Tag: Lord Berkeley

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-05-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria are used by HS2 Ltd to challenge the locus standi of petitioners to the Lords Select Committee.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The rules relating to locus standi are set out in the Lords Standing Orders for Private Business 114-118 and the basis for our decisions was included in a note that accompanied the challenge notices sent to petitioners last week. The note explained that individuals or businesses whose property or interests are directly and specially affected by the scheme have locus. Therefore, petitioners who are listed in the Book of Reference, and whose property and interests may well be affected, have not been challenged. Local authorities on the route, who may have locus at the discretion of the Select Committee, have not been challenged, as they will represent issues pertaining to the inhabitants of their area. Individual petitioners have been challenged when their property or interests are not affected by the scheme or where this affect is not sufficiently different from that of the general public.

Standing Orders also allow discretionary locus for groups representing amenity or recreational interests. Groups have only been challenged on the basis that they do not sufficiently represent amenity or recreational interests or other petitioners have a much stronger claim to represent such interests.

The Government has also chosen not to challenge members of this House, where they are not directly and specially affected, in keeping with the approach taken in the Other Place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the station to be built at Euston in accordance with Additional Provision 3 to the High Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill will be designed in such a way that Regulation 3 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 applies.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Regulation 3, of The Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009, provides a definition for whether a railway station is classified as a sub-surface railway station. The definition is based on the extent of enclosed/below ground platforms and tracks within a public railway station. When the definition is met the Regulations apply.

The high speed station at Euston is defined as a sub-surface railway station (as per Regulation 3). The Regulations are applied to the design of the high speed station, and the existing LU Station.

The Regulations have not been applied to the existing conventional station, which is not currently classified as a sub-surface railway station.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which technical approvals are still outstanding in respect of the new Hinkley Point nuclear power plant.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The EPR reactor proposed for use at Hinkley Point C has successfully completed Generic Design Assessment. NNBGenCo has also received a site licence to operate the site, environmental permits and development consent. The UK’s independent regulators will continue to regulate Hinkley Point C through construction, operation and decommissioning. Specifically, once safety-related construction activities have started, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) will use the nuclear site licence to regulate construction by releasing key hold points in line with NNB GenCo’s development of the site specific safety case.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many key performance indicators are used by the Office of Rail and Road to monitor Network Rail’s performance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have informed me that in the current five yearly regulatory cycle (Control Period 5) that started on 1st April 2014, they established 13 categories of regulated outputs,some of which are disaggregated further, such as by franchised train operator route or by delivery milestones.These outputs include train service reliability, enhancements, health and safety, network availability, network capability, stations, depots, asset management and environment.

There are 25 categories of core indicators from these outputs, which are disaggregated further. Full details of the regulated outputs can be found on table 3.11, page 125 of the Final Determination for Control Period 5, a copy of which is attached.

The ORR publishes six monthly reports on Network Rail’s progress in relation to these regulated outputs in the ‘Network Rail Monitor’ and the ‘Network Rail Monitor for Scotland’.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Bowe report into Network Rail will be completed, and whether it will be published.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Secretary of State for Transport expects to receive the Bowe Review once it is completed later in the autumn.

The Secretary of State has committed to publish the Review in the autumn.

Upon publication copies will be placed in both Libraries of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes they have proposed to requirements for disposing of Network Rail land not currently used for rail-related purposes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Condition 7 of Network Rail’s network licence regulates the disposal of the company’s land assets. Network Rail’s network licence is held with the Office of Rail and Road. The Government has not proposed any changes to Condition 7.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-06-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to transfer responsibility for economic regulation and railway safety within the Channel Tunnel from the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission to the United Kingdom and French rail regulators; if so, by what date; and, if not, why not.

Baroness Kramer

The British and French Governments will move economic regulation of the Tunnel from the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and its French equivalent, and put in place a charging framework by 31 March 2015. We are working with the French Government and anticipate that those commitments will be resolved by March next year. There are no plans to transfer railway safety from IGC.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Network Rail, the Department for Transport, First Great Western and Agility trains have each committed to contributing to the £7.5 billion Great Western route modernisation programme.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Contracts between the Department for Transport and Agility Trains and Great Western Rail are commercially confidential.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations are contributing to the new bridge across the South Western Main Line south of Clapham Junction station giving access to Emanuel School, and how much they are each contributing.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Network Rail is an arm’s-length public sector body and the sources of funding contributions towards the construction of the new bridge are a commercial matter for the company.

Network Rail advises that the new bridge across the South West Mainline was privately funded by one organisation. Network Rail has signed a confidentially agreement with this organisation which does not allow the release of commercial information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the maximum gradients on the proposed HS2 line, and where they are located.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

In general the normal limiting gradient on the proposed HS2 line is 2.5%, which occurs at various locations along the route.

However, there are a few instances of steeper gradients where there are physical constraints that do not allow gradients of 2.5% or less to be achieved, namely:

– Between Euston Station and Euston Tunnels (3.4%)

– In the Euston Tunnels before Old Oak Common (3.5%)

– The east end of the Bromford Tunnel (2.9%)

– The approach to Birmingham Curzon St (3.03%)