Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 13 July 2023 · 20 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 6 Partly answered 14 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Evans praised the roads Minister for his interest in the A5 and discussed ongoing issues with the road's development.
  • Louise Haigh questioned the Secretary of State about the lack of bus services in villages in the Selby and Ainsty constituency, suggesting the local council was responsible for providing adequate services.
  • Christopher Chope inquired about the resignation of the HS2 chief executive and the delays and cost overruns associated with the HS2 project, prompting a response regarding the planned leadership transition.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Transport
Context

Issues with the A5 road, including narrow pinch points affecting local growth and housing plans.

Question

I praise the roads Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Durham (Mr Holden), for taking an active interest in the A5. I have met with him multiple times, including last week, when we were dealing with the A5 yet again. I understand why the RIS3 programme has been pushed back. However, the A5 acts as a construction for prosperity, growth and housing in our area. Four points on the A5 were pinpointed as being narrow. Can he let me know where they were, as National Highways said it would do that? Can he give an indication of how I can move National Highways forward to try to release the strangulation on our area?

Answer from Mark Harper

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's question and for his kind comments about my hon. Friend the roads Minister. Between the M42 and M6, the A5 is a key artery for business and motorists and, as he says, it is integral to local growth plans. National Highways continues to develop options to upgrade the route, as part of the pipeline of its potential future schemes, including considering measures that address stretches of the route where safety issues are of greatest concern, such as the pinch points that he talks about.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Location of specific pinch points and next steps with National Highways

How: Not Addressing Specifics

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Q2 Louise Haigh Lab Sheffield Heeley
Transport
Context

Villages without bus service, questioning Tory Government's role.

Question

Does the Secretary of State think it is acceptable that the villages of Little Ouseburn and Beal, in the Selby and Ainsty constituency, have no bus service either in the evenings or on Sundays? Who does he hold responsible for that? Is it the Tory Government, which completely snubbed Selby and Ainsty in their bus strategy, the Tory council, which cut 1 million km of subsidised bus routes, or the previous Tory MP, who mentioned buses just three times in over 13 years? Does he not agree that it is time for Selby and Ainsty to have a fresh start, with Keir Mather?

Answer from Mark Harper

It will not surprise you, Mr Speaker, that I do not think that at all. North Yorkshire Council, the local transport authority for Selby, was allocated £1.4 million as part of the bus service improvement plan plus funding. That means it has the resources to deliver the ambitions plans that it needs to carry out.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific responsibility and fresh start with Keir Mather

How: Not Addressing Specifics, Deflecting

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Q3 Christopher Chope Con Christchurch
Transport
Context

Chief executive of HS2 resigns from £660,000 a year job amid delays.

Question

When the Secretary of State made his remarks earlier about the sudden resignation of the chief executive of HS2 from his £660,000 a year job, did he take into account the fact that the project is delayed by at least five years and that the costs have quadrupled? Will he also take into account the fact that the cost plus basis of contracts is now one of the main reasons for the increased costs?

Answer from Mark Harper

It is not a sudden leaving of his job—the chief executive has announced that he is going to go in September. We have a clear plan in place: the experienced chair of HS2 will step up to be executive chairman for the period while we are searching for a successor, so the leadership of the organisation will be in hand.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Delays and cost increase reasons

How: Not Addressing Specifics

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Q4 Gavin Newlands SNP
Transport Climate
Context

Inconvenience of cross-border air service from Glasgow, emphasis on airspace modernisation.

Question

Scots are used to getting a poor and unreliable cross-border rail service, but recently the cross-border air service provided by British Airways, particularly from Glasgow, has been awful. That said, we need to get on with decarbonising aviation, so when will we see the airspace modernisation process simplified and accelerated, not decelerated? When will the Government bring forward price stability plans for sustainable aviation fuels, which everyone bar the Treasury knows has to happen?

Answer from Mark Harper

On the hon. Member's first point, the work on airspace modernisation is under way, as he knows. On his second point, this Government are leading the progress on sustainable aviation fuels worldwide. We published the new report, which set out some clear plans, and we published our response to it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timelines for both issues

How: Not Addressing Specifics

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Q5 Iain Stewart Con
Transport Foreign Affairs
Context

Families are concerned about potential flight cancellations and delays during the summer holiday season due to industrial actions in Europe. There have been recent disruptions at ports and airports.

Question

As we approach the end of the school year, many families will be looking forward to setting off on their summer holidays, but there are concerns that industrial action in Europe will lead to flight cancellations and delays. People will also be mindful of the disruption at our ports and airports in recent times. What assurance can the Secretary of State give me and those families that the system will be resilient to ensure that they can get away?

