Transport ministers were answering questions in the Commons.
Subjects covered included...
To read any of these in greater detail, either click on the link
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Transport Sector: Support and Covid-19 Emergency Funding
(Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (SNP)
What (a) financial and (b) other support he plans to provide to the
transport sector in the next six months. [907924]
(Jarrow) (Lab)
What steps the Government are taking to ensure that covid-19
emergency funding support is fair and equitable across transport
operators. [907935]
(Livingston) (SNP)
What (a) financial and (b) other support he plans to provide to
the transport sector in the next six months. [907939]
(Angus) (SNP)
What (a) financial and (b) other support he plans to provide to
the transport sector in the next six months. [907941]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Government continue to provide the support that is necessary
to maintain public transport throughout this pandemic. It may be
helpful to the House if I let Members know that the Department is
expecting to spend between £10.6 billion and £12.6 billion on
supporting the transport sector in response to this pandemic.
[V]
If there is, as many predict, a disruptive end to the transition
period, with long delays and blockages at the EU border and the
inevitable financial costs this will bring to hauliers and
traders, will the UK Government financially support and
compensate these businesses and workers for the costs inflicted
on them by this Tory Government’s failure to secure anything
bearing any semblance of a deal with the European Union?
I have just described the between £10 billion and £12.5 billion
of support this Government have provided to the transport sector
through covid. The hon. Gentleman talks about what will happen at
the end of the transition period. I hope he is reassured to know
that I am leaving from this House to go straight to Kent to
review the many plans that are very advanced and in place to
ensure that the transition is smooth.
Covid-19 has resulted in the transport sector being hit hard in
the north-east. I hear what the Secretary of State says, but will
he commit to providing long-term emergency funding support beyond
the end of the financial year to cover the damage caused by
restrictions on the economy to prevent major service cuts and job
losses in the transport sector in the north-east?
I hope the hon. Lady will accept that an enormous amount of
money, as revealed today—between £10.5 billion and £12.5
billion—has been put into the transport sector throughout this
crisis, and it has taken many different forms. I will say a bit
more about, for example, light rail, which I know will be of
interest in parts of the north-east, later. But, yes, we will
commit to ensure that our transport sector continues to function,
and in particular to ensure that key workers through this
difficult period are able to continue to travel and able to serve
people in this country, particularly NHS and care workers.
[V]
A constituent of mine worked as a member of the cabin crew for
British Airways out of Edinburgh for over 21 years. They have
been forced out of their job and pressured to sign an agreement
that has no transparency of the pay breakdown; frankly, they have
been totally shafted by BA. Does the Transport Secretary
recognise that, on the one hand, there is an urgent need for more
financial support for the aviation sector, but on the other,
companies such as BA need taking to task, and the fire and rehire
Bill of my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire
North () would be the perfect way to do that? Would he also
commit to meet my constituent and me, so that he can hear at
first hand their horrendous experience?
I know this is a subject that the whole House has been concerned
about. The Select Committee on Transport has spent some time
looking into this and has made a number of different comments on
the matter. It is the case, of course, that these are
extraordinarily difficult times for many businesses in this
country, but I do not think that any are more impacted than the
aviation sector. The most important thing we can do to help the
hon. Member and her constituents is to make sure that the sector
gets going again, which is why things such as test and release
are very important. But I will certainly ensure that a meeting
can take place between the aviation Minister—the Under-Secretary
of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Witney
()—and her constituent.
The independent coach sector must be unique in the impact that
covid has had on its business and the level of support—in other
words, not very much—that it has had from Government. What can
this Government do to support private enterprises such as JP
Minicoaches in Forfar and Black’s of Brechin to weather what has
been a disastrous summer followed by a catastrophic winter
looming?
About 3,000 coach operators in the country employ 40,000 people
in businesses worth about £4.5 billion, and it is true that they
have been at the forefront of this crisis. They make a lot of
their money from tourism, with the remainder coming from things
like school runs. I am pleased that through the return to school,
the Department for Education made available £70 million, which
has assisted in getting some of those often family-run businesses
up and running again.
Until we recover from covid, coach operators will not be able to
run at full pelt. They have been able to access some of the
ground-breaking additional assistance that the Chancellor has
made available, but we will continue to work with the
Confederation of Passenger Transport, and other Government
Departments, to ensure that coach operators are able to continue
as best as possible through these difficult times.
(Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
When it comes to financial support, the railways have had
billions, and I am grateful that they continue to run. The
Williams review to reform the railways envisaged a “guiding mind”
body that would be at arm’s length to the Department for
Transport, the train operators and Network Rail, in order to
properly oversee and run the railway. There is some concern that
that arm’s length body may end up as Network Rail, which sounds a
little like the days of the old British Rail. Can the Secretary
of State assure me that there will be that independent “guiding
mind” body to run and oversee both train and track?
