South Western Railway Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab) 1. What recent
discussions he has had with representatives of South
Western Railway on the adequacy of its service levels.
(905397) The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(Wendy Morton) Along with Department officials, I am in regular
dialogue with South Western Railway about its service
levels. I have also recently met all managing directors of the
train operating...Request free trial
South Western Railway
(Putney) (Lab)
1. What recent discussions he has had with representatives
of South Western Railway
on the adequacy of its service levels. (905397)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
Along with Department officials, I am in regular dialogue
with South Western Railway
about its service levels. I have also recently met all managing
directors of the train operating companies, including the
managing director of South Western Railway,
to discuss service provision, among other key industry
topics.
I am glad the Minister is holding meetings with South Western Railway,
as Putney residents have faced dreadful service from SWR for
years, with overcrowding, delays and the cancellation of trains.
Currently, they are on a temporary timetable—a chaos omicron
timetable. The Prime Minister announced in Prime Minister’s
Question Time that that timetable would end on 19 February, but
that seems to be news to SWR. Did he inadvertently mislead the
House?
As I explained to the hon. Lady, my officials and I are in
regular dialogue with SWR, working hard on the issue of services,
because we absolutely understand that it is what matters to
passengers right across the country. Services will be restored as
soon as possible.
(West Dorset) (Con)
I very much welcome the news from the Prime Minister yesterday
that services in Dorset and across the west country will be
returned on 19 February. Will the Minister share with the House
how we got to the place where an entire region of the United
Kingdom—Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon—had its direct
service to London completely severed and slashed in half, without
MPs even being told about it?
I assure my hon. Friend that the Department continues to work
closely with rail operators, as we work through mitigating the
impact of staff absences on rail services. I assure him that the
current temporary rail timetable is exactly that—temporary—but it
is providing passengers, especially the country’s key workers,
with certainty, so that they can plan as much as possible, with
the confidence that we want. I really hope that as staffing
pressures start to ease, alongside passenger demand increasing,
we will see those rail services, which are key, starting to
increase accordingly.
(Wythenshawe and Sale East)
(Lab)
I am sure that the whole House will join me in wishing my hon.
Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) a speedy recovery from
covid.
Rail commuters in towns and suburbs across the land did their
patriotic duty: they stayed home when asked by the Government at
the start of the pandemic. They were told after that that if they
did not go back to work, they were shirkers. Then, before
Christmas, the Government asked them to stay home again. Now, on
their return, they find that fares, including on South Western Railway,
have risen by nearly 4%, on a reduced service. Do this Government
take rail commuters for fools?
We absolutely do take passengers—[Laughter.] We absolutely do
take passengers very, very seriously. I assure the hon. Gentleman
of that, and I am not taking any nonsense such as the language he
is using, not given the amount of support that this Government
have shown to the rail industry throughout the omicron situation
and the covid-19 pandemic more broadly.
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
Clearly taking its lead from South
Western Railway, Southern has suspended all direct trains on
the Brighton line into Victoria, meaning that my constituents
along the south way have to change twice, which they calculate is
adding about a third to their commuting times. That is completely
unacceptable. Given the special funding arrangements between the
Department for Transport and Govia Thameslink Railway, what
compensation can be given to my constituents or, better still,
what pressure can the Minister bring to bear on that company to
provide a decent service again, at last?
I share my hon. Friend’s frustration and, as I said in response
to earlier questions, we have been supporting the industry
heavily throughout covid-19. During the omicron part of the
pandemic, the industry has been handling staff absences, but this
is absolutely about getting those services back up and running as
soon as possible. I assure him that that is what we continue to
focus on.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
2. What recent assessment he has made of challenges facing
driving licence and other services at the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency. (905398)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
Online services continue to operate normally. The DVLA has
introduced new online services, recruited extra staff and secured
extra premises.
In the past three months alone, I have received 26 complaints
about delays at the DVLA—
(New Forest West) (Con)
Hear, hear!
I know that this is reflected right across the House. One of
those complaints came from Greta. Greta has ill health, she is
disabled and she is reliant on her vehicle. Will the Minister
intervene? Let us turbocharge this process, not only for my
constituents, but for those of Members right across the
House.
I assure the House that online applications are not subject to
delays and customers usually receive the documents within two to
three days. We strongly encourage customers to use online
services where possible. I pay tribute to the DVLA staff who have
worked overtime and provided extra resources and extra sites. I
am pleased to say that of the 36 cases the hon. Gentleman
submitted, 32 have been closed, and I am following up the
remaining four.
(Blyth Valley) (Con)
Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government’s investment of £96
billion in the railways is the biggest investment in the rail
network ever? By reinstating the Northumberland line running
through Blyth Valley to Newcastle—
Mr Speaker
Order. That is not related to the question about the DVLA.
[Interruption.] One of us will have to sit down and I am not
sitting down. I am sorry, but that is not even linked to the
question. Supplementary questions must be linked to the original
question tabled.
(North Shropshire) (LD)
In my constituency there is huge dependency on the private car.
Given the huge backlogs arising in the DVLA, and the similar
backlogs at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, many young
people are being deprived of their independence and find
themselves isolated both socially and from work and education
opportunities. In the light of this situation, the recent DVSA
decision to close Whitchurch driving test centre is a hammer blow
to people who want only to improve their quality of life. Will
the Secretary of State commit to keeping this important facility
open and thereby removing the necessity of people paying for
double lessons and driving for an additional hour just to
practise or attend a test?
I am more than happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss the
matter in detail. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is
working hard to increase driving test availability by recruiting
more driving examiners, offering out-of-hours tests and asking
all those who are qualified to conduct tests to do so. I
reiterate my willingness to meet the hon. Lady.