Answer from Mark Harper

I am sure that my hon. Friend's question was prompted by one airline making some modest changes to its flight schedule during the summer. No other airline has indicated to the Department that it will be cancelling flights ahead of the summer. We will continue to engage with airlines on that matter. The Aviation Minister is meeting with the chief executive officer of EasyJet later today to discuss its announcement. My team is meeting with the CEO of National Air Traffic Services to get an update on its operational readiness. We have already worked with the aviation industry to make sure that, this year, it is prepared for the busy summer period so that we avoid the problems that we had last year. We have received appropriate assurances, but I hope that we can reassure those whom my hon. Friend referred to in his question.

Answered
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Q6 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Context

A report has been released regarding the development of SAF plants in the country.

Question

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I promise that I will not ask for multiple answers—

Answer from Mark Harper

All right. I think I know what the hon. Lady was driving at on that question. We said in response to the new report that we would continue to talk to the industry and, if required, consult on a mechanism—an industry-funded mechanism. That work is under way, but we continue to have the ambition to get those SAF plants developed in this country and I am glad that she supports that work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific mechanism being consulted upon is not detailed

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Q7 Jacob Rees-Mogg Con
Policing & Resources Transport
Context

Drivers who have correctly sent in their forms after disposing of a vehicle are receiving notices of intended prosecution for vehicles they no longer own.

Question

What can the Government do about the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the police chasing drivers who have correctly sent in their forms after they have disposed of a vehicle and who then get notices of intended prosecution for a vehicle that they no longer own when they have done the right thing? It seems to turn on its head the principle of innocence.

Answer from Richard Holden

I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. When a person disposing of their vehicle notifies the DVLA that they no longer have the vehicle, they are removed from the record and the DVLA writes to them. If the customer continues to receive correspondence relating to motor vehicle offences, they should contact the DVLA as soon as possible confirming that they are no longer the keeper of the vehicle in question. If he has any constituents with any particular issues, I would be delighted to take them up and look at them as soon as possible.

Answered
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Q8 John Spellar Lab
Transport Business & Trade
Context

Heathrow is a major international hub and vital for west London. The Minister of State gave an answer that the Government does not have a view or policy.

Question

Can I go back to the astonishingly feeble answer from the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman), about Heathrow, which is a major international hub, a major export centre, the biggest single site employer, with, I am pleased to say, a well-organised union workforce, and vital for west London? How can the Government not have a view or a policy on this vital national infrastructure, or is it just another case of they haven't got a clue?

Answer from Mark Harper

I know that the right hon. Gentleman likes to hear from me, so I will answer this question. He can then think of a way of insulting whatever I say in response. The point that my right hon. Friend was making is that any proposal for a third runway at Heathrow will be a private sector proposal from that airport and, as last time, we would expect it to be funded by the airport. He knows that, if it brings forward such a proposal, the Government would have to take a quasi-judicial planning decision, which is why it is important that I do not take a pre-judged position so I can take that quasi-judicial decision appropriately. At the moment, however, we have not seen such a proposal from Heathrow. If it has one in due course, we will respond accordingly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Government's view on the third runway is not directly addressed

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Q9 Jonathan Gullis
Transport
Context

Despite billions being invested in buses across the country and £31.7 million going specifically into Stoke-on-Trent, First Bus continues to cut routes.

Question

Despite billions being invested in buses across the country and £31.7 million going specifically into Stoke-on-Trent, First Bus continues to cut routes, harming 21-year-old carers such as Charlie Preston in Chell who may now have to quit her job. This Government have done their bit—is it not time that First Bus does its bit?

Answer from Richard Holden

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I was delighted to visit Stoke with him and my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Jack Brereton) to see what is going on. I urge the council to use that flexibility to work with First Bus to deliver a solution for all his constituents. We have put that flexibility in there and I hope that it uses it to protect his constituents.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific actions of First Bus are not addressed directly

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Q10 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Transport
Context

The Government's response to the Transport Committee's report on the integrated rail plan was published at midnight, and terms of reference for a study on the HS2 link to Leeds are expected imminently.

Question

The Government's response to the Transport Committee's report on the integrated rail plan was published at midnight, and the terms of reference for the study on the high-speed rail link to Leeds are expected imminently. Will the rail Minister tell us what this will mean for the railways in Yorkshire?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I thank the hon. Member for all his work in this regard, and he is absolutely right. With regard to Bradford, the Transport Committee's report made a recommendation that better station options should be considered under the integrated rail plan. That work with Bradford will now commence to try to find a better station option and to improve transport links for the city. With regard to Leeds, the station capacity can be looked at and potentially unlocked, and the HS2 route options all the way up from Sheffield to Leeds will also be part of that study.