I thank my hon. Friend for his work on the Transport Committee,
and the close attention that the Committee pays to these
subjects. Clearly, the rail network has been going through
extraordinary times, with much of the support that I described
earlier going to rail. As we move forward, it is important that
we do not end up back with the old British Rail, with bad
sandwiches and the rest of it, but at the same time we bring a
fragmented system back together. That is what the Williams review
aims to do, and in some ways covid has enabled us to accelerate
that process. I assure my hon. Friend that the outcome will not
be some conglomerate with no real “guiding mind” and all the
worst from the past, and we will move forward with the Williams
reforms.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)
Despite failing to deliver the promised sectoral support, the
Secretary of State has said time and again that his Government
are listening to and working with the aviation sector. How does
that tally with the Government ignoring every response to a
Treasury consultation on abolishing the airside shopping VAT
exemption, which will cost Glasgow and Edinburgh airports
combined £10 million-plus? Does he agree that the last thing his
Treasury colleagues should be doing is pursuing policies that
will cost yet more jobs in that beleaguered sector?
The aviation sector has enjoyed a significant amount of support
from the public purse. I do not think I have previously drawn
this figure to the attention of the House, but the covid
corporate financing facility scheme, which is run by the Bank of
England, has lent 11% of the money that it has lent to aviation,
so there has been a huge amount of money. I am aware of the
changes in airport shops to which the hon. Gentleman refers. The
Treasury has been consulting on that issue for some time and I
will ensure that his comments are reflected back to it.
Let us try a much simpler question, to which I am sure the
Secretary of State can give a straightforward and categorical
answer. With the news that the black hole known as HS2— the
English-only HS2—needs another £800 million ploughed into it,
when will the UK Government update the Scottish Government on the
timing and amount of Barnett consequentials that should flow from
the project, so that those funds can be spent supporting and
revitalising transport in Scotland?
The Barnett formula is a matter for the Treasury, but at the
moment the £800 million is entirely within the budgets. One thing
we have done—the Minister of State, Department for Transport
ensured that this happened—is to come to the House with
six-monthly updates, so that no big surprises suddenly appear in
the HS2 budget. I would say in general though that the benefits
of HS2 will be felt by the whole United Kingdom. That means,
potentially, ultimately, a journey from London to Edinburgh in
three hours or so. I would have thought that the hon. Gentleman
would welcome that levelling up and connectivity throughout the
Union.
(Reading
East) (Lab)
Our country faces an unprecedented crisis due to the coronavirus,
and I pay tribute to transport workers—bus drivers and others—who
have risked their safety at this very difficult time. At this
difficult and dangerous time, will the Minister explain why the
Government are spending £7 million on a pointless rebranding
exercise for Highways Agency rather than spending the money
protecting lives and saving jobs?
We are not.
Tilting Train Services: West Coast Main Line
(Lichfield) (Con)
What plans he has to maintain tilting train services on the west
coast main line after the completion of High Speed 2; and if he
will make a statement. [907925]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
No decisions have been made relating to the types of rolling
stock required for the west coast main line after the completion
of HS2.
Mr Speaker
Let us head to the Member we miss the most, , in Lichfield.
[V]
I am grateful for that answer, which was very different from what
HS2 told me in a meeting recently. Lichfield is one of over 20
stations along the west coast main line that will not be served
by HS2; the nearest station will be half an hour or more away. At
the moment, we have the tilting Pendolinos, which are very fast,
but HS2 told me that when they are phased out, they will not be
replaced by any fast train, and the west coast main line will be
used only for slow commuting trains. Can the Minister assure me
that HS2 got it wrong at that meeting, and that stations such as
Lichfield Trent Valley will still have a fast service down to
London once HS2 is completed?
I am always happy to provide reassurance to my hon. Friend. Fast
inter-city trains will continue to run on the west coast main
line once HS2 opens. One of the key aims for future service
patterns is that all towns or cities that currently have a direct
service to London will retain broadly comparable or better
services once HS2 is completed.
(Slough) (Lab)
With reports of further overspends on High Speed 2, it now
appears that the Government are abandoning their commitment that
the track will connect all the way to Leeds. For all their
soundbites and promises of levelling up, once again, the north is
being punished by the Government’s failure to get to grips with
the financial management of this project. I hope I am wrong, so
let us find out. Can the Minister confirm categorically, right
here today, that if HS2 is to be delivered, it will be delivered
in full, and that it will benefit, among others, the good people
of Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield and Leeds?
As the shadow Minister is well aware, when the Prime Minister
gave the go-ahead to HS2 in February this year, he said that we
were committed to delivering phase 2b but how phase 2b was
delivered would be subject to the integrated rail plan. We have
been making significant progress with the integrated rail plan.
Sir John Armitt and the National Infrastructure Commission have
already published their interim report. We look forward to their
further recommendations and to responding to them before
Christmas.
Rail Network: Accessibility for Disabled People
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled
people using the rail network. [907926]
(Stockport) (Lab)
What steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled
people using the rail network. [907934]
(Vauxhall)
(Lab/Co-op)
What steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled
people using the rail network. [907949]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Government have recently made £350 million available to make
accessibility improvements at a further 209 stations through the
Access for All programme, ramping up provision across the
country. We also require the industry to comply with current
accessibility standards whenever they install, replace or renew
station infrastructure.
Mr Speaker
We are now heading up to Manchester with Afzal Khan—or we hoped
to be. I call .
Currently, nearly 40% of stations in Britain do not have
step-free access. Some upgrades are planned for Davenport and
Heaton Chapel stations in my constituency of Stockport, but if
updates to stations continue at this rate, our rail network will
not be fully accessible until 2070, so what plans does the
Minister have to ensure that more trains and platforms are made
accessible?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, because, as he
knows, much of our station infrastructure is Victorian and
therefore not accessible to many disabled passengers, and it is a
huge shame that it is taking a long time to rectify that. Only
around a fifth of stations have step-free access to and between
all platforms, although 75% of journeys are through step-free
stations, compared with 50% in 2005. However, there is a lot more
to do, and we have an ambitious target to get this all sorted as
quickly as possible.
