Tag: Lilian Greenwood

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 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the purpose of his Department’s Bowe Liaison Board is; and on what dates that board has met.

Claire Perry

The purpose of The Bowe Review – Senior Liaison Board is:

• to provide an opportunity for engagement during the Review with key senior stakeholders
• to enable a two-way communication to update key stakeholders on progress with the Review and to receive their advice on carrying out the review

The board has met three times during the course of the review:-

• 24 March 2015
• 20 May 2015
• 24 June 2015

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many claims were made by bus operators for Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) funding for school services that were not entitled to receive BSOG support in 2014-15; and how many operators made such claims.

Andrew Jones

Operators of bus services serving educational establishments are entitled to claim BSOG for these services as long as they are also available for members of the general public to catch. However, “closed” bus services – used only by students and staff of educational establishments, and from which the wider public are excluded – are not eligible for BSOG. When it came to our attention recently that some operators may have submitted claims for closed bus services the Department wrote to all operators claiming BSOG in England reminding them of which educational services are eligible for the grant. We will take strong measures where operators claim for such ineligible services in future. Accurate figures for how many operators or routes may have claimed for closed services during 2014/15 are not readily available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to create an independent aviation noise authority with a statutory right to be consulted on flight paths and other operating matters.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is currently considering the Airports Commission’s Final Report, including its recommendation for a new national independent aviation noise authority. Any decision to take forward such a body would be subject to consultation on its detailed functions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s letter of 11 April 2014 to the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, when he plans to publish the advice by HS2 Ltd and Network Rail on improving connections to European rail networks referred to in that letter.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The HS2 Plus Report by Sir David Higgins, which was published in March 2014, highlighted a number of issues with HS2-HS1 link proposed in the Phase One hybrid Bill. In response to the HS2 Plus report, the Secretary of State decided to remove the HS1-HS2 link from the Phase One Hybrid Bill as it required too many compromises in terms of impacts on freight, passengers and the community in Camden.

The Secretary of State has therefore asked HS2 Ltd to consider how to improve connections to the continent. This connectivity study, which is nearing completion, will explore options to improve connections to the continent. We expect the study to be completed by the end of this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s average spend on Bus Service Operators Grant was per capita in each English region in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

Andrew Jones

The information requested is not available in this form. However, details of the annual amounts paid to individual bus operators in England, and the local authority area in which they are based, can be found at the following links for 2014/15, 2013/14 and 2012/13:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-operators-grant-payments-to-english-operators-up-to-31-march-2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-operators-grant-payments-to-english-operators-up-to-31-march-2014

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-operators-grant-payments-to-english-operators-up-to-31-march-2013

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many temporary speed restrictions were in place on Network Rail infrastructure on (a) 1 April and (b) the most recent date for which figures are available.

Claire Perry

At the start of April 2015, there were 226 Temporary Speed Restrictions (TSR) on Network Rail infrastructure. As of 9th October (end of week 3, Period 7) there were 331 TSRs on the network.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is to (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail of unpausing electrification of the Midland Main Line and the North TransPennine route.

Claire Perry

Unpausing electrification of the Midland Mainline and the North TransPennine route has not caused the Department to incur any immediate additional costs.

With regard to Network Rail’s costs, Midland Mainline electrification was in the delivery phase at the time of pause and Network Rail are still working to understand the costs associated with the decision to unpause. The North TransPennine route is still in development and costs were not affected by the decision to recommence electrification.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 9602, which external organisations received payments from his Department in connection with developing the policies referred to in that Answer; and what amount was paid to each such organisation.

Claire Perry

EY, previously known as Ernst & Young, was engaged in developing the work referred to in Question 9602, and was paid £230k (excluding VAT) in respect of that work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department were acting on his authority when they instructed Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road on 26 March 2015 on how the further assessment of Control Period 5’s cost estimates was to be carried out.

Claire Perry

On 23 March 2015, a senior Department for Transport (DfT) committee commissioned Network Rail, the Office of Rail and Road, and DfT officials to jointly assess the whole enhancements portfolio and provide a more robust estimate of costs. Senior officials from all three organisations met on 26 March 2015 to discuss how we could work together to undertake this piece of work.

The Secretary of State did not specifically instruct this work nor was he part of these two meetings.