International Travel Restrictions
(Romford) (Con)
3. What recent progress he has made with Cabinet colleagues on
easing international travel restrictions for UK
nationals.(905399)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
On 24 January, the Secretary of State announced to the House that
all testing requirements will be removed for eligible fully
vaccinated arrivals.
Given the success of the roll-out and the welcome news that the
plan B restrictions are ending and will end, with travel
restrictions set to end on 11 February, will the Minister please
assure the country that we will never again go back to travel
restrictions of that kind? The latest travel restrictions seem to
have had very little effect and the damage done to our economy
was vast.
My hon. Friend is absolutely correct: thanks to the success of
our roll-out and booster programme—the fastest in Europe—we are
now in a position where we can live with covid and start to
travel again. The Government are developing a more flexible
model, including a contingency playbook to deal with future
variants that will provide certainty to consumers and industry
alike.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for his response—he has definitely been on
his Weetabix this morning, so he has.
My question is on a specific issue. As filling out a passenger
locator form per traveller takes a long time, has consideration
been given to providing group application facilities, whereby
families can fill in their details as one and save themselves the
stress of having to fill out multiple applications in a foreign
country so that they can return home safely?
The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent suggestion. We have
committed to looking into and radically simplifying the way that
the PLF works. It remains necessary for now but I shall take that
suggestion on board and consider it in any upcoming review.
Condition of Roads
(Orpington) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to improve the condition of roads in
England.(905400)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Department is investing more than £5 billion over this
Parliament in local highways maintenance—enough to fill in
millions of potholes a year and resurface roads throughout
England.
The Mayor of London is considering a daily charge of £2 to drive
on Greater London’s roads that would slap more than 2.5 million
people with a substantial new driving bill. My constituents, like
those in many places in outer London, rely on their cars to get
around because the public transport alternatives are inadequate.
Does my hon. Friend agree that the Mayor should look at more
creative ways to fix Transport for London’s finances instead of
planning highway robbery?
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend: hammering motorists is
not the way to do it. Transport in London is devolved to the
Greater London Authority and therefore decisions on road-user
charging are for the Mayor of London, not the Government. We will
continue to work with the Mayor to help him put TfL on a
sustainable long-term footing, but it is exactly as my hon.
Friend said: creative solutions need to be put forward.
Mr Speaker
I welcome shadow Minister .
(Sheffield, Brightside and
Hillsborough) (Lab)
Last year, the Chancellor told people to enjoy National Pothole
Day before the potholes were all gone. He then slashed the road
maintenance budget by £400 million—enough to fix millions of
potholes. Thanks to those broken promises, the roads Minister’s
own community has become the pothole capital of England. The
Government talk about levelling up, but in reality they cannot
even level up the surfaces of our roads. When will the Minister
get a grip, reverse these broken promises and deliver the funding
that communities need to sort out the mess on our roads?
Actually, at the spending review, the Government announced £2.7
billion over the next three years for local road maintenance in
places not receiving those city region settlements, which is
enough to fill in millions of potholes a year, repair dozens of
bridges and resurface thousands of miles of road. The three-year
settlement will help local authorities plan effectively for
managing their highway assets, tackling those potholes and other
road defects across local road networks.
Rail Services: Yorkshire
(Colne Valley) (Con)
5. What steps he is taking to improve local rail services in
Yorkshire. (905401)
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Government are committed to improving rail services across
the north of England, and rail passengers in Yorkshire will
already be benefiting from our recent £161 million investment in
Leeds station. The recently published integrated rail plan
outlines our ambitious £96 billion investment plan for the next
30 years.
I welcome the integrated rail plan, which is investing in the
trans-Pennine route coming through my patch in Slaithwaite and
Marsden, which the Minister has visited. As he knows, though, I
have another line—a single track line—going through Huddersfield
and Penistone to Sheffield. I have been supporting the
levelling-up bid of my hon. Friends the Members for Penistone and
Stocksbridge () and for Dewsbury (). Will the Minister continue
to work with us so that we can get investment in this
single-track line that will lead to real positivity for local
connectivity in our part of the world?
My hon. Friend remains a real champion for his constituency. I
can reassure him that the integrated rail plan confirms that the
Government will continue to invest in smaller rail enhancements
across the north and the midlands in addition to the
trans-Pennine route upgrade, HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. I
would be happy to meet my hon. Friend and his colleagues to
discuss this, perhaps on a future visit to his
constituency—probably later this month.
(Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
According to the original plans, trains should now be arriving in
Sheffield on the electrified Midland Main Line. When will the
first electric trains actually arrive?
I am delighted to confirm that we have shovels in the ground on
the Midland Main Line electrification. The Secretary of State was
pleased to visit those works just before Christmas. As part of
the £96 billion integrated rail plan, we will be delivering
benefits to passengers sooner than ever anticipated.
Electric Vehicles
(Truro and Falmouth)
(Con)
6. What recent progress he has made on supporting the roll-out of
electric vehicles. (905402)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government continue to support the uptake of electric
vehicles. About as many electric vehicles were sold in 2021 as
the last five years combined, with one in six cars now having a
plug.
I thank the Minister for her answer. In Cornwall, there is
clearly an appetite to move towards cleaner and greener
transport, and Cornwall Council is currently rolling out a £3.6
million project to install and operate EV charging points across
the county. Despite that huge step in the right direction, given
Cornwall’s rurality, it is limited in scope. Can the Minister
help me to encourage towns, businesses and constituents in my
Truro and Falmouth constituency to make use of the Government’s
electric vehicle home-charge scheme, which provides grant funding
of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle
charging points?