Mr Speaker
I call . Not here.
Walking and Cycling Rates
(North East
Bedfordshire) (Con)
What assessment he has made of the steps needed to increase
walking and cycling rates. [907927]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
It is for local authorities to determine prioritising investment
in local transport. The Government are taking steps which were
outlined in the Prime Minister’s cycling and walking plan,
published in July, with a £2 billion budget.
The Minister will be aware that areas experiencing the largest
growth in new housing are some of those most interested in
investment in cycling and walkways. With Central Bedfordshire
Council and Bedford Borough Council experiencing some of the
highest growth in the country, will the Minister give special
consideration to their active travel network plans?
My hon. Friend’s county borders mine and I know it has very
ambitious plans, with Bedford Borough Council, to enable it to
develop a local cycling and walking infrastructure plan that is
positive and engages lots of people. Where possible, we are
working with local authorities, but it is for local authorities
within Bedfordshire to work in tandem and consider what sort of
approach is appropriate for the locality. Should they wish my
Department to offer any extra advice, we will, of course, be
happy to do so.
Rail Bridge Upgrades
(Crewe and Nantwich) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to support local communities
in meeting the cost of upgrades to rail bridges to tackle
congestion. [907928]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Local authorities in England have benefited from this year’s £1.7
billion transport infrastructure investment fund to repair and
improve bridges, as well as the £12 billion local growth fund.
Future funding will be subject to the current spending review.
Dr Mullan
Crewe is proud of its heritage as a historic railway town, but it
does create challenges. It is criss-crossed by railway lines,
with some very old and narrow bridges that create quite enormous
congestion. The cost of replacing them sits outside the ordinary
maintenance and repair budget. Will the Minister explain what the
process might be to get support for such big capital expenditure
and agree to meet me to discuss, for example, replacing Earle
Street bridge.
I remember the layout of Crewe very well from walking around it
in a by-election a few years ago. As my hon. Friend knows, the
future arrival of HS2 in the town provides a unique opportunity
for Crewe to undertake a comprehensive review of its transport
infrastructure requirements. I encourage my hon. Friend to
continue to engage with local partners, agreeing priority
projects that will facilitate growth and address the traffic
constraints he outlined. They can form part of the discussions he
would like to have with us. I would be delighted to meet him, as
would the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my hon.
Friend the Member for Pendle (), who has responsibility for HS2.
Maritime Workers’ Pay Protection
(Ynys Môn)
(Con)
What steps the Government are taking to ensure that maritime
workers receive pay protection equal to other sectors. [907929]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
We have extended the national minimum wage to cover all seafarers
working domestically in UK territorial waters.
The maritime industry has submitted a £1 billion bid through the
comprehensive spending review to kickstart maritime
decarbonisation. That will boost wages and create jobs in coastal
communities like Ynys Môn across the UK, and help the UK to lead
in green maritime technology. Will the Minister confirm that his
Department supports the bid, and that he will commit to meeting
me and MPs from coastal communities to discuss this matter in
more detail?
I thank my hon. Friend for her passionate advocacy on behalf of
the coastal communities of Ynys Môn. I cannot go into the detail
of draft proposals, but I can reassure her that across Government
the issue of decarbonisation and the need to achieve net zero is
central. Decarbonising shipping is essential to achieve the
target of net zero emissions across the economy by 2050. I would
be delighted to meet her and other parliamentary colleagues to
discuss that further.
A303 Dualling
(South West Devon) (Con)
What plans he has to dual the A303 from Stonehenge to Taunton.
[907930]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The second road investment strategy, published in March,
continues our commitment to create a high-quality connection for
the south-west along the A303-A358 corridor.
[V]
I thank the Minister for her reply. She will know how important
the A303 is to us here in the far south-west—it is one of just
two arterial roads into this region. Can she confirm that work on
delivering the dualling of the A303 from Stonehenge to Taunton
will begin on the ground shortly? We have had many promises over
the years from various Governments. The people of the far
south-west would like to see some action. Can she please confirm
that work on dualling this important road will begin in the very
near future?
Let me assure my hon. Friend that the Government absolutely
recognise the critical importance of the A303 for journeys across
his part of the south of England for the people who live there
and for the economy of the region. Our second road investment
strategy provides the funding for removing the bottleneck at
Stonehenge and underlines our commitment to find solutions to the
remaining issues along the A303, with the next phases of
construction likely to take place after the Stonehenge tunnel is
completed.
Covid-19 Quarantine: International Travel
(Sedgefield) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the duration of
covid-19 quarantine required after international travel. [907931]
(Meon
Valley) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the duration of
covid-19 quarantine required after international travel. [907946]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The global travel taskforce is considering how to implement a
testing regime for international arrivals to reduce
self-isolation.
