Tag: Lord Berkeley

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the Department for Transport has taken to ensure that the appointment of the Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance to the Network Rail Executive Committee does not give a commercial advantage to Abellio in respect of future franchise bids across the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance has now also been appointed as Managing Director Scotland within Network Rail and, as part of his new role, will sit on Network Rail’s Executive Committee. He is an employee of Network Rail in both roles, but continues to report to the head of Abellio UK in his capacity of running the ScotRail Alliance only.

It is for Network Rail and any individual concerned to ensure that no conflicts of interest are allowed to affect the conduct of the company’s business.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations are responsible for enforcing security of aircraft against incidents with drones, and what means they have to disable such drones and identify the owners.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Working alongside other agencies in the intelligence and law enforcement communities, the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority are responsible for assessing and managing the risks to and from civil aviation, including remotely piloted aircraft systems. There are regulations in place that require users to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their drone and to not recklessly or negligently allow a drone to endanger any person or property; these regulations have recently led to successful prosecutions for misuse. Work is ongoing to identify appropriate and effective mitigations from point of sale to incident resolution.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the publication of the Departmental Minute by the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 21 October 2015 Notification that the Secretary of State may approve the entering into of contracts regarding the Hinkley Point C Power Station that could give rise to liabilities, whether the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs published a similar Minute in respect of its liabilities in connection with the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Defra did not submit a Departmental Minute on the Government’s contingent financial support package for the Thames Tideway Tunnel because the Secretary of State has statutory authority to give financial assistance for major water or sewerage infrastructure projects under section 154B of the Water Industry Act 1991. This is consistent with the approach set out in HM Treasury’s guidance, Managing Public Money.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-04-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 19 April (HL Deb, col 543) on government grant agreements, whether an academic research institution which is also a charity and is in receipt of government funding from research councils will be covered by the proposed anti-lobbying clauses expected to be introduced in grant agreements from 1 May.

Lord Bridges of Headley

As the Minister for the Cabinet Office the Rt Hon Matthew Hancock made clear on 27 April, we are committed to protecting taxpayers’ money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation of this clause into grant agreements, pending a review of the representations made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish their latest rail freight strategy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government will publish its Rail Freight Strategy in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided that all grey speed cameras should be painted yellow, and what safety benefits they expect to result from that change.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government has always been clear that speed cameras are for smoothing traffic flow, reducing congestion and enhancing safety rather than for revenue raising. All working grey speed cameras are being painted yellow within a year to make them more visible, so that motorists know the cameras are there.

The purpose of this particular type of camera is to enforce variable speed limits on smart motorways which smooth traffic flow and help reduce congestion. The safety outcome of this change in colour will be monitored by Highways England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum number of bids for rail franchises they require to create the necessary competitive tension to ensure value for money for the travelling public, and in particular whether they consider that three bids is sufficient for that purpose.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Whilst the Department for Transport prefer to have three bids for each franchise competition, as was the established practice under the previous government, we are prepared to accept that on occasion, we may only have two genuine bidders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why their devolution agreement with Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership is called the West of England devolution agreement, in the light of the fact that it does not include Cornwall Council or Devon County Council.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The West of England is the recognised name used to describe the area covered by the four local authorities: Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. The West of England is used to describe organisations and functions that work across this geography, which include the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and the West of England Nature Partnership. Cornwall is already covered by a devolution deal – it is called the Cornwall Devolution Deal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-05-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 May (HL7877), why they have not specified as part of their sustainability policy for HS2 the use of sustainable aggregates in the design of structures.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The HS2 Sustainability Policy states that we will ‘source and make efficient use of sustainable materials.’ This includes the use of sustainable aggregates but is a purposely high-level statement intended to cover all types of sustainable materials. The detailed specifications for the sourcing and use of all materials, including aggregates, will be developed through the design process in line with the Sustainability Policy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to implement the recommendations made by the Law Commission in 2013 regarding level crossing legislation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department for Transport is close to finalising its response to the Law Commission’s recommendations on the reform of level crossing legislation.

This is a complex area and it has been necessary to explore all the available options in detail. Whilst this has taken time, I am confident that we will be able to come forward with proposals for a cohesive package of improvements shortly.