I commend Cornwall Council, and I also commend my hon. Friend for
the work that she is doing to ensure that we have this transport
revolution as we transition from a fossil fuel transport system
to one that is decarbonised. Electric vehicle charge points are
absolutely the way forward at home, at work, en route, and at
destination. This Government are rolling out the charging points
with local authorities, and I would be delighted to visit her
constituency and work with her council to do so.
Modern Railway: 200th Anniversary
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
7. Whether he has plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the
modern railway in 2025. (905403)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
Railways are a product of Britain’s rich history of engineering
innovation and the 200-year anniversary is a nationally important
moment to mark and celebrate. The Department for Transport will
work with the whole industry to make this a special event for
workers and passengers alike.
Clearly, in York the 200th anniversary will be incredibly
significant, with both the reopening of the National Railway
Museum, which will be an incredible moment, and the opportunity
it gives us to look not just back but forward at the future of
rail. Will the Minister therefore work with us to promote the
future of digital and civil engineering, and focus on those from
minoritised groups and women, to ensure that they have their
place in the future of the railway too?
The 200-year anniversary is an important one. I recall many
visits to the National Railway Museum when I was a kid; we used
to go on school visits there. On the hon. Lady’s point about
skills, engineering and more diversity, yes, absolutely—I am
really keen, as I am sure are all my colleagues on the Front
Bench, to see more diversity in the railways.
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
What a wonderful way to celebrate that anniversary: setting up a
scheme to help small stations in economically important towns
such as Milford Haven in my constituency to access funding in a
timely way to see an upgrade. The current process, whereby
Network Rail works up a project and then it takes years and years
of multiple rounds of appraisals—big money-spinners for the
consultants—just does not work. Will my hon. Friend please look
at that?
I am more than happy to pick up on that point. If my right hon.
Friend wants to tell me more about his local station, which he is
clearly passionate about supporting, I would be happy to meet
him.
Rail Services: South-east London
(Greenwich and Woolwich)
(Lab)
8. What plans he has to help improve services for rail passengers
in south-east London. (905404)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
Department officials are working closely with operators in
south-east London, including SE Trains —Southeastern—and Govia
Thameslink Railway, to ensure that a reliable and punctual
service is delivered as passengers return to work. Performance on
both SET and GTR has been at a good level throughout the
pandemic, with some recent challenges on GTR, owing to a high
level of driver absence, leading to a temporarily revised
timetable.
The Minister will be aware that both Southeastern and Thameslink
services in south-east London are running on a reduced timetable.
With the restrictions having eased and growing numbers of my
constituents once again needing to commute, that cut in services
is beginning to cause overcrowding on not only trains, but local
bus and tube services, as well as incentivising more people to
jump into their cars. Can I get a commitment from the Minister
today that those withdrawn services will be fully reinstated as
soon as possible?
I understand the concerns of colleagues across the House when it
comes to trains and passengers. I assure the hon. Gentleman, as I
have assured other colleagues this morning, that we continue to
work closely with rail operators as they mitigate the impact of
staff absences on rail services. It is important that we work
together to get people back to work.
UK Supply Networks
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
(SNP)
9. What recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a)
haulage companies and (b) other companies involved in the goods
supply chain on disruption in the UK's supply networks.
(905405)
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Ministers have been in frequent contact with transport operators
and industry regarding supply chain disruptions.
The Road Haulage Association estimates a shortfall of some 85,000
drivers, affecting supply chains, retailers and the wider
economy, while the Government’s short-length temporary visa
scheme has been unfit for purpose, with only 200 visas having
been issued. Given the scale of the problem, the industry is
asking for a 12-month visa for heavy goods vehicle drivers. Will
the Minister confirm whether that is being considered?
The Government have taken decisive action on the HGV driver
shortage, with 32 short, medium and long-term interventions. We
have more than doubled the number of tests available for HGV
drivers in a normal week from 1,500 weekly appointments pre-covid
to 3,200 in a normal week now. I am pleased to hear from industry
bodies that their current assessment is that the shortfall in
drivers is lessening.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
That may well be the case, but one haulier has likened Brexit
to
“death by a thousand cuts”,
as EU companies withdraw business due to each new round of
post-Brexit bureaucracy, administration and delays. That is
causing significant hardship for many UK and Scottish businesses;
smaller ones, especially, are struggling to cope. After the UK
implements import controls in July, the crisis will deepen
further, with the current miles-long queues of HGVs on the A20
simply getting longer and longer. What are the Government doing
to mitigate the damage they have inflicted with Brexit on the
UK’s economy?
I know that the hon. Gentleman likes to blame Brexit for
everything, but of course there are HGV driver shortages around
the globe. On freight coming in and out of the UK, we are seeing
similar numbers at the moment as we would normally. The checks
that are due at the ports are on track in England. Of course, in
Scotland, they are a matter for the devolved Administration. We
are aware of some risks there, but the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other Departments are
working closely with the Scottish Government to find a
resolution.
Closed Rail Lines: Restoration
(Southport) (Con)
10. What steps he is taking to restore previously closed rail
lines. (905407)
(Hyndburn) (Con)
13. What steps he is taking to restore previously closed rail
lines.(905410)
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
We are committed to reversing the Beeching cuts and reopening
railways through our £500 million restoring your railway fund. I
was pleased to reopen the first such line—the Dartmoor line—in
November 2021.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that restoring the Burscough
Curves link, which would connect Southport with Preston and up to
Glasgow via the west coast main line, should be a priority for
the Government, both to demonstrate the levelling-up agenda and
connect all regions of our great United Kingdom?
Mr Speaker
It would be a good idea.
