider voting for on 6 May.
[V]
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the proposed charge is a
result of the London Labour Mayor’s poor financial management,
and that this reckless charge would have severe detrimental
effects on businesses, employees, families, shoppers and visitors
in outer London boroughs like mine in Bexley?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the threat.
I wonder whether everybody realises that the Mayor of London
would like to introduce this border tax, so that non-Londoners
end up having to pay for his financial mismanagement of London.
It is not on. It is called taxation without representation and,
as our American cousins used to point out, that is tyranny.
Leamside Line
(Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab)
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the full
reopening of the Leamside line.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Leamside line is being assessed as part of Northern
Powerhouse Rail and will be considered within the integrated rail
plan.
Mrs Hodgson [V]
As the Minister said, the proposal to reopen the Leamside line in
full is being considered as part of the integrated rail plan. We
were told to expect an answer in March, then it was April, and
now we are almost in May without any further news, so when can my
constituents expect to find out if the Government intend to
follow through on their promise to level up from Westminster to
Wearside?
We certainly intend to follow through on our promises to the
people in the north-east and Wearside, something that decades of
Labour disinterest in that area have failed to deliver. Ahead of
finalising the integrated rail plan, we are fully considering the
evidence from all stakeholders; we have had an awful lot. I just
remind the hon. Lady, who I know supports this scheme, that it
was driven by local campaigners, at the start with a guy called
Christopher Howarth, who was a Conservative campaigner. There was
little interest from her party or its representatives before he
got involved.
Rail Infrastructure: South-west Wales
(Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)
What recent progress has been made on improvements to rail
infrastructure in south-west Wales.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Significant improvements are being planned and delivered at pace
and, on 6 May, the people of Wales will be able to vote for a
Welsh Conservative Government committed to working with us to
deliver even further rail infrastructure improvements.
[V]
I was disappointed to receive an answer from the Department to a
written question indicating that the Labour Government of my
country had not made any formal representations to the British
Government regarding the proposed West Wales Parkway on the main
line. However, while I fully support the project, we need to be
far more ambitious. It could form part of a transformational
metro system for the west of Wales, centred on Swansea city, by
linking up the whole western coalfield valleys and beyond.
Considering the manner in which High Speed 2 is shafting Wales,
will the British Government compensate the communities that I
represent so that a comprehensive public transport revolution can
be delivered for south-west Wales?
As the hon. Gentleman will know, this Government are committed to
delivering the West Wales Parkway station—indeed, it was in the
2019 Conservative manifesto. We continue to work with all local
partners to deliver this. It is currently being progressed to
outline business case stage using regional funding.
Rail Network: Accessibility
(Stockport) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to improve accessibility for people with
physical and hidden disabilities who use the rail network.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
We are making stations more accessible and improving staff
training and passenger assistance. The disabled persons railcard
reduces fares, and better, accessible trains are coming into
service.
[V]
Only 40% of railway stations in Greater Manchester have step-free
access—that is 38 out of 93 stations. This is significantly lower
than the north-west region as a whole, which is at 63%, and the
national average at 61%. Mayor has called for all railway stations in Greater
Manchester to be fully accessible by 2025. According to the
charity Leonard Cheshire, it would take just 1% to 3% of annual
transport spending to make the rail network accessible by 2030,
so what steps has the Minister taken to ensure that this will be
a reality as soon as possible?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and his interest in
this. This Government are spending hundreds of millions of pounds
on improving our network and continue to do so. Indeed, I met the
chief executive of Network Rail yesterday to talk about how we
can speed up the delivery of elements of our accessibility
programme. I read the Leonard Cheshire report on this, and it was
interesting, but I tend to think that it has underestimated the
figures involved in improving our network to the level that it
should be at by now.
Transport Decarbonisation Plan
(Birkenhead) (Lab)
What his timeframe is for publishing the transport
decarbonisation plan.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
We are working to finalise our bold and ambitious plan to
decarbonise transport, and we expect to publish it as soon as
possible this spring.
[V]
The Government’s Brexit deal means that in order to avoid tariffs
on electric vehicles, 55% of vehicle parts, including batteries,
will need to be locally sourced by the end of 2026. Will the
Government back Labour’s call for investments in at least three
battery gigafactories by 2025, and can they commit to building
one of those factories on Merseyside?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that a gigafactory
will play a critical role in decarbonising our transport sector.
