The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January to Question 22232, when he plans to publish the findings of the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study.
Claire Perry
The Study is expected to be completed shortly, and the Government will subsequently consider the timeframe for releasing the study findings, including our response.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 1.236 of Budget 2016, how much additional funding will be provided for investment in roads; and to which schemes that funding will be disbursed.
Andrew Jones
Budget 2016 marked the launch of work on preparing the next Road Investment Strategy. This includes determining how much funding will be made available for the period 2020/21-2024/25 and which investment proposals to take forward. The Department for Transport has published “Road Investment Strategy post 2020: planning ahead” to inform all interested parties so that they can play their part in the preparation of the next Road Investment Strategy. It is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508505/road-investment-strategy-post-2020-planning-ahead.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings he has had with Network Rail in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Patrick McLoughlin
I and my ministerial team regularly meet with senior officials of Network Rail to discuss a wide range of key issues facing the company.
We recently discussed progress against the recommendations made by Dame Colette Bowe. In my letter to her on 25 November 2015, I committed to publishing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and Network Rail. This is the formal framework which resets the rail enhancements framework. It will improve and strengthen the governance and day-to-day management of the process for planning and overseeing rail enhancements, providing clearer accountability for associated costs and project management. It is deposited in the libraries of the House and available on the GOV.UK website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 5.13 of the Airports Commission: Final Report, published in July 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding that 431 hectares of green belt designated land would be required for the proposed third runway at Heathrow.
Mr Robert Goodwill
In December 2015, the Government announced that it would start preparing the building blocks for an Airports National Policy Statement. The National Policy statement will be informed by an Appraisal of Sustainability which will look at all relevant social, economic and environmental impacts of airport expansion.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many air pollution monitors there are in which location within Heathrow Airport’s perimeter from which official data on air quality is collected.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has monitored air quality since 1993 at its site located near the northern runway (LHR2), however this does not provide official data for Defra’s national air quality monitoring network – The Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN).
Heathrow also now monitors air quality at three other sites around the airport — Harlington, Longford (Green Gates) and Stanwell (Oaks Road). The Harlington site is included within AURN.
Further information is available on the Heathrow Airwatch website at: http://www.heathrowairwatch.org.uk/
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his plans are for the trialling of driverless HGV platoons.
Andrew Jones
There are no plans for trialling driverless HGV platoons. The trials under consideration would have drivers in each vehicle, who will be required to stay alert and remain able to control the vehicle. The Department for Transport is expecting to publish an invitation to tender later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Walker on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment he has made of which of his Department’s agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport’s current assessment is that none of its senior civil servants, including those in its agencies or other public bodies, will fall under the provisions of the fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of poverty of the proposed reforms to personal independence payment in the Budget 2016.
Justin Tomlinson
As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead.
We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will conduct a revised impact assessment for universal credit on the effect of reforms to its design since 2012.
Priti Patel
Whilst there have been changes to Universal Credit since the impact assessment in 2012, these have not fundamentally altered the service, which remains on course to deliver stronger work incentives and simplicity in the welfare system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on jobseeker’s allowance claimants taking up volunteer work of the requirement for them to spend 35 hours each week searching for work; and whether that assessment was conducted prior to implementation of that policy.
Priti Patel
There is no requirement for Jobseekers Allowance claimants to undertake 35 hours of job search a week. Claimants must however be actively seeking work in each week of their claim. This means they are expected to do all that they reasonably can to give them the best prospects of securing employment.
We recognise the benefits that volunteering can offer in enhancing a claimant’s prospects of finding suitable employment. Time spent volunteering may therefore be taken into account when considering whether a person has taken all appropriate steps to actively seek work each week.