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend—and, it seems, yourself,
Mr Speaker—that it would be a great idea. My hon. Friend is a
fantastic champion for the people of Southport. I know he applied
unsuccessfully for the first round of restoring your railway fund
money, but I am very committed to working with him on that to
link up his community. I will arrange to meet him. I spoke to him
about it this week and I am arranging to meet the Rail Minister
on the subject.
We are moving forward with the Rawtenstall to Manchester line,
which would significantly benefit my constituents in Haslingden,
but will the Secretary of State provide the House with an update
on the Skipton to Colne railway line?
I certainly can. Regarding the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail
Action Partnership—or SELRAP—and the rail link between Skipton
and Colne, I appreciate my hon. Friend’s unstinting support for
the scheme and will set out our position on the projects in the
rail enhancement portfolio very soon.
(Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
(SNP)
Good morning, Mr Speaker. Will the Secretary of State join me in
congratulating the residents of Levenmouth and East Neuk of Fife,
who will see their rail link restored more than 50 years after it
was abolished by his predecessor? Yet another Westminster cut
reversed by Scottish Parliament as part of the transition to net
zero. Does he agree that the glacial progress on reconnecting
communities in England to the national rail network is hindering
growth, compared with the Scottish Government’s record of
delivering real benefits for the people of Scotland?
No, I do not agree. It has taken 50 years for a UK Government to
come along and reopen the lines that were closed under Beeching
and successive Governments. We are the ones reversing that and
paying to reverse it, and Britain is proud of that.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
If we are really going to celebrate the 200th anniversary, it
would be good to open even more lines. You will know, Mr Speaker,
that not far from your constituency, the first person to be
killed on the railway was a Member of Parliament and Minister
when the Rocket was being trialled. We should remember that.
If we are serious about marking the anniversary and bringing the
old lines back into use, will the Secretary of State look again
at Yorkshire? We feel absolutely bereft. Here is this
opportunity, with a Government commitment to raise standards and
level up, at a time when the Government have smashed the
integrated plan for Yorkshire rail.
Huddersfield massively benefits from the £96 billion plan—the
biggest plan that any Government have ever announced on railway
funding. By the way, it is bigger than the plan that President
Biden just announced for railways in his package, even though the
United States has a population that is five times bigger than
ours. I would have thought that people in Huddersfield would be
celebrating in the streets.
Fuel Duty Freeze
(Harlow) (Con)
11. What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on the impact of the fuel duty freeze on people (a) in
Harlow constituency and (b) across the UK. (905408)
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
I regularly speak to the Chancellor about the impact of the fuel
duty freeze, which has now run for 12 consecutive years, in no
small way thanks to my right hon. Friend.
My Harlow constituents strongly welcome the fuel duty freeze, and
long may it continue. When wholesale oil prices rise, the cost at
the pump rockets. The RAC and FairFuelUK have shown that average
profit margins for diesel have increased by 150% in the past two
years, with petrol margins at the pumps more than doubling. But
when the global oil price comes down there is a feather approach;
the savings are not transferred to the motorist. Will my right
hon. Friend introduce a pump watch monitor to ensure fair prices
at the pumps for motorists?
It is genuinely true to say that there is not a more expensive
Member of Parliament. The cuts—or the freezes—that my right hon.
Friend has persuaded successive Chancellors to make are now
accumulating a £1,900 saving for a UK driver every year. He is
right that when oil prices go up fuel prices seem to track very
fast, and when they come down they are much slower. I will pay
close attention to his idea.
Aviation Sector
(Banff and Buchan) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to support the aviation sector.
(905409)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
We have delivered approximately £8 billion of support for the
aviation sector through the pandemic, and we are currently
developing a strategic framework to help support the sector’s
recovery.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. Has he given any thought
to how public service obligations could help support regional
airports right across the UK, including in Scotland—such as
Aberdeen airport, which serves my constituency—to recover from
the covid-19 pandemic?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. May I congratulate him
on his campaign and his support for his constituents’ campaign,
particularly that led by Val Fry, to reintroduce flights to
Aberdeen such as the easyJet flight from Aberdeen to Gatwick. I
have flown from Aberdeen. I can see its importance, and I know
that it is exceptionally important particularly for the offshore
energy industry. We recognise the significant impact that
covid-19 has had on regional airports. We will consider whether
there are further opportunities to utilise public service
obligations.
(Wythenshawe and Sale East)
(Lab)
Having failed to secure a sector-specific deal from the Treasury,
the industry is recovering much more slowly than our
international competitors, and now we have the spectacle of an
unholy row between airlines and airports on landing charges. With
the new rules on slots, we have the prospect of planes flying
empty or with half loads. Industry leaders tell me that the
Secretary of State has been missing in action, but he has been
busy shoring up the beleaguered Prime Minister’s whipping
operation—we would like to thank him for that. Is it not time for
the Secretary of State to step up to the plate when it comes to
aviation?
The Secretary of State and all members of the Government have
been in constant contact with the aviation sector, and it is
through that that we have been able to tailor our response. We
have given £8 billion of support to the sector. The airport and
ground operations support scheme is on top of that, and there is
the aviation skills retention platform. The Government
wholeheartedly support the aviation sector, particularly in
getting it flying again.
Ticket Inspection
(Cleethorpes) (Con)
14. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of
ticket inspection by rail operating companies. (905411)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government have consulted on changes to penalty fares to
ensure that deterrents against fare evasion are effective and
fair. Fare evasion costs other rail passengers and taxpayers, who
ultimately subsidise the journeys of those who deliberately
travel by train without paying the correct fare.
