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.
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:
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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.