Tag: Lilian Greenwood

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what compensation the Government has made available to road and rail freight and passenger operators affected by the ongoing disruption at Calais.

Andrew Jones

We are clear that the disruption caused to passengers and operators by the disruption in Calais is unacceptable.

That is why we are working hard to find a long-term solution to Operation Stack, and closely with the French Government to minimise the causes of disruption.

There are no specific provisions for compensation by Her Majesty’s Government in the circumstances where disruption does occur.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12539, whether the meeting of the Board Investment and Commercial Committee on 23 March 2015 was attended by (a) Ministers in his Department, (b) special advisers in his Department and (c) officials in the Senior Civil Service grades.

Claire Perry

The 23 March Board Investment and Commercial Committee ‎meeting was attended by senior officials from the Department for Transport. No Ministers or advisers were present.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which dates (a) the full Cycling Shareholder Forum, (b) the safety sub-group of the Cycling Stakeholder Forum and (c) the High Level Cycling Group have held meetings in the last 12 months.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The last Cycling Stakeholder forum meeting was on 24^th June 2014, and the last safety-sub group meeting was held on 13 July 2013.

The High Level Cycling Group has met within the last 12 months. The most recent meeting was on 13 July 2015. Previous meetings were held on 8 September 2014 and 30 April 2014.

We are in the process of reviewing our arrangements for stakeholder engagement, as part of the work we are doing to form the governance structure for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12538, and with reference to the statement in the Answer of 21 September 2015 to Question 10029 that Ely to Soham track doubling was among a small number of schemes that had been paused by Network Rail, which other schemes were paused by Network Rail.

Claire Perry

The Secretary of State announced on 25 June 2015 the pause of work on Midland Main Line electrification and TransPennine electrification. Network Rail subsequently announced to stakeholders that it was pausing work on Ely to Soham track doubling. No other pauses have been announced.

Any further changes to Network Rail’s delivery plans will be announced as part of the outcome of Sir Peter Hendy’s review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2015 to Question 10029, which schemes referred to in that Answer have been paused by Network Rail.

Claire Perry

The Secretary of State announced on 25 June 2015 the pause of work on Midland Main Line electrification and TransPennine electrification.

On 30 September 2015 he announced that work on these schemes would resume.

Whilst Sir Peter Hendy completes his review of Network Rail’s Enhancements programme, the efficient and cost effective delivery of other projects is a matter for Network Rail to manage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12213, whether his Department has imposed any penalties on bus operators who submitted ineligible claims for Bus Service Operators Grant support for closed school bus services.

Andrew Jones

Further to my answers to earlier questions of 15 and 23 October (questions 11430 and 12213) on the subject of claims for Bus Service Operator Grant for school services, where we have identified claims in the past for closed school services these have been disallowed. However, as was made clear in the letter which my officials have sent recently to all operators, my Department will take the strongest possible measures against any operator who knowingly claims for such ineligible services in future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 11601, which was the senior committee of his Department that met on 23 March 2015 and was referred to in that Answer.

Claire Perry

The senior committee referred to in the answer of 16 October to question 11601 is the Board Investment and Commercial Committee.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Network Rail first informed his Department of their estimate that electrification of the Great Western Main Line would cost more than £2 billion.

Claire Perry

In June 2015, as part of the affordability review exercise, Network Rail informed Department that the latest estimated cost of Great Western electrification was around £2.4bn. This forecast costs remained uncertain and further work was required to validate this figure. The validation is being undertaken as part of the Hendy review and we await the publication in the Autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if it is his policy to make available proposed new powers to regulate bus networks to local authorities that do not have a metro mayor.

Andrew Jones

Local Authorities already have the powers to regulate their bus networks through the Quality Contract Scheme process set out in the Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008.

We have now signed ground-breaking deals with Greater Manchester, Cornwall, and Sheffield, in which we committed to providing them with powers to franchise their bus services. The Buses Bill will be introduced later in the first session and will provide the powers for local transport authorities to regulate their local bus networks through a franchising process subject to agreement from government.

Government has real ambition to improve public transport in other areas too, and our devolution plans go beyond Manchester, Cornwall and Sheffield. If other places want to come forward with attractive devolution deals that include bus franchising we will consider them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s expenditure on the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) was in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and what his Department’s projected expenditure on the BSOG is in 2015-16.

Andrew Jones

Total expenditure on the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15 in accrual terms and rounded to the nearest £million is set out below.

2010-11 £445m

2011-12 £441m

2012-13 £344m

2013-14 £291m

2014/15 £253m

Since 1 October 2013, the BSOG which was previously paid to bus operators for running bus services under franchise to Transport for London (TfL) in London has been incorporated into the general grant paid to TfL and the Greater London Authority. The figures given above exclude some £47 million paid to TfL/GLA in this way for 2013/14 and some £93 million paid to them for 2014/15.

The figures given for 2013/14 onwards are made up of (i) BSOG paid to bus companies and community transport operators for running services outside London, (ii) BSOG devolved to local transport authorities in the five areas which have been designated as Better Bus Areas, and (iii) BSOG for tendered (non-commercially viable) services outside London for which the funding has been devolved to individual local authorities since 1 January 2014.

As BSOG is a demand-led grant, it is too early to give an accurate projection of spend for 2015/16. However, we would expect it to be broadly similar to that for 2014-15.