I thank the Minister for her reply, but my experience is that
ticket inspection falls very far short of 100%. As she says, the
cost ultimately falls on other passengers and the taxpayer. What
further steps can she take to ensure that the companies bear the
burden of their inadequacies rather than the taxpayer?
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and he is right to take
this seriously. I can assure him that the Department continues to
encourage train operators to prioritise revenue protection and
ensure that revenue is maximised and fraud is prevented. He is
right to say that it is the responsibility of train operators to
follow Government guidance in relation to this.
Public Transport: Night-time Safety
(Liverpool, West Derby)
(Lab)
15. What steps the Government are taking to improve night-time
safety on public transport. (905413)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government recognise the vital role that safe public
transport plays in getting people to and from where they need to
be at night. The Department works closely with transport partners
on a range of initiatives to ensure safety on the transport
network.
Many of my constituents feel vulnerable taking public transport
at night, especially women and those returning home from late
shifts at work. Will the Minister support Unite the union’s “Get
Me Home Safely” campaign and the early-day motion of my hon.
Friend the Member for Coventry South (), which calls for the
extension of the employer’s duty of care to include safe
transport home and policies such as making free night transport
for staff a pre-condition for new liquor licences?
I thank the hon. Member for his interest in this important issue.
We are already doing much on the transport network to improve
safety, particularly for women and girls—for example, the rail to
refuge scheme helps four people a day. We have also recently
undertaken a review with our transport champions to look
specifically at the safety of women and girls. I would be happy
to meet him to understand how those proposals align with the
recommendations from our champions.
Transport for London: Financial Settlement
(Harrow East) (Con)
16. What recent progress he has made on agreeing a long-term
financial settlement with Transport for London. (905414)
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
It is for the Mayor to take decisions about how to balance the
TfL budget. We are committed to supporting the system and have
done so with hard cash—£4.5 billion and counting.
As my right hon. Friend knows, the current deal expires very
soon. The Mayor was due to provide ways that he would balance the
budget; I understand that he has not done so yet. Could my right
hon. Friend confirm that in any arrangements that he makes with
the Mayor of London, we will exclude the outer London charge for
people driving into the London area and stop the Mayor
introducing road pricing in London unless the whole country goes
ahead with it?
My hon. Friend is a terrific champion of a fair settlement. It is
the easiest thing in the world for someone to propose a tax that
people other than their own residents pay, which is exactly what
the Mayor has been pursuing with the boundary tax. It is not
fair; we will oppose it—no taxation without representation.
(Ilford South) (Lab)
The Government’s piecemeal funding for Transport for London is
short-sighted and, yet again, will have an impact on thousands of
jobs across the entire country. For every £1 spent on London’s
transport infrastructure, 50p is spent outside the capital. We
know that they have the money after yesterday’s news about the
latest Government wastage—£9 billion blown on dodgy PPE about as
effective as the Prime Minister’s Save Big Dog strategy.
Some 30 TfL projects currently support thousands of jobs around
the country from Wrightbus in Ballymena in Northern Ireland to
Bombardier in my constituency. That includes a £1 billion
contract for building tube trains in Goole in East Yorkshire. Is
it not time for the Government to save jobs across the country,
stop rolling out the rhetoric and start investing in London’s
transport infrastructure?
The trouble is, when someone writes that kind of passage in
advance and practises it in front of the mirror, they potentially
miss the announcement that was made in the original answer. We
have now spent £4.5 billion propping up TfL to help out, rightly,
because of the pandemic and, in addition, because of the
decisions that failed to be made earlier, such as the four-year
fare freeze and the concessions that go way above anything
available elsewhere in the country.
Rockets and Satellites
(Broadland) (Con)
17. What recent steps he has taken to support the launch of
rockets and satellites from UK soil. (905416)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
My Department has passed legislation paving the way for space
flight and satellite launches from UK soil, and we have already
awarded £40 million of grants to kick-start capability.
I recently discussed the current rocket launch environment with
Gravitilab, a dynamic Broadland company that provides
microgravity testing and space access via reusable launch
platforms. Its ambition is to provide that service in Norfolk.
Space is no longer just for Governments and multinationals, so
will my hon. Friend ensure that our regulatory regime recognises
and encourages start-up companies and is made responsive to that
fast-rising sector?
I gladly join my hon. Friend in celebrating the growing success
of Gravitilab. I congratulate him on being an excellent advocate
for it, Broadland and the space industry as a whole. The
Government have put in place the most modern space flight
legislation in the world. We will continue to review it to ensure
that it meets the needs of the UK’s entire space industry.
Cycling and Walking
(Brentford and Isleworth)
(Lab)
18. What plans he has to publish a second cycling and walking
investment strategy. (905417)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government plan to publish the second cycling and walking
investment strategy in the spring.
I thank the Minister for the answer. I am concerned that the
Treasury has clearly decided that £2 billion is all the
ringfenced funding that will be allocated for cycling and
walking, but the Department for Transport commissioned research
several years ago that apparently says this £2 billion is only a
quarter to a third of what is needed to meet the stated aims of
the Government to increase cycling and walking by 2025. Can I ask
if she will now publish this research, as a former Transport
Minister, the hon. Member for Daventry (), repeatedly promised
two years ago?
I am delighted to confirm that we have now appointed Chris
Boardman as the acting CEO of Active Travel England, which I will
be meeting after this session. Actually, the £2 billion is an
unprecedented amount to be investing in walking and cycling over
this Parliament. Our investment is already seeing results: levels
of cycling increased by 46% in 2020 compared with 2019. However,
I would like to put on record my thanks to the hon. Member for
the work she does on the all-party parliamentary group on cycling
and walking, which I look forward to joining.