The restrictions on air travel have had many further
consequences, not least for coach operators. When the pandemic
first struck, the Government introduced a very generous package
for coach operators that saved many businesses and jobs. Now that
coach operators such as J&C Coaches in my Sedgefield
constituency are back up and running again, the Government’s
package has stopped. However, fleet insurance is back to normal,
the vehicles all have to be taxed and the drivers are back to
work. All the coach operators have to fund these expenses on very
basic school contracts. There are no swimming baths, no Beamish,
no Hadrian’s wall, no excursions, no football and no nights out
in Darlington, Durham or Newcastle. Will the Secretary of State
please encourage his right hon. Friend the Chancellor to find
something from somewhere to support this industry that is part of
the glue that connects our citizens?
I very much understand the pressures that the coach industry in
particular is under, as I mentioned in a previous response. It is
a fact that those parts of the economy, many of which my hon.
Friend described, are not up and functioning right now, so the
Government need to do things to provide support to the sector,
which we have been doing across all UK businesses—in particular,
through the 24 September winter economy plan from the
Chancellor—to try to assist, while also recognising, as I know
right hon. and hon. Members do across the House, that the
Government do not have a magic-wand solution to ensure that
business is running at its usual capacity while we are tackling
covid. I referred earlier to the 3,000 coach operators. I
understand the pressure they are under, and my right hon. Friend
the Chancellor and I are very much focused on other ways that we
can find to assist the sector.
Mrs Drummond [V]
I have heard from a number of constituents in the travel and
tourism industry who are very concerned about staying in business
over the next six months. I therefore welcome my right hon.
Friend’s recent proposal to reduce quarantine to seven days and
on the use of testing capacity at major airports such as
Heathrow. What can the Government do to help smaller regional
airports, such as Southampton, to create their own testing
capacity?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That links to the previous
question inasmuch as we have to get this economy going if we are
going to have to live with coronavirus for quite some time. We
need to do that by ensuring that economic activity can continue
and that people can continue to travel by coach, covid-safely,
and by air. The global travel taskforce is working on the
implementation of some really quite complex issues related to,
for example—she mentioned testing at airports—whether testing at
airports actually provides the solution. As we know, what is
required at the moment, according to the best science, is still a
period of self-isolation, followed by a test, which could take
place either at an airport or perhaps even in a more convenient,
more local location. That is what the global travel taskforce is
working on with the airports, the travel sector and academics, as
well as medical experts, in order to implement exactly that kind
of system to assist the entire industry.
Sixth Carbon Budget
(Manchester, Withington) (Lab)
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on including
(a) international aviation and (b) shipping emissions in the
sixth carbon budget. [907932]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
Ministers have regular discussions about our ambitions for the
sixth carbon budget and net zero target.
I am pleased to hear it, but what are the results of those
discussions? Aviation accounts for 8% of our UK emissions and
international flights for 80% of that, so is it not time that the
Government actually acted on the recommendation of the Committee
on Climate Change and included those emissions in carbon budgets,
so that we can face up to our climate responsibilities?
The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. Emissions are a
global problem and they require a global solution. The UK is
working with international partners, and leading with
international partners, through organisations such as the
International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International
Maritime Organisation, and I think that that is the approach we
should take.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
Can I get some clarity on the timing of this? In last week’s
response to the Committee on Climate Change, the Government said
that we would ideally be looking at negotiating a long-term
emissions reduction goal for aviation at ICAO in 2022, and that
we would be working at the IMO in advance of its revising its
strategy for shipping in 2023. That would all be too late to put
anything in the sixth carbon budget, particularly if there is
insufficient progress at those talks. It would push action into
the 2040s. Why are the Government stalling when it is very clear
that we need action on international aviation and shipping
emissions now?
It is important to realise that the Government are not stalling.
When we look at the leading role that the Government have in both
of those organisations and the progress on programmes such as the
carbon offsetting scheme for international aviation, we can see
that the Government are driving ahead and taking their
international partners with them.
International Roll-on Roll-off Ferry Services
(Kingston upon Hull East) (Lab)
What assessment he has made of the future viability of
international roll-on roll-off ferry services from the UK.
[907933]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
A mid-year financial health assessment of carriers has provided
assurances for the continued flow of freight on international
roll on, roll off services.
I thank the Secretary of State and the Minister for their helpful
engagement with me over P&O ferries threatening to scrap the
Hull to Zeebrugge route. International shipping routes are
critical to our economic future yet P&O is threatening to
walk away. Does the Minister agree that the time has now come for
the company to be told to invest in our area, step up and,
instead of paying millions to its Dubai owners, put something
into our local economy?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for our recent meeting. He is
a powerful advocate for his area, its identity and its economic
vitality. Although these are commercial decisions, I want to see
a commitment from all operators to the UK workforce and the
coastal communities for whom these routes are so important.
(Wythenshawe
and Sale East) (Lab)
We wish my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull East
() well. There was a fire on the Pride of Hull last
night, but all hands are safe.
Brexit talks between the Prime Minister and the maritime sector
this week have been poorly received and it is a failure of
statecraft that the Department has had to award £77 million worth
of contracts to secure vital medicine in the event of no deal. To
be fair to the Secretary of State—and I am fair to him—at least
he awarded these ferry contracts to companies that actually own
some ships this time. What undertakings has the Minister pursued
to ensure that they will actually employ British seafarers?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for mentioning the Pride of Hull. I
was concerned to hear about the incident, but I am glad to
confirm that the ship is safely back at berth. I commend all
those who were responsible for responding to the incident. I am
relieved that nobody was seriously injured, and I thank the crew
for ensuring that everyone on board was safe.
