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  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects Network Rail’s review of the delivery programme of the Great Western Main Line electrification to be completed.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail’s review of the delivery programme of the Great Western Main Line electrification has been completed as part of the Hendy review and details will be included in the Enhancement Delivery Plan update to be published in early 2016.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the British Transport Police budget was in each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

    Claire Perry

    The British Transport Police’s budget for each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15 is set out in the table below.

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    269,336

    277,014

    264,728

    267,947

    285,724

    292,791
  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what directions or guidance his Department has issued to (a) Network Rail, (b) train operating companies and (c) Transport for London regarding funding agreements with British Transport Police since the publication of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Claire Perry

    Funding agreements are a matter between the British Transport Police Authority and the train operators, Network Rail and Transport for London.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study covering the establishment of a Brighton Mainline 2; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    The London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study is examining the strategic case for investment in the Brighton Main Line corridor, and alternate schemes such as the Brighton Main Line 2 concept. Initial findings of the Study were shared with the Department in late 2015 and the Study is expected to be completed early in 2016.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) directions or (b) guidance his Department issues to the British Transport Police or the British Transport Police Authority on cost savings in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) future financial years.

    Claire Perry

    The Department has not issued directions to either the British Transport Police (BTP) or the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) on costs savings in 2015-16 and future years. It did, however, provide guidance that there should be no material impact on the operational policing capability of the British Transport Police, including in relation to counter-terrorist activity, from any appropriate efficiency savings it may seek to make over the Spending Review period.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) the office of Rail and Road, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (c) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, (d) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, (e) the Vehicle Certification Agency, (f) the British Transport Police Authority, (g) Directly Operated Railways limited, (h) High Speed 2 Ltd; (i) Highways England, (j) Northern Lighthouse Board, (k) Transport Focus, (l) Trinity House, (m) Civil Aviation Authority and (n) the Airports Commission; how many of those employees are paid more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Some of the information requested for the 14 organisations listed is not held by the Department and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    However, the number of press and public relations staff currently employed by the Department’s executive agencies is provided in the table below. None of the press and PR staff have a full-time equivalent salary exceeding £50,000.

    Press and public relations staff
    (full-time equivalent )

    1 December 2015

    Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

    4

    Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

    4

    Maritime and Coastguard Agency

    3.2

    Vehicle Certification Agency

    Nil

    Total

    11.2

    The total of 11.2 full-time equivalent staff compares to an equivalent figure for these four executive agencies in 2009/10 (with DVSA previously being DSA and VOSA) of 15.5 full-time equivalent staff.

    Information on non-pay expenditure on press and public relations services held by the Department for the most recent financial year available is provided in the table below.

    Non-pay expenditure on press and
    public relations services

    2014-15
    £000s

    Office of Rail and Road

    108

    Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

    9

    Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

    42

    Highways Agency

    383

    Maritime and Coastguard Agency

    169

    Vehicle Certification Agency

    0

    British Transport Police Authority

    48

    High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd

    167

    Transport Focus

    47

    Airport Commission

    54

    Overall communications expenditure by the Department’s executive agencies in 2014-15 (including salaries) was £19 million lower than in 2009-10. Across Government the government communications profession reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on his Department’s South East Flexible Ticketing programme.

    Claire Perry

    Smart ticketing was taken forward by the Coalition Government after 2010. The South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme is proceeding with contractual obligations for five train operators who run commuter services into London – Abellio Greater Anglia, c2c, Govia Thameslink Railway, Southeastern and South West Trains. Together, these five train operators cover 73% of the annual season ticket market. We are discussing with the Rail Delivery Group and the remaining train operators the best and quickest way to deliver smart and more flexible ticketing for commuters in the south east and across all of England.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 2.90 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what assessment he has made of the effect of phasing out the Transport for London (TfL) resource grant on TfL’s funding of the British Transport Police.

    Claire Perry

    It is for Transport for London (TfL) to determine future policing arrangements as they contract policing from the British Transport Police on a commercial basis.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Gospel Oak to Barking Line electrification programme includes electrification of that line’s freight links.

    Claire Perry

    The Gospel Oak–Barking electrification programme includes plans to electrify the freight links. The timing and funding for these links is being reviewed in conjunction with Sir Peter Hendy’s re-plan of Network Rail enhancements and the revised cost estimates of all electrification projects. The main scheme continues to be on target for completion in 2017.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of track Network Rail expects to electrify in Control Period 5.

    Claire Perry

    The Government has learned the lessons from Labour’s failure to invest in electrifying our railways. We remain committed to our modernisation programme of over 850 miles of electrification and have already electrified more than five times the route length that Labour oversaw between 1997 to 2010.

    Sir Peter Hendy’s review of the rail upgrade programme details that the vast majority of programmes and projects will go ahead for delivery by 2019 (the end of Control Period 5).

    However, some schemes are more immature in their development and, whilst schemes in this category will have significant delivery within Control Period 5, these schemes will span more than one control period.