We have a world-beating automotive industry in this country, and
at the election the Government committed £1 billion to back
investment in a gigafactory in this country. Can I remind him
that leaving the European Union has provided us with a lot of
opportunities to set our own pathways to decarbonise transport?
We will be setting out those plans in detail in the transport
decarbonisation plan.
A1 Roundabouts
(Gainsborough) (Con)
What plans his Department has to phase out roundabouts on the A1.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Department aims to create more free-flowing journeys across
the strategic road network, including the A1, through its road
investments.
The A1—the great north road—is a beautiful road linking Scotland
and England, and I think that to honour the upcoming jubilee we
should rename it the Queen’s highway. Why not? But it is not an
entirely safe road. I have spent hundreds of hours on it, and
there are many fatalities on it. I cannot understand why all the
roundabouts have been stripped away between Newark and the Black
Cat roundabout, but going south from the Black Cat to the north
circular there are still roundabouts. There are also many
crossing points in Lincolnshire and other places. Will the
Minister now commit to really upgrading the A1 to make it
entirely safe by getting rid of all the traffic lights,
roundabouts and crossing points? Let us make it a true Queen’s
highway.
I fully agree with my right hon. Friend’s suggestion for renaming
that beautiful road, and I am sure that the Transport Secretary,
who is listening carefully, will take that away and consider it.
I am happy to say that we are investing significant sums in
making the A1 safer and more reliable as a result of our near-£1
billion A428 improvement scheme, and there will be a major
reconstruction of the Black Cat junction on the A1 so that
north-south traffic will flow freely underneath it. There is
potential for further enhancement along the A1, which will be
considered in the light of Highways England’s work to update its
route strategies, starting this year, and I fully expect my right
hon. Friend’s journeys to be very pleasant indeed in the future.
Topical Questions
(City of
Chester) (Lab)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
I know that the House is interested in the updates with regard to
travel returning internationally over the coming months, and I
want to provide a quick update to say that, although polymerase
chain reaction—PCR—tests may be required from the medical and
scientific point of view, we have been working with private
laboratories, pharmacies, supermarkets and other companies to
encourage them to deliver on their logistical expertise, enter
the market and drive down the costs. We have seen some success,
because, as I mentioned earlier, the cost of a single PCR day-two
test from one of the large providers on the Government link site
has now come down to £60 and a new entrant at £44.90 is now
enabling more people to access PCR tests as international travel
returns.
I understand that work on the strategic outline business case for
the redevelopment of Chester station, which has been submitted to
the Department, has produced a highly positive cost-benefit
ratio, and that it is also being proposed as a priority project
for the DFT acceleration unit supported by Transport for the
North, so can the Secretary of State confirm when Chester station
will be included in the rail network enhancement programme and
when further development funding will be allocated to take this
project forward?
We are continuing to work closely with Cheshire West and Chester
Council on its preparation of the strategic outline business case
for enhancements at and around Chester station. Having received
an initial strategic outline business case from the council last
summer, DFT officials undertook to carry out a detailed review of
the requested further information for the SOBC, and it is being
considered for inclusion in RNEP, which is the—well, the hon.
Gentleman knows what RNEP is, so I will not explain.
(Southampton, Itchen) (Con)
The active travel grant funding made available to local
authorities such as mine was very welcome, but unfortunately the
Labour-run council in Southampton has used this funding to halve
road capacity on main arterial routes into the city. As lockdown
has eased, this has caused congestion and made already poor air
quality much worse. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the
active travel funding provided to local authorities did not come
with directions on how it should be used, and that the decision
to implement any schemes, for good or ill, are the responsibility
of the local authority?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Department for Transport
has made it absolutely clear that local authorities must focus on
scheme quality. They must demonstrate that they have carried out
appropriate consultation, listened to local communities, and
considered access for emergency vehicles and traffic impacts. We
recognise that poorly designed, temporary cycling and walking
schemes can have negative impacts, but we also recognise that
they can be very positive when delivered in the right way.
(Oldham West and Royton) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
After much delay, the Transport Secretary has finally published
Highways England’s review into smart motorways. The stocktake has
revealed that over the last five years 63 people lost their
lives, which is a significant increase on the figure given just
over a year ago—38. Victims’ families and campaigners are crying
out for common sense—and for action from the Secretary of
State—recognising that the radar technology does not even capture
broken down vehicles 35% of the time. As the legal challenges
mount, will he publish the specific data comparing deaths on the
hard shoulder of existing motorways with deaths on the lane that
was previously a hard shoulder and is now used as a live running
lane?
