UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Lord Bradshaw

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the infrastructure of the East Coast Main Line has sufficient capacity to enable the Virgin/Stagecoach consortium to deliver both faster and more frequent trains under the InterCity East Coast franchise.

    Baroness Kramer

    The enhanced infrastructure, provided by Government’s Rail Investment Strategy for Control Period 5 (2014-2019) and as part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), and new trains, provided by IEP, will allow Virgin Trains East Coast to deliver improvements to the East Coast train service. In addition to this any decision on the allocation of further capacity made available by these enhancements will be taken by the Office of Rail Regulation.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the impact on the taxpayer of the payment of the lower variable track access charge for the 17 per cent of long-distance train paths into and out of King’s Cross allocated to open access operators; and how much additional income would be generated for Network Rail if those operators paid the same level of access charge as franchised operators.

    Baroness Kramer

    The purpose of the charging regime for Control Period 5 (2014- 2019) is to be as cost reflective as possible, recognising that access charges must be set at a level which the market segment in question can bear. The Office of Rail Regulation as the independent regulator set out their proposals for access charges in their Final Determination following extensive consultation with industry stakeholders. It is not for the Department to determine how Open Access Operators should be charged for access to the network.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, in the light of the demand for track access exceeding the availability of train paths on the East Coast Main Line, open access operators are paying discounted variable track access charges.

    Baroness Kramer

    Existing Open Access Operators are charged the same Variable Track Access charges as franchised operators with the exception of the Capacity Charge. This is because implementing the full Control Period 5 (CP5) rates would equate to a real term average increase of 450% in the Capacity Charge from which Open Access Operators have no protection. In light of the Office of Rail Regulation’s statutory duties to promote the use of the railway network, protect the interests of users of railway services and to promote competition in the provision of railway services, they deemed it appropriate to hold Capacity Charge at CP4 rates for both existing services and any new entrant Open Access Operator in line with European law and their statutory duties. Any additional services introduced by existing Open Access Operators will be charged at CP5 rates.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to define national standards for the creation of Low Emission Zones so that in future most vehicles are able to enter such zones.

    Baroness Kramer

    Low Emission Zones (LEZs) are one of a number of measures that can help improve air quality, particularly in urban areas. Introducing LEZs is a decision for local authorities. Government has already provided guidance to local authorities on the design of LEZs, such as which vehicles should be covered and what emissions standards they should meet. The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs is currently working with a small number of local authorities who are examining the value of introducing such schemes.

    Government is revising its air quality plans in relation to compliance with EU air quality standards. As part of this we are reviewing all feasible measures including the role of a national framework for LEZs. We will be consulting on revised air quality plans later in the year.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 9 February (HL4678), whether the rise in suicides on the railway has been analysed by area, age group, sex and ethnicity of those who died.

    Baroness Kramer

    Details of suicides by area (route), age group and sex are recorded by the rail industry but not ethnicity.

    The relevant information is held by RSSB (formerly the Rail Safety & Standards Board) and is analysed to provide evidence to support the development and implementation of the industry’s suicide reduction programme.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 10 February (HL4677), in the light of the change in franchisee and the expectation of more changes, what steps they are taking to ensure that there are sufficient luggage space and catering facilities for the anticipated use of those trains.

    Baroness Kramer

    The interior of the Intercity Express Programme is designed flexibly so that it can be adapted to meet different traffic conditions in the future. Operators have been fully engaged in this process. We continue to work very closely with them on the train, including catering provision.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of road vehicles in Great Britain are fitted with efficient particulate filters; and what assessment they have made of the potential benefit from fitting such devices.

    Baroness Kramer

    We have no firm information, but our best current estimate is that about seventeen percent of cars currently in use are fitted with wall-flow diesel particulate filters. We have made no estimate of the proportion of lorries, buses, and coaches that are fitted with diesel particulate filters. Reduction in airborne particulate has clear public health benefits. Some 29,000 premature deaths are estimated to occur each year as a result of airborne particulate, and poor air quality has health costs estimated at £15 billion annually for the UK.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether particulate filters fitted to road vehicles are subject to testing to ensure that those devices remain in good working order.

    Baroness Kramer

    The annual roadworthiness tests include a test for diesel smoke, using an opacimeter, which is intended to detect a diesel particulate filter that has suffered a mechanical failure or which has been removed from a vehicle. The Department has amended the MoT testers’ manual so as to include a visual check to confirm that a diesel particulate filter is present where one was fitted as standard by the vehicle manufacturer. Further information is available at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

    “

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have as to whether the origin or formulation of the diesel oil used has any bearing on the amount of particulates which are trapped in particulate filters fitted to road vehicles.

    Baroness Kramer

    The formulation of diesel fuel can have an effect upon the amount of particulate matter formed during combustion. There is evidence, for instance that biodiesel blends produce slightly less particulate matter, in general, than do pure petroleum-based diesel fuels. We would not, however, expect the differences in rates of particulate formation between fuels meeting the statutory requirements of the Motor Fuels (Composition and Content) Regulations, and meeting the EN 590 industry standard to affect the operation of diesel particulate filters.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether lower quality fuel used in road vehicles has any impact on air quality.

    Baroness Kramer

    We have made no specific assessment of the impact of low quality fuels since all fuel supplied for road vehicles has to comply with the Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) Regulations, and these requirements are set in order to reduce the environmental impacts of vehicles.

    In practice, all producers supply fuel that also meets the EN 590 (Diesel) or EN 228 (Petrol) industry standards. The Composition and Content Regulations, and the standards, have been revised over time, most notably to remove lead from petrol and to ensure that all road fuel is effectively sulphur-free. There should be little difference between the air quality emissions from vehicles running on fuels that meet the statutory and industry standards.