(New Forest West) (Con)
I cycle for 10 hours a week, and on a narrow forest road I always
cycle close to the kerb, because I am a driver too and I want to
accommodate drivers. The advice in the new code that I should
cycle in the centre of the carriageway is bonkers, isn’t it?
I would like to stress that that advice is only on narrow roads,
but I am delighted that my right hon. Friend has embraced
cycling, because we want to see half of the journeys made in
towns and cities walked or cycled by 2030.
Bus Service Improvement Plans
(Bedford) (Lab)
19. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding
for bus service improvement plans.(905418)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
At the Budget, we announced £1.2 billion of new dedicated funding
for bus transformation deals. We will provide details of
indicative allocations in due course.
Bus companies have suffered financially during the pandemic, and
this cost is being felt by customers in downgraded services.
Stagecoach has had to replace its coaches from Bedford to
Cambridge with double-decker buses with no toilet facilities.
This leaves older people, sometimes travelling to access medical
treatment, without access to a toilet for 90 minutes. When will
the Government give bus companies the investment they need to
improve services?
Well, we are doing that at the moment. There is £1.2 billion of
new funding, delivering improvements in bus services, fares and
infrastructure in England outside London, and that is just part
of over £3 billion of new spend on buses in the course of this
Parliament.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
I was delighted to see in the levelling-up White Paper yesterday
that, thanks to this Conservative Government working with
Conservative-led Stoke-on-Trent City Council and three
Conservative Stoke-on-Trent Members of Parliament, we are going
to receive a multimillion-pound settlement for bussing back
better in our great city to make sure that we are better
connected. Part of the bid does contain some funding for roads,
particularly for widening the Waterloo Road, which does suffer
from congestion, so will the Minister meet me and Stoke-on-Trent
MPs to discuss why it is vital that this is funded?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the leadership he has provided
on improving the roads and the buses in Stoke in conjunction with
his Conservative colleagues, and I know that the Buses Minister
will be delighted to meet him to discuss that further.
(Blaydon) (Lab)
In the north-east, we have an ambitious bus service improvement
plan, but before we get there we have a crisis in our bus
services as a result of covid-19. Can the Minister say what
action he will take to prevent our bus services from being
reduced as a result of the cliff edge in funding in March?
As I have outlined, over £3 billion of new spend on buses is
coming along during the course of this Parliament. The hon.
Member is quite right to draw attention to the bus service
improvement plans, and we will be able to provide some
information on indicative allocations for that by the end of
February.
(North West Durham)
(Con)
Buses are vital for many of my North West Durham constituents,
but to put it simply, at the moment there are not enough of them
and they are prohibitively expensive, especially for single-fare
journeys. Will the Minister look closely at our bus back better
strategy for the north-east to give us the funding and the buses
we need for our communities?
I know that the Buses Minister will be delighted to look at that
particular strategy in the context of the overall funding the
Government are providing.
Docklands Light Railway
(Erith and Thamesmead)
(Lab)
21. What recent discussions he has had with Transport for London
on proposals to extend the docklands light railway to
Thamesmead.(905420)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government and Homes England are exploring potential
opportunities and options at Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside
with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.
Thamesmead in my constituency needs levelling up. It has some of
the worst public transport links in the capital. There are
ambitious plans to extend the docklands light railway to
Thamesmead, which are supported by Greenwich and Newham councils
and Transport for London. Will the Minister look favourably at
these proposals when they are submitted to the Government, and
provide the necessary funding to finally put Thamesmead on the
transport map?
With regard to extending the DLR, the scale of the opportunity
from the potential options at Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside is
being explored and the Government and Homes England are working
together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for
London to do this.
Topical Questions
(Newport West) (Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(905421)
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
I would like to update the House on action we have taken against
the behaviour of Insulate Britain activists. Last year I asked
National Highways to seek injunctions against the so-called
eco-warriors who have inflicted such misery on motorists across
the country, and following the latest High Court hearing
yesterday a further five immediate prison sentences were imposed
as well as 11 suspended sentences against Insulate Britain
activists for breaching these injunctions. That brings the total
number of sentences and suspended sentences handed down to 31.
Gluing oneself to the tarmac and throwing paint on public
highways, causing miles of misery, just is not on; it affects
hard-working people and causes misery to them, costing the
taxpayer money.
The Secretary of State will know that vehicle standards,
including for e-scooters, are reserved to Westminster. I am
hugely concerned about the impact of e-scooters on people living
with sight loss in Wales as they cannot be heard and are very
quick. What plans does he have to assess the impact of the
already widespread and illegal use of e-scooters in Wales?
We currently have a trial programme for e-scooters, with 31
trials in operation, which is collecting the data that the hon.
Lady seeks. I share her concerns, particularly about e-scooters
sold through the private market where they are not legal to be
ridden on the roads or pavement, or indeed in the public arena.
We are looking at measures that will crack down on those while
ensuring that those that have been properly insured and used
through the trials continue until we have all the data.
(Waveney) (Con)
T2. Last week-end’s storms have led to the temporary closure of
the railway from Norwich to Lowestoft. Good services on that
Wherry line and the east Suffolk line are vital if meaningful
levelling up is to be delivered to the Waveney area. Can
Ministers confirm that the Government are committed to
improvements on these two lines and that their ambitions extend
beyond that suggested by Network Rail, which is that it aims to
have a climate-resilient service on the Wherry lines in 28 years’
time?(905422)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this matter today,
and I appreciate the incident on Sunday near Haddiscoe will
undoubtedly have caused disruption to passengers, but I
understand that work is going well and I am sure he will be
pleased to know that services are expected to resume on Saturday
morning. Network Rail recently outlined its long-term adaptation
ambitions, which are now being considered at local level.