The hon. Gentleman and I, and the whole House, share similar
concerns about the safety of our motorways. One of the first
things I did as Secretary of State was to introduce the smart
motorways stocktake. One factor we have to look at is the level
of fatalities on both smart motorways and regular motorways. As I
mentioned to the hon. Gentleman previously, from 2015 to 2019
there were 39 fatalities on smart motorways, but there were also
368 fatalities on regular motorways. It is very important that we
look at all the questions he asked with regard to the data, which
is why I have asked the Office of Rail and Road to analyse the
data and provide reassurance that it can be trusted. When those
figures are provided we can compare them to make sure we are
producing the safest possible roads in the world.
[V]
The victims’ families will want to know that action will be taken
on lives that are avoidably lost and I am afraid that answer will
not satisfy those families at all.
Moving on to our regional economies, the Secretary of State knows
how important our regional airports are in providing tens of
thousands of important, well-paid, decent jobs in our regions.
Will he make sure the Government do far more than the standard
schemes on business rates and furlough support to make sure that
our regional airports not only survive but can thrive in the
future—or does he believe the market will decide their fate?
First, on smart motorways I understand that it is the hon.
Gentleman’s and Labour’s policy to close all-running lanes, which
would create more traffic. The current estimate is that it would
create 25% more traffic on other roads; that in itself would, we
think, produce about 25 more fatalities per year. So I urge the
hon. Gentleman to follow the work of the Office of Rail and Road
to make sure that we do not create more fatalities, rather than
fewer.
With regard to regional airports, the hon. Gentleman is
absolutely right that we need to support them. We have put £7
billion into protecting and supporting our aviation sector. I am
slightly mystified, however, because if I understand it
correctly, the hon. Gentleman’s current policy is to quarantine
all traffic so that nobody could quarantine at home, which would
do further damage to our regional airports.
(North Devon) (Con)
[914962] I am delighted that North Devon is soon to become home
to the first rural e-scooter trial. However, what steps is the
Department taking to inform the public that e-scooters, already
seen in so many public spaces, are not legally permitted unless
part of the trial?
I thank my hon. Friend for her support for this innovative form
of transport technology. Trials of rental e-scooters began last
July and have been a huge success: over 2 million trips have been
taken and 5 million km ridden—the equivalent of six times to the
moon and back. But the Department has written to all major
retailers of e-scooters in the UK to ask them to make it clear to
customers that it is illegal to use e-scooters on public roads.
Retailers make this clear online and in their stores, and
motoring offences will apply to the private use of e-scooters.
The local police are fully engaged and have enforcement powers,
and they are expected to use them.
(Leeds Central) (Lab) [V]
Given that the national infrastructure bank will be based in
Leeds, would it not be highly symbolic to start building phase 2b
of the eastern leg of HS2 from Leeds southwards? The Secretary of
State was quoted recently as saying that he is looking at
bringing forward the start date. Would he consider that idea?
I actually agree with the right hon. Gentleman; it probably would
have been sensible to start the entire project from the north to
the south in the first place, but having looked at this in great
detail, not least through the Oakervee review, I also know that
chopping and changing those plans partway through is the most
expensive possible outcome and does not work out. None the less,
we are committed to ensuring that the integrated rail plan
answers all these questions, and his point has been clearly
heard.
(Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con) [V]
The Secretary of State will be aware that almost 50% of UK
container freight goes through Felixstowe port, and he will be
aware of the importance of improving rail links from that port to
the midlands and the north. Can I get his reassurance that the
Felixstowe to Nuneaton freight rail link is a priority for this
Government and will be delivered on time?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of
freight links in our country. Since 2009, more than £200 million
has been invested in capacity on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton
freight corridor. Through the rail network enhancements pipeline,
Network Rail is developing business cases for enhancements at
Ely, Hockley and between Ely and Soham to provide additional
capacity on this key freight corridor.
