Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes his Department has made to the collection of data on bus fares and punctuality since 2010.

Andrew Jones

The department operates two surveys to collect data on bus fares and bus punctuality. Bus fares information is collected from bus operators every quarter and bus punctuality is collected from local authorities every year, both via online surveys.

In 2012 and 2015 the sample of operators from whom the Department collected data on bus fares was revised.

For the 2012/13 bus punctuality data collection the following voluntary questions were added to the survey:

• Do you continue to collect/record data on bus patronage in your area?
• If yes, can you please enter the number of passenger journeys on local bus services?
• Please indicate if you are able to share figures for individual operators with DfT (solely for use in validation of figures we collect directly from operators)
• If possible, please provide a contact name/email for any queries on the patronage data and any relevant notes in the box below (for example, if figures are not yet available but will be later)
• The Department is also interested in learning more about the number of passengers carried on flexible or demand responsive modes of transport, including community transport. If you are able to supply any information on these for your area (such as number of passengers, nature of service) please enter brief details below

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s current projections are for Government annual spending on the (a) Cycle City Ambition Grant, (b) Bikeability cycle training, (c) Highways England Funding, (d) Access Funds and (e) any other under the cycling and walking strategy programmes for each of the next five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The projected budgets for the next five years for the (a) Cycle City Ambition Grant, (b) Bikeability cycle training, (c) Highways England Funding and (d) Access Funds are as follows:

Programme	Total
Cycle Cities Ambition grant	£99m
Bikeability cycle training grant	£50m
Highways England Fund	£85m
Sustainable Travel Transition Year / Access Fund	£80m

Much more widely, however, other Government funding streams will also contribute to projects which will deliver improved cycling and walking. Through the Local Growth Fund, an investment of at least £476m is planned by local enterprise partnerships for cycling infrastructure.

From the Integrated Transport Block funding, local authorities will use £194m to invest in cycling and walking.

Regarding highways maintenance, from 2018/19 the plan is to change the formula used to allocate local highways maintenance capital funding so that it also takes into account footways and cycleways as well as the roads, bridges and street lighting, which it is currently based on. Once implemented, around 9% of the funding for local highways maintenance will be based on footway and cycleway lengths and equates to £196m.

In addition, a record £6bn will be spent on tackling potholes and improving local roads between 2015 and 2021, which will benefit all road users, including cyclists.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33300, for what reason the objectives for walking contained in the draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy are not measurable.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The objectives for walking are measureable using the total number of walking stages per person per year and increasing the percentage of children aged 5 to 10 that usually walk to school as mentioned on page 6 of the draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on his review of the legal and financial implications of an alternative pavement parking regime.

Andrew Jones

I chaired a roundtable meeting with stakeholders in March to discuss the practical, legal and financial implications of a possible alternative enforcement regime for pavement parking in England, outside London. The Department aims to build the evidence base on this issue over coming months working with local authorities and other interested parties. The outcome of this work will inform consideration of options later in the year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39160, what the figures for his Department’s spending on walking programmes in each year to 2021 are in real terms.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Programme	2016/17	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	Total
Walking	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Real term spending	£97.00	£88.45	£67.01	£42.10	£21.60	£316.16

We have applied the GDP deflator rates to the figures that were provided in response to the original PQ 37869. It should be noted that the future years GDP deflator rates are estimates only.

Note that the above totals include sums from within current Local Growth Fund allocations. Not all of the Local Growth Fund is currently allocated, so as future allocations of the Local Growth Fund are made to Local Enterprise Partnerships, the amount supporting walking projects through to 2020/21 is likely to rise.

In addition to the totals above, from within the record £6 billion allocated to local highways authorities between 2015 and 2021 for road maintenance, this funding can help maintain footways and cycleways.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to replace any reductions in private investment and access to EU research grants occurring as a result of the vote to leave the EU by increasing the science budget.

Greg Hands

Horizon 2020 is the main EU Research and Innovation programme. The European Commission made the following statement on 4 July 2016:

“The Statement of 29 June of the Heads of State or Government of 27 Member States, as well as the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, confirms that until the UK leaves the EU, EU law continues to apply to and within the UK, both when it comes to rights and obligations. This includes the eligibility of UK legal entities to participate and receive funding in Horizon 2020 actions.”

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Modern Transport Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech of 2016.

Mr John Hayes

The Department for Transport is developing the measures announced in the Queen’s speech, and the Bill will be introduced into Parliament in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Andrew Jones

We hope to publish the final Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy once all considerations have been taken into account, following analysis of responses to the draft Strategy consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will commission research into the economic, social and environmental contributions of small farms in England to inform policy and funding of this sector once the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

As part of our commitment to evidence-based policy making, we regularly collect and analyse data on all farm types – including small farms and organic enterprises. We will continue to develop our evidence base to inform policy development, and are committed to working with the industry to ensure a vibrant and productive future for all agricultural sectors outside of the European Union.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of how many subsidised bus routes have been withdrawn since 2010.

Andrew Jones

The provision of bus services that require subsidy is a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities. Latest figures (2013-14) show that £318m a year was spent by local authorities (outside London) doing so.

My Department also provides around £40m of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) funding directly to English local authorities to help deliver bus services. This central funding has been ring-fenced until 2016-17.