Tag: Lilian Greenwood

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of options for increasing service frequencies on the Nottingham-Lincoln line; and what the revenue subsidy and capital cost of implications are of each such option.

Claire Perry

As stated in the Greater Lincolnshire Deal, which was part of the Local Growth Fund announcement on 7 July, the Department is committed to working with D2N2 and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and partners to help achieve their objective of increased service frequency between Lincoln and Nottingham via Newark.

However, this is dependent on the affordability and value for money of the services. In addition, it is dependent on the level of local funding available to support these incremental rail services for the first three years, after which the Department would consider continuing with the services as part of its base specification. We are currently assessing the available options against the criteria above, taking account of likely revenue and cost implications alongside the latest funding offer from the stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2014 to Question 215333, what the estimated cost to the Exchequer in the calendar year 2015 will be of raising Transport for London bus fares in line with the retail price index.

Danny Alexander

The estimated cost to the taxpayer in 2015 of raising Transport for London (TFL) bus fares is 1% of TFL’s bus fare income for 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2015 to Question 223589, what the value was of the support provided by Network Rail to the National Task Force in each year since 2009-10.

Claire Perry

The Government, and Network Rail, to further their objective of supporting a safe, reliable and efficient rail network, engage with and support a broad range of stakeholders and initiatives across Government. These include the Technical Strategy Leadership Group; Rail Delivery Group Limited; the Planning Oversight Group; and the National Task Force.

The Department provided the following funding towards the Technical Strategy Leadership Group’s strategic research programme through a grant to RSSB which facilitates the group:

Year	DfT grant towards TSLG’s research programme (£m)
2010/11	1.25
2011/12	1.75
2012/13	3
2013/14	3.5

Network Rail does not provide direct financial support to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group.

Network Rail, between 10^th August 2012 and 31^st March 2014, paid £240,000 to Rail Delivery Group Limited in membership fees. For the year April 2014 – March 2015, Network Rail has paid or is due to pay £1,568,509 in membership fees. The increased fees paid by Network Rail in the most recent year are as a result of the Group assuming responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry. Network Rail provides staff to Rail Delivery Group Limited, for which it is due to charge the group £261,312.

The Planning Oversight Group is funded and supported by Rail Delivery Group Limited and does not receive direct financial support from the Department or Network Rail. The National Task Force does not have a budget, but those who attend are drawn from the various industry members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value of support provided by (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail to the Planning Oversight Group was in each year from 2010-11 to date.

Claire Perry

The Government, and Network Rail, to further their objective of supporting a safe, reliable and efficient rail network, engage with and support a broad range of stakeholders and initiatives across Government. These include the Technical Strategy Leadership Group; Rail Delivery Group Limited; the Planning Oversight Group; and the National Task Force.

The Department provided the following funding towards the Technical Strategy Leadership Group’s strategic research programme through a grant to RSSB which facilitates the group:

Year	DfT grant towards TSLG’s research programme (£m)
2010/11	1.25
2011/12	1.75
2012/13	3
2013/14	3.5

Network Rail does not provide direct financial support to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group.

Network Rail, between 10^th August 2012 and 31^st March 2014, paid £240,000 to Rail Delivery Group Limited in membership fees. For the year April 2014 – March 2015, Network Rail has paid or is due to pay £1,568,509 in membership fees. The increased fees paid by Network Rail in the most recent year are as a result of the Group assuming responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry. Network Rail provides staff to Rail Delivery Group Limited, for which it is due to charge the group £261,312.

The Planning Oversight Group is funded and supported by Rail Delivery Group Limited and does not receive direct financial support from the Department or Network Rail. The National Task Force does not have a budget, but those who attend are drawn from the various industry members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value was of (a) Network Rail’s membership levy and (b) other support provided by Network Rail to the Rail Delivery Group in each year from 2011-12 to date.

Claire Perry

The Government, and Network Rail, to further their objective of supporting a safe, reliable and efficient rail network, engage with and support a broad range of stakeholders and initiatives across Government. These include the Technical Strategy Leadership Group; Rail Delivery Group Limited; the Planning Oversight Group; and the National Task Force.

The Department provided the following funding towards the Technical Strategy Leadership Group’s strategic research programme through a grant to RSSB which facilitates the group:

Year	DfT grant towards TSLG’s research programme (£m)
2010/11	1.25
2011/12	1.75
2012/13	3
2013/14	3.5

Network Rail does not provide direct financial support to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group.

Network Rail, between 10^th August 2012 and 31^st March 2014, paid £240,000 to Rail Delivery Group Limited in membership fees. For the year April 2014 – March 2015, Network Rail has paid or is due to pay £1,568,509 in membership fees. The increased fees paid by Network Rail in the most recent year are as a result of the Group assuming responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry. Network Rail provides staff to Rail Delivery Group Limited, for which it is due to charge the group £261,312.

The Planning Oversight Group is funded and supported by Rail Delivery Group Limited and does not receive direct financial support from the Department or Network Rail. The National Task Force does not have a budget, but those who attend are drawn from the various industry members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value was of support provided by (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group in each year from 2010-11 to date.

Claire Perry

The Government, and Network Rail, to further their objective of supporting a safe, reliable and efficient rail network, engage with and support a broad range of stakeholders and initiatives across Government. These include the Technical Strategy Leadership Group; Rail Delivery Group Limited; the Planning Oversight Group; and the National Task Force.

The Department provided the following funding towards the Technical Strategy Leadership Group’s strategic research programme through a grant to RSSB which facilitates the group:

Year	DfT grant towards TSLG’s research programme (£m)
2010/11	1.25
2011/12	1.75
2012/13	3
2013/14	3.5

Network Rail does not provide direct financial support to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group.

Network Rail, between 10^th August 2012 and 31^st March 2014, paid £240,000 to Rail Delivery Group Limited in membership fees. For the year April 2014 – March 2015, Network Rail has paid or is due to pay £1,568,509 in membership fees. The increased fees paid by Network Rail in the most recent year are as a result of the Group assuming responsibility for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the rail industry. Network Rail provides staff to Rail Delivery Group Limited, for which it is due to charge the group £261,312.

The Planning Oversight Group is funded and supported by Rail Delivery Group Limited and does not receive direct financial support from the Department or Network Rail. The National Task Force does not have a budget, but those who attend are drawn from the various industry members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department plans will be made of the crashworthiness of any D78 London Underground train that is converted to mainline use.

Claire Perry

The assessment of the “crashworthiness” of a train is a matter for the prospective operator of that train.

The “Crashworthiness” of rail vehicles is regulated and assessed by standards, laid down in the TSIs (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) and supported by ENs (Euro Norms, or standards). A vehicle’s compliance with these requirements is verified by an independent body, suitably appointed for the task.

There is no government proposal to convert D78 London Underground stock to mainline use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Vivarail Ltd.

Claire Perry

On 13 January, Department for Transport officials met with Vivarail who explained their proposals for the refurbishment of D78-Stock.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to announce the direct contract awards to (a) First Great Western and (b) East Midlands Trains.

Claire Perry

We are currently in negotiation with both operators, in line with the published Rail Franchising Schedule.

It is anticipated that the Direct Award for the Great Western Franchise will be for three and a half years (September 2015 to March 2019), whilst that for the East Midlands Franchise will be for two years (October 2015 to October 2017).

Announcements regarding the conclusion of these negotiations will be made in due course.