(Glasgow Central) (SNP) [V]
Constituents of mine who had travelled for essential medical
treatment for their disabled children were required to quarantine
at Heathrow in a hotel room that was completely inadequate for
their needs. What consideration is being given to the needs of
disabled people and those with medical needs in the hotel
quarantine scheme?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to stand up for her
constituents, particularly those who may have special
circumstances. There is a process in place for special
circumstances to be considered. I would be interested to
understand why in the case of her constituent, from her question,
it does not look like that was effective. We would be very happy
to investigate that particular case, although I understand that
would of course be retrospective.
Mr Speaker
It is great to see the hon. Member back: I call .
(Chatham and Aylesford) (Con)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Representing a constituency in a county
that has a large number of commuters to London, the future of
flexible rail ticketing is an issue to which many are paying
close attention. With the reality of more people enjoying hybrid
working arrangements in the future, we need to ensure that is
reflected in the structure of rail tickets. Therefore, can the
Secretary of State confirm when the Department will be in a
position to set out what rail ticketing will look like for
passengers in my constituency and across the south-east, and
provide an assurance that the new fares will offer genuine
flexibility where it is needed?
May I say on behalf of everybody how fantastic it is to see my
hon. Friend back in the House in her rightful place? She is
absolutely right about the changes in how people will commute
going forward, because the world has of course changed. I am sure
that people will come back to the railway, but perhaps in a more
flexible way, and I can reassure her that we will be setting out
more details of our view about how ticketing should work, not
least through the Williams-Shapps review.
(Twickenham) (LD) [V]
Last week, the Government’s sixth carbon budget included aviation
emissions for the first time—a welcome step. Can the Secretary of
State explain how the Government think they can hit their net
zero target without updating the airports national policy
statement? Will he finally commit to scrapping Tory plans for a
third runway at Heathrow, if he is serious about tackling the
climate emergency?
The hon. Lady will know that the whole House voted for the
Heathrow plans, as she stated, but we will shortly be bringing
forward our transport decarbonisation plans, which will discuss
in full and in detail our ambitious plans to decarbonise the
entire transport sector, including the aviation sector. She is
right to say that we have increased our ambition on this front,
and we are the only major leading nation that will set out such
an ambitious set of plans to decarbonise the entire sector.
(South
Ribble) (Con) [V]
Hello from Lancashire, Mr Speaker. In South Ribble, there is
quite a lot of interest in the Government’s recently announced £3
billion national bus strategy. Speaking to residents, many
improvement suggestions have already been received. Joanne, for
example, wants a west-east bus between Tarleton, the Hooles,
Longton and getting into Leyland. Can my right hon. Friend share
how he plans to ensure that the communities’ voices are heard
during the planning of this strategy so that their needs are in
the mix, and it is not just the ideas from the men in grey suits
and the established industry?
Mr Speaker
Enjoy your travel in Lancashire when you do.
I note your remark, Mr Speaker. I thank my hon. Friend for her
point. I am not a man in a grey suit, so I can reassure her
fully, and I thank her for the massively constructive way she has
engaged with the national bus strategy since its launch. The way
she has stood up for her constituents is absolutely exemplary,
and I know from the discussions that she and I have had how
important that is. By October, local transport authorities are
expected to provide bus service improvement plans, which should
be developed in collaboration with local people to ensure that
they genuinely reflect the area’s needs.
Mr Speaker
Staying in Lancashire, I call . Come on, Rosie.
(West Lancashire) (Lab) [V]
Many of my constituents are concerned that each of the three rail
timetabling options put forward by the Manchester recovery
taskforce means reduced connectivity between West Lancs and
Manchester. Will the Secretary of State assure my constituents
that they are not the poor relations of the larger northern
cities, and will he intervene to ensure that the supposed
levelling-up of services in the north does not leave areas such
as West Lancs behind?
Yes, that is absolutely right. I have been working with Transport
for the North and many others in consultation to sort out that
fundamental problem, which is the bottleneck around the
Castlefield corridor in and out of Manchester, which impacts on
the entire northern rail service and beyond. The hon. Lady is
absolutely right; we will be taking all those representations
into account, and very carefully. Indeed, the rail Minister, my
hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (),
would gladly meet her to discuss it further.
(Dover) (Con)
When direct all-day high-speed services to Martin Mill, Deal and
Sandwich were suspended, I received written assurances that they
would be fully restored after lockdown. Can my hon. Friend
confirm that it remains the intention to fully restore the
high-speed services to Deal, Sandwich and the villages as soon as
possible?