Importantly, this will help build greater understanding of the
key areas of vulnerability that are critical in the development
of plans to mitigate and minimise impacts on passengers.
(Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)
I welcome the new rail Minister, the hon. Member for
Aldridge-Brownhills (), to her post. Last year the
Prime Minister promised
“great bus services…to everyone, everywhere”,
with £3 billion of new funding to support that. Yesterday we
learned the truth about the transformation funding—slashed by
£1.8 billion. Why have the Government broken their promise and
downgraded the ambition of communities?
I am really pleased that the hon. Lady has raised this, because I
have seen her tweet and talk about it elsewhere and I want to
inform her that she is inadvertently misleading. The figure is
still £3 billion; the £1.2 billion is a part of that £3 billion
and there are other elements of funding that have already been
announced, including £0.5 billion on decarbonisation, and more
money is on the way. So that is simply an incorrect figure that I
ask her not to continue to repeat.
I can assure the House that I am not the one misleading anybody.
We have it in black and white, in a leaked letter from his own
official, who wrote to local transport authorities confirming the
cut and saying
“the scale of the ambition across the county greatly exceeds the
amount”
of transformation funding. Doesn’t that say it all: the ambition
of this country far exceeds that of the Government? So will the
Secretary of State come clean by admitting that vast swathes of
the country will not get a penny in transformation funding and
that he sold bus transformation but is delivering managed
decline?
No, that is absolutely incorrect. We have just heard about this
Government’s investment in Stoke. That is investment we are going
to spread across the country. It is false to claim that that £1.2
billion is the total funding. It is not, as I have already
pointed out. There will be £5.7 billion over five years for the
city region sustainable transport settlement, for example,
bringing more money in. I will write to the hon. Lady with a
detailed breakdown, but I ask her to take into account the full
amount of money being spent on buses—a record never achieved
before by any Government, as far as I can see.
(Buckingham) (Con)
T4. At a meeting I chaired between East West Rail and residents
in the town of Winslow in my constituency whose houses back on to
the new railway, we were disappointed to learn from East West
Rail that it plans to launch with diesel-only trains borrowed
from another railway. Will my hon. Friend make an intervention
with East West Rail to ensure it launches with bi-mode trains
that can run on battery where the railway comes close to people’s
homes in towns such as Winslow and villages such as Verney
Junction and Newton Longville?(905425)
I know that my hon. Friend takes a close interest in this issue
on behalf of his constituents, as I would expect. I would be very
happy to have a meeting with him, at which he can share with me
some of the concerns he has on behalf of his constituents.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
It is two years since the Prime Minister pledged 4,000
zero-emission buses, but that pledge is in tatters. Not a single
bus has been ordered through the fast-track zero-emission bus
regional areas scheme. In contrast, the Scottish Government have
already produced the equivalent of 2,700 bus orders. No one in
the industry—not a single person—thinks that the Prime Minister’s
pledge will be met, and let us remember that 4,000 is only one
tenth of the English bus fleet, while Scotland decarbonises half
of its bus fleet. When are the UK Government going to get real on
this?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government remain absolutely committed to supporting the
introduction of 4,000 zero-emission buses and achieving a
zero-emission bus fleet. I had the joy of visiting a place in
Glasgow, when I was there for COP26, that is rolling out those
buses, and this will support our climate ambitions, improve local
transport for communities and support high-quality green jobs.
Overall, we are providing £525 million of funding for ZEBs this
Parliament, and the Government have provided funding for 900
zero-emission buses through existing funding schemes.
(New Forest West) (Con)
T5. Were the brilliant bus recovery grant to end, at current
passenger number levels, I could lose half of my services. Will
the Secretary of State consider extending but tapering it, so
that more services have a chance to recover passenger numbers to
economic viability?(905426)
We will of course look into my right hon. Friend’s suggestion,
but over the past two years we have provided over £1.7 billion in
covid-related support to the bus sector. The recovery grant is
worth more than £250 million to operators and local authorities,
and has been supporting the sector as passenger numbers remain
suppressed.
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
T3. The fleet of turquoise-coloured buses—they were like a cross
between a minibus and an Uber; called Slide buses—that were
increasingly being seen on the streets of Ealing and Sutton just
before covid abruptly had the plug pulled on them by social
distancing. Can I ask the Government to reintroduce these
immediately, as we are coming out of the crisis, as a way of
combating excessive car dependency? Also, women liked them
because they took them directly to their door—they were
demand-responsive buses. Will the Secretary of State do this or,
as my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley () said, are we in Ealing exempt
from levelling up these days?(905423)
If the hon. Lady is exempt from levelling up, we need to have a
word with the Mayor of London about it, because transport in her
constituency is run by him, of course. On a serious note, I am
very interested in that scheme, and I will speak to her about it
offline.
Dame (South Northampton- shire)
(Con)
T6. The HS2 Minister was kind enough to visit my constituency to
see for himself the damage being caused by the preparation alone
for this train project. He will be aware that ever more areas of
South Northamptonshire are now being ruined and dug up just in
preparation for the line. What steps can he take to make sure
that they do not become a place for fly-tipping, which we are
seeing all too frequently?(905427)
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
HS2 Ltd takes its responsibilities to secure and maintain land
along the line of route extremely seriously. I thank my right
hon. Friend for taking the time to show me some of the specific
problem sites when I visited her constituency. Where fly-tipping
or littering occurs, HS2 Ltd must act to address it as soon as
possible.
