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  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13099, whether, as part of his Department’s work with Transport for the North, he has discussed the possibility of conducting a feasibility study into improving the A595.

    Andrew Jones

    Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership are currently taking forward two infrastructure studies. One of these is in partnership with Highways England and will specifically consider accessibility to West Cumbria, including issues on the A595. Both studies are due to complete early next year and will be able to feed into the Roads Investment Strategy for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the work Transport for the North is undertaking to establish the North’s future transport priorities.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of safety measures used on the road network to protect road maintenance workers.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport and Highways England are working closely with the Highways Maintenance Term Association and the wider construction sector on safety initiatives to ensure the safety and protection of operatives working on the highway network in England.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of the signalling component of the Great Western Modernisation Programme at the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Claire Perry

    At present Network Rail’s Chair, Sir Peter Hendy, is reviewing the enhancements programme, including upgrades on the Great Western line. Due to interdependencies, renewals of signalling must be looked at in parallel with this, as part of Network Rail’s work to update its Delivery Plan. Therefore it is not possible to provide an up to date cost estimate until the conclusions of these reviews and plans are known.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release, Government to overhaul young driver rules in bid to improve safety and cut insurance costs, issued 25 March 2013, when heplans to publish the Green Paper on young drivers referred to in that press release.

    Andrew Jones

    Every death is a tragedy and is one too many. However, there is a difficult balance to strikebetween the safety and the freedom of our young drivers, and we are currentlyundertaking research into how to make our roads safer. We will explore optionsaround how to improve learning to drive and encouraging people to practice morebefore they take their test.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13080, whether a clause exists in the lease agreement referred to in that Answer that would enable Great Western Railway’s Intercity 125 fleet to remain temporarily with that franchise if the introduction of the Intercity Express Programme fleet was delayed.

    Claire Perry

    This terms of the lease agreement are a commercial matter between the operator and the rolling stock leasing company.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government is taking steps to recover underpaid vehicle tax in respect of vehicles with higher emissions than certified by emission test data.

    Damian Hinds

    Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates are based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The “defeat devices” recently found in some VW diesel cars affect nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions. There is therefore currently no evidence that this issue has resulted in an artificial reduction in VED revenues.

    UK taxpayers will not incur higher VED if their existing vehicles are found to be fitted with illegal software that manipulates emissions tests. Following VW’s admission of using ‘defeat devices’ in diesel cars there is an ongoing UK government investigation.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2015 to Question 2215, and with reference to the indicative timetable contained in his Department’s Level Crossing Reform Action Plan, whether he will issue a public consultation on the reform of legislation relating to level crossings in 2015.

    Claire Perry

    The Department continues to develop its response to the Law Commission’s recommendations on the reform of level crossing legislation.

    Initial discussions with stakeholders have raised a number of concerns which the Department will need to consider further.

    This is a highly complex area and we must ensure that any amendments to the legislative framework do not adversely impact on the UK’s position of having the best level crossing safety record in Europe.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release, Petrol price signs on motorways, dated December 2014, what progress he has made of the pilot introduction of motorway signs that show comparison petrol prices at different service stations; and how many such signs are in operation.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government has been finalising the detailed design for trialling new traffic signs. Highways England has provided a further announcement on fuel pricing traffic signs on 2 November 2015. Drivers using a section of the M5, between Bristol and Exeter, will soon benefit from new signs showing the price of fuel along the motorway.

    The move is part of a trial by Highways England designed to give drivers more information to help their journeys and to boost competition on fuel prices. Five motorway service areas are involved in the trial which, depending on the results, could ultimately be rolled out nationally.

    Electronic message signs will show the price of fuel at Gordano, Sedgemoor, Bridgwater, Taunton Deane and Exeter motorway service areas.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to tackle electoral fraud in (a) Peterborough and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Commission provides advice to those who are involved on the frontline in identifying, investigating and prosecuting cases of electoral fraud. Before each set of elections the Commission provides advice to the police, electoral administrators and others on ways to prevent and detect electoral fraud, based on the best practice it has identified through working with partners across electoral administration and the justice system. Each year the Commission publishes data on allegations of electoral fraud that are reported to the police.

    The Commission targets additional support for those on the front line in 18 areas in England where there is a higher risk of allegations of electoral fraud. This includes Peterborough and the Commission will be working again with these areas before the elections in May 2016 to build on what was done prior to the General Election. The Commission issued briefings to all honourable members in the last parliament on the work it was undertaking prior to the General Election to help tackle electoral fraud and will do so again before the elections in May 2016.

    In its 2014 review of electoral fraud, the Commission recommended that voters in Great Britain should be required to produce ID at polling stations, although it is yet to receive a response to this recommendation from the Government. The Commission has submitted evidence to the review being undertaken by Sir Eric Pickles and hopes that he agrees with it and that the Government accepts the Commission’s recommendation.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants in his Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Department.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office does not hold information on how many civil servants in the office are members of trade unions. There are no staff with facility time arrangements for trade unions duties and activities.