There are, of course, ongoing conversations among all parts of
Government to ensure that we have an appropriate response to the
end of the EU transition period whatever the result of
negotiations.
Covid-19: Transport in Newcastle
(Newcastle
upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
What assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19
outbreak on transport in Newcastle; and what support he is
providing to public transport operators in that city. [907936]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Department is in regular contact with Nexus and Transport
North East and has a number of schemes in place to support
transport operators at this difficult time.
The Minister will know that many of my constituents, particularly
those on low and insecure pay, cannot work from home and are
still taking the bus to work, so are still paying significantly
more to go a few bus stops across Newcastle than it would to
cross the whole of London. The Government talk about levelling
up. When is he going to level down bus fares?
As the hon. Lady will be aware, we are putting huge resources
into supporting the bus sector at this time. On 8 August, we
announced additional funding of £27.3 million per week to support
the bus sector. We are developing a bus strategy and I am sure
that fares and the fairness of fares across the country will be
part of that strategy.
A27: Worthing to Shoreham
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
What recent progress has been made on tackling congestion on the
Worthing to Shoreham section of the A27 in West Sussex. [907937]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
We are committed to improving this part of the A27 by 2025. We
have been discussing options with local councils and will be
going to public consultation in due course.
Last week, we had the welcome news about the preferred route for
the Arundel bypass on the A27 at a likely cost of more than £250
million. Yet just down the road on the A27 in my constituency of
Worthing—a town 10 times the size of Arundel—we were allocated
just £70 million on the road investment strategy, RIS 1 scheme,
back in 2014. All we have seen so far are inadequate plans for
tinkering with junctions and improving cycle routes. Will the
Minister step in to help progress a proper scheme to deal with
the much worse and worsening congestion on the Worthing-Shoreham
stretch of the A27 and perhaps come down to visit and sit in a
traffic jam with me and see the problem at first hand?
I would be delighted to accept the invitation. However, this
would be a matter for my hon. Friend in the other place, Baroness
Vere, as this is her portfolio, but I am sure she would also be
delighted if her diary allows. To answer my hon. Friend’s
question, he is absolutely right to be committed to alleviating
congestion. Highways England is making progress on developing
options for improvements on that important stretch of road, and
it is keen to work with local stakeholders to scope the best
options for local communities, at which point it will be ready to
look at delivering for the local communities.
Regional and National Transport Links
(Bishop Auckland) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) regional and
(b) national transport links. [907938]
(Broxtowe) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) regional and
(b) national transport links. [907947]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
We are committed to supporting regional and national
connectivity, and we recently launched the union connectivity
review.
The A66 is a vital route for residents of Barnard Castle and
right across the north-east—[Laughter.] This happens every time I
say that. Can my right hon. Friend please give me an update on
the dualling of the A66, and will he meet me to discuss the issue
of the Rokeby junction?
A popular question, Mr Speaker. I thought my hon. Friend was
going to rise to discuss the A68 and the Toft Hill bypass, on
which I know she has campaigned a lot, but the A66 is in the
second road investment strategy—the RIS 2—for the period 2020 to
2025. Earlier this year, I launched the preferred route for the
A66. That is completing its analysis, and it will then go for a
statutory consultation, so it is moving at pace. I can confirm
that someone has even set up a Twitter account about the A66,
which she might like to follow.
The HS2 East Midlands hub will be located in Toton in the heart
of my constituency. Can my right hon. Friend reaffirm the
Government’s commitment to the construction of the eastern leg of
HS2 to deliver vital jobs and investment into Broxtowe and the
wider region?
As the House will know, the eastern leg is called the 2b, and, as
the Prime Minister has said from this Dispatch Box, it is not a
question of “to be or not to be”—it will be; it will be
constructed. I think my hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that,
through the integrated rail plan, we will ensure that we can
properly connect up the midlands to the north, going up to Leeds
on the eastern leg, and do so in a way that now takes into
account the many plans that have evolved since HS2 was originally
dreamed up 10 or 15 years ago.
No Agreement with the EU: Preparedness
(East
Lothian) (SNP)
What recent progress his Department has made on its preparedness
in the event that there is no agreement on future relations with
the EU after the transition period. [907940]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
Our priority is to ensure that road and air transport continue to
operate between the UK and the EU. We are making extensive
preparations to ensure good flows and, as I mentioned, I am off
to Kent immediately after I finish at the Dispatch Box to update
on progress.
[V]
The Republic of Ireland is preparing by creating new port
facilities and supporting new direct ferry routes to Europe.
Rather than seeking to turn Kent into a car park or sustaining
south-east ports that can never materialise, would it not be more
appropriate to provide the resources to ensure that new routes
and port and ferry facilities can be established both in Scotland
and north-east England?
I find myself in considerable agreement with the hon. Gentleman.
We have a curious situation where an awful lot of goods passage
through the so-called short straits from Dover, but that is not
by any means the only port in this country. There are dozens, if
not hundreds, of ports. He might have missed it, but I recently
launched the £200 million port infrastructure fund to further
boost the capacity of ports around the country, and that is in
addition to the large amount of additional infrastructure
spending that has been put in place over the past few years as we
have got closer to the end of the transition period.
