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  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the fitness-for-purpose of the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2007 and their applicability to technical developments for unmanned aerial vehicles since their coming into force in 2007.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The airspace over UK nuclear licensed sites is restricted by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) regulations 2007. These impose restricted airspace of a radius between 0.5 and 2 miles to a height of between 1000 and 2400 feet around the centre of all nuclear sites. Airspace usage in the UK is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Therefore it is a criminal offence to fly in the vicinity of nuclear sites without the permission of the CAA. The CAA and nuclear sites work closely together on this.

    All of Britain’s nuclear power stations are robust and designed with safety in mind and are stress-tested to withstand a vast range of potential incidents. The independent regulator continuously monitors and evaluates the safety of each plant alongside the operator to protect it from outside threats.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints his Department has received about the DVLA from people resident in Northern Ireland since 1 July 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency received 327 complaints from customers with a Northern Ireland postal address between 1 July 2014 and 16 December 2015.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans that smart ticketing will cover the entirety of the North or be separated between city regions.

    Andrew Jones

    We are working towards a world class transport network that is supported by a ticketing system that makes it simple and easy to travel across the North by bus, tram, metro and rail. In the recent spending review, the Government committed up to £150 million of new funding to help make this vision a reality. By Budget 2016, Transport for the North will set out an implementation plan for the delivery of smart and integrated ticketing across local transport and rail services in the North over this parliament and beyond.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account his Department has taken of the performance of Arriva Transport in its patient delivery contract in Greater Manchester in its work to ensure that Arriva Rail North fulfils its contractual obligations.

    Andrew Jones

    At the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire stage of the bidding process we assess applicants to ensure they have the right approaches and capabilities to operate a rail franchise. This includes assessment of their management approaches to safety/culture etc. and requires them to provide evidence of these practices. We assess purely on this evidence and if the applicant is successful, they will be able to compete for a franchise. Applicants are also required to inform us as the authority if circumstances change. We do not comment on the specific evidence provided to us as part of this process as it is commercially sensitive, however we are content that Arriva Rail North are an appropriate company to operate the franchise.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has made to the Office of Road and Rail on the allocation of rail paths to Manchester Airport in the last five years.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has monthly trilateral (Department for Transport, Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Network Rail) meetings in order to deliver the existing requirements of the current franchise agreements throughout the last 5 years, especially in connection with the bi-annual timetable changes.

    Last month, the Department wrote to the ORR in connection with the application from Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) for additional train paths to and from Manchester Airport. The letter acknowledged that the ATW proposal offered passenger benefits but also noted that, on conclusion of the Northern and TPE franchise competitions, there were likely to be other competing pressures for train paths on the route between central Manchester and the Airport. The purpose of the letter was to draw ORR’s attention to the likelihood of such pressures emerging, and to observe that ATW’s application should be considered alongside the proposals from the successful Northern and TPE bidders to ensure that maximum passenger benefit is obtained from the train paths available.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of changes to the use of the Young Persons Railcard for peak time services on people holding that card.

    Claire Perry

    The administration of all the national cards, both mandatory and voluntary, is performed by a council, run as part of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The council agrees the conditions of the schemes and any changes to the mandatory schemes have to be approved by the Secretary of State. All Train Operating Companies are obliged to participate in such schemes under the terms of their franchise agreements.

    As it is for ATOC to suggest any change to the schemes, it would be for them to make such an assessment when proposing any change which would be reviewed before approval by the Secretary of State.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what costs his Department has incurred as a result of delays to the TransPennine Midland Main Line, and Great Western Main Line electrification project.

    Claire Perry

    The department has not incurred any additional costs as a result of Sir Peter Hendy’s re-plan of the rail upgrade programme, which includes TransPennine, Midland Main Line, and Great Western Main Line electrification.

  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many people in the UK were registered on a UK Parliamentary electoral register on 1 December (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The number of entries on UK Parliamentary registers for the years requested, are set out in the table below. Due to the implementation of individual electoral registration revised, registers were not published in December 2013 but in February and March 2014.

    Register

    UK Parliamentary register (including attainers)

    December 2010

    45,844,691

    December 2011

    46,107,152

    December 2012

    46,353,871

    December 2013 (published Feb/Mar 2014)

    46,139,940

    December 2014

    45,325,078

    Figures for the December 2015 registers are not yet available and this data will be published as soon as possible after 1 February, once those areas that have had by-elections have published their registers.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress she has made on the establishment of the three person panel to build a strategy to disband paramilitary groups.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Under the terms of the Fresh Start Agreement, it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to appoint the three person panel by the end of December 2015. The panel will have the task of bringing back to the Executive a report before the end of May 2016 with recommendations for a strategy to disband paramilitary groups. Before the end of June 2016, the Executive will publish an action plan including all of the above measures, together with timescales for implementation.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Vernon Coaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress she has made on the establishment of the Joint Agency Task Force on cross-jurisdictional organised crime.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Following the Fresh Start Agreement I recently attended a tri-lateral cross-border Ministerial meeting along with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. At the meeting we agreed new measures to enhance law enforcement co-operation aimed at tackling organised crime and criminality, including that linked to paramilitarism. In a concerted effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime, a Joint Agency Task Force has been announced by the United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government and the NI Executive.