Morning and evening peak services to Martin Mill, Kingsdown, Deal
and Sandwich are currently operating. Passenger volumes are
continually monitored, and all-day service provision will be
reviewed in the light of passenger demand as lockdown
restrictions are eased.
(Sheffield Central) (Lab) [V]
The Secretary of State will know that the consultation on
Manchester’s rail services is considering the removal of the
direct link between Sheffield and Manchester airport. Our chamber
of commerce is deeply concerned about the damage that axing this
service would do to local business and jobs, and our two
world-class universities believe that it threatens international
student recruitment, which brings more than £200 million into the
local economy. Does he recognise those concerns, and will he meet
me and other local Members to discuss the issue?
Yes, I absolutely recognise the concerns. As I mentioned a moment
ago, there is a problem with congestion on rail services around
Manchester, which needs to be resolved. I am working with all the
local partners in order to do that. I have set up a special
meeting of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council after the
elections, in order to work with the Manchester recovery
taskforce and resolve exactly that issue.
(Nottingham South) (Lab) [V]
Between January and June last year, the Minister of State told
the House three times that his Department would shortly publish
its research on the level of funding needed to meet the target of
doubling cycling and increasing walking by 2025. Will he now
publish that missing research, or is he breaking his promise
because he knows it confirms that the funding allocated falls
woefully short of what is needed?
Given that we have £2 billion of funding for walking and
cycling—the biggest sum ever invested in active travel, as far as
we can work out—the idea that there is a lack of investment is,
of course, entirely untrue. The hon. Lady will have noticed that
last year the coronavirus occupied almost everything we were
doing, but it did not prevent us issuing a new cycling strategy,
published by the Prime Minister and backed by me. We will be
saying a lot more about that, and I welcome the hon. Lady’s
enthusiasm.
(South Cambridgeshire) (Con)
As chair of the all-party parliamentary environment group, I am
incredibly supportive of the Government’s ambition to phase out
diesel trains across the entire UK network by 2040. East West
Rail is soon to build a railway line in my constituency, due for
completion in 2030, but it is not being built as an electrified
line, and my constituents are very worried that they might end up
with a new diesel railway line. Will my right hon. Friend, or my
hon. Friend the Member for Redditch ()—I am not sure who is answering—work with me and the
Treasury to make sure that East West Rail is aligned with the
Government’s ambition to phase out diesel trains?
I will answer my hon. Friend. East West Rail, the company behind
the new line, is aiming to deliver an entirely zero-carbon
railway. It will be considering conventional and emerging
technology solutions for powering trains, which could be
part-electric and part-hydrogen or battery in the future, for
example, so that services that operate along the whole length of
the route are zero carbon.
Mr Speaker
I call .
(Strangford) (DUP)
rose—
Mr Speaker
Your mask.
Sometimes I forget that I am wearing the mask, Mr Speaker, but I
thank you very much for calling me.
Airlines have had a difficult past 12 months. Belfast City
airport, Belfast International airport and Londonderry airport
are important Northern Ireland regional airports. Can the
Minister confirm the Government’s support for them, which I know
has been there, and that every effort will be taken to ensure
that they can and will be part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland’s strategy for the future?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to point out the
importance of those links with our Northern Ireland airports. I
made sure that we put public service obligations in place during
the height of the crisis last year, and we will always look to do
everything we can to make sure that connectivity across our great
Union continues to exist.
(Ynys Môn)
(Con)
Cutting-edge maritime projects such as the Holyhead hydrogen hub
and the proposed Anglesey freeport in my constituency will move
forward this Government’s renewable agenda. To take full
advantage of these opportunities, excellent transport
infrastructure is needed across north Wales. Will the Minister
confirm that he will support necessary improvements to the A55,
as highlighted in Sir Peter Hendy’s Union connectivity review?
My hon. Friend is a brilliant champion of connectivity for her
constituency, and as a result, my right hon. Friend the Transport
Secretary was in north Wales early this week, discussing plans to
upgrade the A55 with the Welsh Conservative candidate standing in
May’s election. We look forward to the final Union connectivity
review recommendations ahead of the spending review, in which we
will consider funding plans for delivering improved UK-wide
connectivity. However, I must say to the hon. Lady that the
fastest way for her constituents to secure upgrades to the A55 is
to vote for a Welsh Conservative Government, who have pledged to
end Labour’s neglect of north Wales.