Rail Connections: North of England
(South
Ribble) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve rail connections
in the north of England. [907942]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
We announced nearly £600 million of investment in the rail
network across the north in July alone. This is part of the £48
billion being spent on rail between 2019 and 2024.
Leyland has some exciting plans for development with the
Government’s towns fund, and an important part of that is the
reopening of Midge Hall station, but at the moment we have the
nonsense of trains stopping there but passengers not being
allowed to get on or off. Will my hon. Friend give every
consideration to that as part of the restoring your railway fund?
That was an excellent Lancastrian question, from an excellent
Member of Parliament. For the second round of applications to the
restoring your railway ideas fund 51 proposals have been
submitted to the expert panel. The recommendations have now been
made and we are considering them for funding. We will be
announcing the outcome of the second round in the coming weeks.
Covid-19: Rural Bus Routes
(Totnes) (Con)
What assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19
outbreak on rural bus routes. [907943]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Department is working closely with local authorities and
operators to ensure that the bus routes people most rely on
continue to run throughout the pandemic.
The Government have announced a £5 billion package to support
buses, including 4,000 energy-efficient buses. Will the Minister
look at local routes in my area, such as the 15 and 16 in and
around Brixham, to see how we might extend them in the future,
given the vital services they provide in a community that has few
bus links?
I understand that my hon. Friend recently met the Minister
responsible for buses to discuss this very issue, and I pay
tribute to him for the campaigning he does on behalf of his
constituents. We are creating a £20 million rural mobility fund
to support innovative solutions to transport problems in rural
areas, and we will also be taking rural transport into account in
the national bus strategy, which we aim to publish by the end of
the year.
Transport Funding in London
(Westminster North) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on
the adequacy of funding for transport provision in London.
[907945]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
The Department regularly engages with Transport for London and
the Mayor in order to understand the impact of covid-19.
Ms Buck
In the past 48 hours, Conservative Members have already begun
campaigning about what they are describing as the Mayor of
London’s proposed extension of the congestion charge. Will the
Secretary of State be kind enough to confirm to the House today
that he wrote to the Mayor in these terms:
“We propose that you maintain the congestion charge at its
current level and hours…we also propose the extension of
the…congestion charging zone to cover the same area as the Ultra
Low Emission Zone and at the same time, October 2021.”?
It is important to understand that the Government have already
provided funding of £1.6 billion to TfL. The Mayor is now back
for another tranche of funding, which is understandable in part
because of covid. However, in other parts, for example through
not having maintained fares with inflation previously, he has
left a gap. We have gone to the Mayor with a long list of
different things he could do. It is up to him what he does, but I
want to make it clear to the House that it is his choice and we
are not going to require him to extend the congestion charge
anywhere.
Carbon Emissions: Aviation
(Edinburgh
West) (LD)
What steps he is taking to reduce carbon emissions in the
aviation sector. [907948]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government are committed to net-zero aviation. This year, we
established the Jet Zero Council to drive delivery of that, by
encouraging the development of clean technologies, sustainable
aviation fuels and regulatory changes.
We all appreciate that the aviation industry is under immense
pressure, and we want to see it recover through covid-19, but
will the Government ensure that part of the support and
encouragement for the aviation industry is tied to those
developments of fuels, and that the UK oil and gas industry is
also involved in finding alternative fuels?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. She is right to say that
alternative sustainable aviation fuels are a major part of this.
The Government have made £20 million of capital funding available
through the future fuels for flight and freight competition,
which is for projects that produce low carbon, waste-based fuels,
and we will be looking further at what else we can do.
E-scooters
(Rugby)
(Con)
What progress his Department has made in trialling e-scooters.
[907951]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
We have started trials of this innovative new mode of transport,
the e-scooter, in 15 areas of the country, with more to start
soon. We are thoroughly gathering data on journeys. A lot of very
positive feedback is already coming through and we are assessing
the wider impacts.
My constituent Mark Rawinski recently bought an e-scooter, and he
has been telling me that it is far more affordable than a car or
a motorcycle and drawing my attention to how much better it is
for the environment. There is a strong case that e-scooters
should be classified as personal electric vehicles, in the same
way as electric bikes are, as they have similar power and speed.
Does the Minister agree?
I am absolutely delighted to hear of the support of my hon.
Friend’s constituent for this new, clean, green, convenient and,
as he said, much more environmentally friendly mode of transport.
We do support active travel and active transport, which is why we
are trialling e-scooters and gathering the evidence. The evidence
that we gather will inform the decisions that we make about
whether to legalise e-scooters in the future. Until then, it is
important to say that privately owned e-scooters should not be
used on the public roads.
Maritime Safety
(Redcar) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to improve maritime safety.
[907953]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
My Department is committed to improving maritime safety across
the UK, including through the maritime safety action plan.
Tugboats operate in our port night and day 365 days a year, and
the pandemic has not stopped this. I recently went aboard a
tugboat on the River Tees and was told of the lengths that the
team at Svitzer Teesside goes to to ensure safe tugging
operations along the busiest ports on the east coast. However,
the crew expressed some concerns that other tug services do not
conform to the same safety standards. Will the Minister agree to
meet me and representatives from the sector to see how we can
level up the safety of our tugs?
Tug and work boats are critical to the operation and safety of
our ports. They ensure that vessels can complete the most
dangerous part of their voyages into ports in safety. My hon.