(Cardiff West) (Lab)
T7. Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for
Newport West (), I am afraid the Secretary of
State’s response just reflects the fact that his approach to this
issue is laissez-faire and complacent. People on both sides of
the House will tell him that there is a real problem with these
scooters. The Government’s policy is encouraging a disrespect for
the law, because people are riding them with impunity. As he will
know, crashes in London alone went up by 3,000%. Will he really
get a grip on this issue? Everybody knows it is a real problem,
but he is denying it.(905428)
I thank the hon. Member for his question, but I refer him to the
31 trials currently ongoing throughout the country to identify
how we can legislate in the safest possible way. We regard
micro-mobility as an essential part of the transition towards a
much cleaner community, but I will endeavour to meet colleagues
in the Home Office to discuss matters of policing with regard to
illegal electric scooters.
(Wantage) (Con)
T9. I most often raise the need to reopen Grove station in my
constituency, but today I want to raise my constituency’s roads.
In addition to the ongoing safety issues on the A34 and A420, the
general condition of roads gets worse and worse, as a result of
thousands more houses and more and more cars. Will my right hon.
Friend meet me to discuss how the roads in my constituency can be
better maintained?(905430)
We would be very pleased to organise that meeting with my hon.
Friend. I will set up a meeting for him with the Minister with
responsibility for roads. As the House knows, we are spending £24
billion on roads and at least half of that is for their upkeep
and maintenance.
(City of Chester)
(Lab)
T8. With a bunch of parents in Saughall in my constituency, we
have been trying to put together a package for school bus
transport that would save hundreds of car journeys a week. It is
predicated on a successful Bus Back Better bid, but the word from
the Treasury is that that money will be halved. Will we get the
full amount that Cheshire West and Chester Council bid
for?(905429)
That decision is yet to be taken, but in terms of the hon.
Gentleman’s council and the money it is missing out on, it is
disappointing to learn that in Chester the green bus technology
fund, the low emission fund, the ultra-low emission fund, the
all-electric bus city fund and all the zero-emission bus regional
area funds have not been taken advantage of by his council. I
really would encourage him to work with his council to make the
most of the generous offers provided by the Department.
(Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
Airlines have had a tough couple of years, of course, but so too
have passengers and travel agents in obtaining refunds from those
airlines. This has been going for years. Reform is badly needed,
with a regulator that has upfront powers to effect change. I am
delighted to see the Government’s consultation. Can I ask the
relevant Minister when we expect to see change implemented?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ()
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I commend him for his
work on this and a number of issues. The consultation on consumer
rights has just been launched. We will be running that and
carefully considering the options that come out of it. We will be
looking to make the necessary changes as soon as possible.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
South) (SNP)
The Scottish Government are currently rolling out free bus travel
across Scotland for anyone under the age of 22. Will the UK
Government take a moment to congratulate the Scottish Government
and tell us when they might deliver the same for young people in
England?
The difficult decisions that need to be made have to be made by
every Government, but I think what the hon. Lady was pointing out
was just how generous the grant funding is, through the Barnett
formula, for the Scottish Government.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Con)
Will the Secretary of State agree to an urgent meeting with me
and representatives of the business community in North West
Leicestershire impacted by the Birmingham to East Midlands
Parkway route of HS2, to discuss the necessary changes to the
route to enter Parkway station and any possible mitigations?
My hon. Friend remains a doughty champion of businesses in his
constituency that will be affected by the proposals in the
integrated rail plan. I would be more than happy to meet him
again to discuss those proposals and the specific impacts on
residents and businesses.
(Eltham) (Lab)
Further to the issues raised by my hon. Friend the Member for
Greenwich and Woolwich (), south-east London is
not served by the London underground, which means our
constituents rely heavily on rail services. A station in my
constituency where there has been a major redevelopment has seen
a nearly 50% increase in footfall: there are 1.5 million
entrances and exits a year. It is essential that capacity is
maintained and increased on our rail services because of the lack
of alternatives. May I impress that on Ministers who will make
decisions on the franchise?
As I explained earlier, we are working closely with the rail
operators as they mitigate the impact of staff absences on rail
services. Obviously, as restrictions are lifted and staffing
pressures ease, operators will reinstate services to meet
expected increases in passenger demand. I think it is fair to say
that no timetable is ever static. As demand patterns continue to
evolve while we recover from the pandemic, timetables must be
flexible.
(Rushcliffe) (Con)
I welcome the massive investment this Government are making in
the east midlands. They are electrifying the midlands main line
as we bring HS2 from Birmingham to Nottingham. However, to
benefit fully, my constituents need better trains to Nottingham.
Will the Minister support my campaign for more trains on the
Poacher line so that my constituents in villages such as
Radcliffe-on-Trent can have the regular train service they
need?
My hon. Friend rightly points out the massive investment going
into the east midlands. I am sure the Rail Minister, my hon.
Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (), will be more than happy to
meet her to discuss the specific configuration of local
services.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
My constituents already face long waits for overpriced bus
services without the real-time data that Londoners take for
granted, and now we hear that there will be further cuts to bus
services. We urgently need a bus service improvement plan. Why
will the Secretary of State not urgently support one?
As I have mentioned a couple of times, we have the biggest ever
programme of bus service improvements. We have gone out to local
authorities to ask them for their plans, and we have funded them
to bring forward those plans. They are now coming back with the
first stages in the levelling-up White Paper. We will continue to
deliver more on the bus agenda over time.
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con)
There has been clear interest on both sides of the House in
investment in the future of buses, and we have a very positive
bid from North Yorkshire County Council, working with local bus
companies, to improve the services in Harrogate and
Knaresborough. Will the Minister give me an indicative date for
when we might hear of that bid’s success?
I am afraid that I cannot give a precise date at this time—there
will of course be a date in due course—but I will make the
necessary inquiries and relay back to my hon. Friend.
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