Tag: Lilian Greenwood

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to data table BUS0842, published in Department for Transport Statistics, what guidance his Department gives to travel concession authorities for reporting purposes on the definition of commercial youth concessions.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport’s annual Concessionary Travel Survey asks the following question in relation to commercial concessions available to young people, of which there is specific guidance repeated below:

Question 19: Do the main bus operators in your authority / scheme offer commercial concessions to young people in 2015/16?

This question concerns commercial concessions only i.e. those controlled/managed/funded by a bus operator. We are aware that you may not know of all the youth schemes offered in your area, but any information you can supply here does offer us a useful starting point for gathering further information from operator websites.

If possible please specify the name of the operator, the age group (e.g. 16-18) covered, the fare charged (free, half, flat), time period (term-time only/all year, 8.30-10.30) and any other relevant information. You will have an opportunity in Q21 to tell us about any youth schemes that your Travel Concession Authority (TCA) controls/manages/funds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 2 November 2010 to the Questions from the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish, Official Report, column 702W, on bus services: finance, if he will place in the Library a copy of the equalities impact assessment carried out by his Department of the decision to reduce the value of the Bus Service Operators Grant by 20 per cent.

Andrew Jones

The equalities impact assessment was published in 2010 and can be found at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/165220-/cuts.pdf.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department’s South East Flexible Ticketing Programme Definition Document was last updated; and if he will place a copy of the latest version of that document in the Library.

Claire Perry

The South East Flexible Ticketing Programme Definition Documents were last updated in June 2015. Some of these documents contain commercially sensitive information. The release of the documents could also prejudice current policy making, so they will not be placed into the Library at this stage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29373, what his Department’s outstanding contractual obligations are under the South East Flexible Ticketing programme.

Claire Perry

Contractual obligations under the SEFT programme are commercially sensitive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 1.302 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made on exploring the sale of the Government’s 49 per cent shareholding in the National Air Traffic Service.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department is in the early stages of developing its approach to exploring options on the potential sale of the Government’s shares. No decision has been made on how it will realise value from its stake in NATS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2015 to Question 7660, whether his Department has made a decision on the proposed conversion of Class 801 Intercity Express Programme units to bi-mode diesel operation.

Claire Perry

We have received a formal submission from Agility Trains West, the train supplier, which my Department is now considering. I remain committed to ensuring that the IEP trains enter service in accordance with the delivery schedule from 2017/18.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Network Rail’s planned Market Harborough rail-straightening works in Control Period 5 are fully funded.

Claire Perry

The planned work at Market Harborough to straighten the line and reduce journey times is part of this government’s £38bn investment in the railway over the period to 2019.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the first Thameslink Class 700 train to enter revenue-earning service.

Claire Perry

The new Class 700 Thameslink trains built by Siemens will first enter service on the Brighton to Bedford route. It is important that when the trains are introduced that they operate reliably on these heavily used sections of the rail network. It is to this end that the trains are currently undergoing extensive testing on the Thameslink routes. They are also being used for driver training by Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd and operational testing of new infrastructure at stations on the Thameslink routes. This phase of testing is nearing completion and the trains are expected to enter passenger service in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on local authorities creating new municipal bus companies in England.

Andrew Jones

The Bus Services Bill, which had its first reading in the House of Lords on 19^th May, sets out the Government’s policy regarding the creation of new municipal bus companies in England. Clause 21 of the Bill proposes to restrict the ability of local authorities in England to establish companies for the purposes of operating local bus services.

Government recognises the quality services that existing municipal bus companies provide for passengers, and these existing companies will not be affected by the provisions in the Bill. However, it is our view that the commissioning and provision of bus services should be kept separate, particularly as the introduction of new partnership and franchising powers in the Bill is likely to lead to more local authority control and influence of local services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether train operators are required in selecting new rolling stock to make an assessment of the effect of such selection on UK industry and the wider UK economy.

Claire Perry

Procurement and evaluation of rolling stock is a matter for the private operators, as it has been since privatisation. However, I note that there are now two rolling stock assembly plants in the UK, operated by Bombardier and Hitachi, and the Government welcomes the jobs and economic benefits that these plants bring.