Friend has done a great service to those who work on the Tees by
bringing this important matter to the House’s attention, and I
would welcome the chance to meet him and representatives of the
sector in order to discuss this further.
Topical Questions
(Nottingham South) (Lab)
If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
[907984]
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
Today, I will be joining the great northern conference. I will
not only reinforce the Government’s belief in the northern
powerhouse, but announce further funding to allow trams to
continue to operate, helping people to get to work and NHS staff
to get to hospitals. That will go to local authorities and
operators in Sheffield, Tyne and Wear, Manchester and Blackpool,
which will be among those that will share £35.4 million, which I
am announcing today, over the next 12 weeks to keep those
essential services running.
The Government’s 2019 road safety statement once again recognised
the evidence that
“restrictions on new novice drivers’ post-test driving, have
proved very effective at improving the safety of young drivers.”
The Government promised to commission research to explore the
social and economic consequences of introducing a graduated
driving licence.Yesterday, Baroness Vere told the Transport
Committee that the Government have abandoned this work. What does
that say about the commitment of the Government to tackling the
tragic and avoidable road crashes that claimed the lives of 99
young drivers in 2018?
The hon. Lady, who is the former Chair of the Transport
Committee, is absolutely right about the number of incidents that
take place among youngdrivers. Let me just declare an interest: I
have children who have both started to learn to drive and are
about to start to drive. There is a decision for society to make
as to whether it wishes to restrict the ability of young people
to be able to drive their cars after, for example, 10 o’clock at
night to drive back from a library or to be able to work, because
graduated driving licences would restrict those rights—I see the
hon. Member for Oldham West and Royton () asking about this.She is right to say that we have
looked very carefully at this issue and come to the conclusion
that there are other ways, through things such as black boxes in
cars, that will provide safety without restricting freedom.
Mr Speaker
Topicals are short and punchy. They are not lengthy questions.
(South
Ribble) (Con)
We hope, Mr Speaker. The M6 is a vital artery for the people of
South Ribble and, throughout the pandemic, I know that my right
hon. Friend has been working with the arm’s length bodies, such
as Highways England, to keep it open, to keep food on our table
and to keep business goods going around. Will he give us a bit of
an update on the work that he has done during the pandemic to
keep these vital arteries flowing? [907989]
It is incredibly important that those arteries continue to flow,
and we have made sure that they do by working with people at
Highways England and other bodies to put work in while the
networks are being slightly less used.
(Oldham West and Royton) (Lab/Co-op)
Transport operators have been devastated by covid, and it will
take some time for them to recover to strength. The Government
have stepped in to underwrite all the revenue risk of rail
franchise operators, despite shareholder dividends being in the
region of £1.7 billion since 2011. There was a sense that we
needed to keep rail going, and that that was the right
intervention, but the Government have gone further, paying out
operators’ profits on top of that, with even more to come. Yet
here in the nation’s capital, our essential transport workers,
who are working hard to keep the city going, are routinely
deployed to attack the Mayor of London. Why are the Government
content to underwrite all revenue risk and bail out foreign
Government shareholders, but not back the people of this country?
I am slightly confused by that question, because there has not
been a single bigger bail-out of any organisation—that I can
think of—than the £1.6 billion has already gone to Transport for
London, with another £1 billion coming along.
Whether it is in London
or in Greater Manchester, the Government are
systematically drawing political fire at those who dare to speak
out. Let us be very clear: it was the Prime Minister, when he
left City Hall, who handed back the subsidy and left a £1.1
billion deficit, and it was who reduced
it by 71%. Will the Government right this wrong and match the
intervention for rail franchises across all operations, including
TfL, or have they gone from the poll tax to the polling day tax,
where they deliberately seek out anybody who dares to vote for a
Labour Mayor?
That is one of those pre-written questions that does not adjust
to the answer. I just explained that more money has gone to the
single organisation that the Mayor of London runs than any other
organisation that I can think of—certainly in transport.
(St Austell and Newquay) (Con) [V]
France has more than 80 domestic aviation routes backed by public
service obligations that connect the regions of that country. By
contrast, the UK has only four, and they just connect to London.
What consideration has the Minister given to backing more
domestic routes with PSOs to help connect the regions of our
country? [907990]
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out that other
countries certainly have more PSOs. Actually, the European
Commission’s website suggests that France’s has 37 PSOs—but none
the less, significantly more than this country. We are looking at
all this through the regional airport review, and I know that the
PSO route from Newquay has been extremely important.
(Twickenham) (LD)
In normal times, millions of people from outside London use our
transport system here in London, so in order to help keep TfL
afloat, does the Secretary of State think it is fair to slap a
transport tax on pensioners in Whitton and Hampton in my
constituency in order to subsidise commuters from Welwyn and
Hatfield in his constituency? [907985]
First of all, the negotiations are still ongoing, so we need to
await their outcome. Secondly, there is nowhere else in the
country that gets more concessions than London; constituents in
my part of the world and the constituencies of other Members in
this House will not be enjoying the same concessions that are
available to London. But, as I say, we will need to await the
outcome of these discussions.
(Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)
I ask my topical question, Mr Speaker. [907991]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
()
The Government are committed to creating a high-quality route
along the A303—this is the second time it has been mentioned this
morning—and the A358 from the A3 to the M5. This will be the
south-west strategic route. I very much thank my hon. Friend for
his commitment to this route, but consequently the Government
have no plans to dual the alternative A303/A30 route between
Ilminster and Honiton.
rose—
Mr Speaker
I call .
