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  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 20950, which routes would offer greater benefits from the additional paths referred to in that answer than the proposal from Arriva Trains Wales.

    Claire Perry

    The successful bidder for the new Northern franchise has proposed new direct links between Manchester Airport and Bradford (via Rochdale, Halifax and the Calder Valley), and between Manchester Airport and Liverpool (via Warrington Central). It will be for the Office of Rail and Road to determine the allocation of scarce capacity to/from Manchester Airport between the competing potential uses.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will hold discussions with train operators on making the process of purchasing railway tickets from ticket machines simpler in respect of (a) indicating peak and off-peak times, (b) where peak and off-peak times differs between train operators and (c) in other ways.

    Claire Perry

    I recognise that ticket vending machines can sometimes be confusing and do not always make it easy for passengers to find the best ticket for their journey.For that reason, I challenged the rail industry at a Summit I held in December 2014 to improve the information they provide through ticket vending machines.The industry has responded by agreeing with the Office of Rail and Road a code of practice on retail information, published in March 2015, and most train operators now have actions underway or complete, which include providing new messages on screens to explain time restrictions and improving the availability of off-peak tickets through vending machines. The Department continues to monitor progress closely in this area.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that London is accessible by rail to people who cannot afford peak-time prices and are on lower incomes, when they are travelling to London for meetings during working hours.

    Claire Perry

    We recognise the pressure and concerns about the cost of some rail fares and the impact that this can have on people’s budgets which is why we have capped the rail fares we regulate at inflation (Retail Price Index) for three years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this Parliament. This means those commuter fares we regulate are only rising by 1% in 2016 making it the lowest fare increase since 2010. Keeping ticket prices low will benefit over a quarter of a million annual season ticket holders, providing an average saving of £425 over the next five years.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to section 3.3 of his recently published British Road Safety Statement, how the incentive element of local roads maintenance funding will operate.

    Andrew Jones

    Well-planned maintenance to prevent potholes and other defects forming on the roads is vital. Councils that do this well get better value for every pound spent and improve their customer satisfaction. So, from 2016/17, this Government is introducing incentive funding to help encourage local highway authorities to manage their road networks better and achieve greater efficiencies. I hope we reach a point where, through efficiencies and collaboration, every highway authority receives the maximum level of funding available.

    The Department for Transport is providing record funding of over £6.1 billion funding to local highway authorities in England between 2015 and 2021 for local highways maintenance.

    This is additional to the funding of over £4.7 billion the Government provided to local highway authorities between 2010 and 2015 for highways maintenance. Between 2010 to 2015 the maintenance funding was 27% or £1billion higher than in the previous five years.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which (a) ministers attended and (b) departments are represented on the Government’s working group on drones; when that group was formed; and what its schedule of meetings is.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cross Government Working Group on Drones is a group of officials tasked with developing policy on drones. Ministers do not attend. Participation is from the following Departments and agencies:

    Department for Transport

    Home Office

    Ministry of Defence

    Department of Energy and Climate Change

    Cabinet Office

    Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs

    Business Innovation and Skills

    Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure

    Civil Aviation Authority

    Information Commissioner’s Office

    Maritime and Coastguard Agency

    Department for Communities and Local Government

    The group was formed in March 2013 and it meets quarterly. The schedule of meetings for 2016 is February; May; September and December.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the implications for his policies of the Oxford Research Group’s recent report entitled, The Hostile use of Drones by Non-State Actors against British Targets; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    A cross government working group is maintaining a detailed analysis of the security threats posed by drones. This work includes an assessment of the risks of the use of drones for terrorism and criminal purposes. Further work is now proceeding to capture and evaluate potential mitigation measures and strategies. Initial guidance on tackling the risks has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

    The findings of the report align well with the ongoing work of this group. While the government recognises that this emerging technology creates exciting opportunities for the UK economy, the risks for security and safety and its response to them will be kept under constant review.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the cost to business of the closure of the West Coast Main Line between Glasgow and Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail and the relevant passenger and freight train operators have been working collaboratively since the closure to provide the best practicable alternative travel options for the traffic which uses this part of the West Coast Main Line with the aim of minimising the adverse impact on users.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is aware of any occasion since 2010 on which the government of the People’s Republic of China has sought to limit or exclude civilian aircraft registered in the UK from exercising freedom of navigation or passage rights over disputed areas of the South China Sea by that government.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport is not aware of any occasion since 2010 on which the government of the People’s Republic of China has sought to limit or exclude civilian aircraft registered in the UK from flying over any area of the South China Sea.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring into force the provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015 to allow for special permits to be issued for on-road racing; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    Government will implement as soon as possible subject to the priorities set out in the British Road Safety Statement.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2015 to Question 11881, if he will discuss with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency the reasons for that agency not approving the pilot scheme for bike racks on the front of buses in Bath in 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) rejected the pilot scheme because the design created significant additional hazards from the original bus design. These included both the structure of the bicycle rack when folded and deployed, projections of any bicycle on the rack, and a significant reduction of vision for the driver to the nearside front with a bicycle on the rack. These features were considered to increase significantly the likelihood of accidents and potential severity of pedestrian injury.