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP) [V]
Will the Secretary of State confirm whether, as part of his
Government’s power grab from the devolved nations, plans are
being developed to construct a 28-mile long tunnel and bridge
adjacent to the UK’s largest offshore arms dump, with over 1
million tonnes of munitions dumped at the bottom of the sea? Does
he accept that such a power grab will end up blowing up in his
and his Government’s face? [907987]
The hon. Gentleman may know that we recently launched the Union
connectivity review, led by Sir Peter Hendy; we look forward to
hearing what he says. The hon. Gentleman may also know that this
Government at least are very keen to connect all four parts of
the Union together as best as we possibly can, and will look at
any good ideas to get that job done.
(Hyndburn) (Con)
I have previously sent a letter highlighting the benefits of a
freight terminal in Huncoat, which will support my businesses and
attract new, and will really be a step towards levelling up
Hyndburn and Haslingden. Will the Minister ensure that the
Department considers this idea, and will she meet me to discuss
it further? [907992]
I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend, who is a champion of
levelling up for her area. I am aware of these proposals. As with
other rail freight terminals, we expect the private sector to
bring them forward, but we are working together closely on
improving connectivity in Hyndburn.
(Warley)
(Lab)
T10. Under the cover of covid, the Department has been pushing
councils to bypass normal procedures in order to rush in anti-car
road-blocking measures. Two fine examples are on the dual
carriageway in Smethwick, Tollhouse Way, and in London on the
route to the M40 at Park Lane. These are creating traffic jams,
longer journey times, and increasing pollution. When is the
Secretary of State going to get a grip on this situation and get
our roads moving again? [907994]
The right hon. Gentleman is right to highlight our focus on
encouraging active travel through a huge investment in cycling
and walking that has been welcomed by communities up and down the
country. However, we are aware of some schemes, such as the ones
he highlights, where better consultation with local communities
and businesses would have resulted in better schemes. Local
communities should be consulted fully before schemes are
implemented.
(Stockton South) (Con)
For some time now, I have been pushing to get improvements to
Eaglescliffe train station to improve disabled access, to get
additional car parking and access from Durham Lane, and to hook
it up with our incredible business park. Thanks to the
Chancellor, the combined authority and Network Rail, we have the
money and we are ready to roll, but patience is not a virtue that
I possess. When can we get the shovels in the ground and get the
thing going? [907993]
My hon. Friend has taken me to that station, and I am very keen
to see matters progress. I am afraid that we will have to try his
patience for just a little bit longer as these things work
through the latest round of the Access for All projects.
(Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab)
Will the Secretary of State confirm, because it is an important
matter of fact that he has so far not acknowledged this morning,
that before coronavirus, Transport for London’s debts had been
reduced by 71% from the level the Mayor inherited from the Prime
Minister, his predecessor? Will he also confirm that the
Government’s instruction to people in March to stay at home and
not to use public transport resulted in a collapse of more than
90% of Transport for London’s revenue? Will he stop playing
politics with London’s transport system and work with the Mayor
of London to keep it going? [907998]
When it comes to playing politics with these issues, I think we
can hear where it is all coming from. The simple fact is that we
have already funded £1.6 billion, and we are talking to the Mayor
about another large injection of money. I will do this, politics
aside, to make sure that we get the best deal for Londoners.
(Buckingham) (Con)
HS2 Ltd likes to talk about being a good neighbour, but countless
daily examples in my constituency, such as its heavy-handed
possession of the Calvert Jubilee nature reserve or unannounced
HGV movements through the village of Quainton, demonstrate that
it is anything but a good neighbour. While I thank the Minister
of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (), for his responsiveness to me on these matters,
what steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that HS2
Ltd keeps to its commitments and that it faces real consequences
if it does not? [907995]
The residents of my hon. Friend’s constituency are lucky to have
such a dedicated champion. My hon. Friend the Minister of State
has recently requested a review of the land and property
acquisition process to ensure that people along the route are
supported, fairly compensated, and treated with compassion,
dignity and respect.
(Hitchin and Harpenden) (Con)
As the Minister knows, I am very keen on increasing the number of
electric vehicles in my constituency. Will she agree to meet me
and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to consider the
possibility of allowing the rapid charging fund to be utilised in
towns such as Hitchin in my constituency as well as on the
strategic road network? [907997]
The Government are providing £500 million through the rapid
charging fund over the next five years to support the roll-out of
the infrastructure for electric vehicles. It would be a huge
pleasure to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further.
(Coventry North West) (Lab)
My constituents in the more rural parts of Coventry North West
often have to contend with bus services that are late and routes
that are routinely missed out, made worse by the fact that they
have to contend with being unable to board buses due to a lack of
capacity. I am proud of the fact that the bus drivers are doing
all that they can to ensure that social distancing measures are
in place. However, will the Government commit to increasing bus
services so that my constituents who use them, many of whom are
essential workers, can safely get from one place to another
without worrying about being late or being unable to enter the
bus? [908003]
The Government have increased funding to subsidised bus services
in the hon. Lady’s constituency throughout the pandemic, but more
than that, we are publishing a national bus strategy to address
all these issues. We want to see bus services improved across the
country.