Answered
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Q11 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
Economy Transport
Context

The Government have announced that the integrated rail plan will be reviewed and a new station could be considered in Bradford.

Question

After much lobbying, I too am very pleased to hear that the Government have announced that the integrated rail plan will be reviewed and a new station could be considered in Bradford. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this important issue, and will he prioritise the project so that we can move at speed, because it will bring better connectivity and economic prosperity to not only Bradford but Keighley?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I certainly will meet my hon. Friend. I thank him for his involvement in the project for the last couple of years and for making the case for Bradford. Bradford is our youngest city in terms of population age and our fifth largest in terms of regional authority area. We firmly believe that levelling up means delivering for Bradford, so I am happy to meet him and I am delighted that this Government are willing to look at and give that partnership working to Bradford.

Answered
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Q12 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Transport
Context

Social distancing measures have ended, but the demand responsive buses pilot that Ealing and another borough were undertaking before the pandemic was halted.

Question

Now that social distancing is over, will the Secretary of State look into restarting the pilot of demand responsive buses that Ealing and one other London borough—a Conservative-run borough—were undertaking before covid pulled the plug on them, as his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), said he would do before being shuffled off?

Answer from Richard Holden

I would be delighted to discuss these matters with TfL at our regular meetings. All the decisions in this space are devolved to Transport for London as part of a £6 billion package, and I would be delighted to discuss the matter with the Mayor or the commissioner for transport at my next meeting with them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State did not commit to restarting the pilot programme specifically

How: All Decisions Are Devolved

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Q13 Scott Benton
Transport
Context

A passing loop on the South Fylde rail line would double train capacity and facilitate millions of visitors to Blackpool every year. Feasibility money has been awarded for the project.

Question

A passing loop on the South Fylde rail line would double the number of trains coming into my constituency every hour, facilitating the millions of people who come to Blackpool every year. Following the award of feasibility moneys to look at the project, will the Minister meet me to appraise the options?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I would be delighted to meet the hon. Member. He is right that the Government have committed half a billion pounds to deliver more railways under the restoring your railway projects. The strategic outline business case on the project that he has worked so hard for is with the Department, and I am happy to meet him to discuss it.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q14 Martyn Day SNP
Transport Energy
Context

There has been little progress in rolling out streetside chargers for electric vehicles outside buildings with multiple residents. Regulatory framework is needed.

Question

There has been remarkably little progress in rolling out streetside chargers for electric vehicles outside buildings with multiple residents. What action are the Government taking to promote this scheme and to ensure we have the correct regulatory framework in place?

Answer from Jesse Norman

The hon. Gentleman will be aware of our ORCS—on-street residential chargepoint scheme—fund to support on-street charging. We also have the new LEVI—local electric vehicle infrastructure—fund, and have given money to local authorities to support capability building in the area. If there is a specific concern that animates him in relation to his constituency, he is welcome to write to me.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not specify concrete actions or timelines for addressing street charging issues specifically

How: Write To Me If There Is A Specific Concern

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Q15 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Transport
Context

Freight theft from lorries in overnight lorry parks and service stations is costing the economy hundreds of millions annually. Freight companies pay extortionate fees for parking.

Question

Yesterday, I chaired a roundtable with the freight sector, looking at the growing problem of theft from lorries in overnight lorry parks and service stations, which is costing the economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year. What is my hon. Friend doing with the sector to ensure that for the extortionate fees freight companies are charged, they get secure parking overnight?

Answer from Richard Holden

I thank my hon. Friend for his work in this area and across a number of areas in transport. We are looking in depth at driver welfare, including providing extra lorry parks and more secure facilities, and grants are due to be announced in the summer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific actions or timeline for security improvements were given

How: Grants Will Be Announced In The Summer

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Q16 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Employment Transport
Context

The DFT is taking steps to ensure companies such as Murphy Group respect basic workers' rights when bidding for major transport contracts, particularly concerning union membership.

Question

Can I ask the roads Minister about the lower Thames crossing project? In particular, what steps is the DFT taking to ensure that for the lower Thames crossing contract, companies such as Murphy Group respect basic workers' rights to join a trade union when bidding for major transport contracts?

Answer from Richard Holden

The Minister of State, Department for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman), who is the Minister for the future of transport, met Murphy Group this week.[Official Report, 17 July 2023, Vol. 736, c. 9MC.] The Government remain committed to the lower Thames crossing as part of the responsible decisions taken to help meet inflationary pressures and balance the nation's books. We will be rephasing construction on the LTC by two years, as this will allow more time to take into account stakeholder views and to ensure that there remains an effective and deliverable plan that is in the best interests of taxpayers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to any specific actions on workers' rights

How: Rephasing Construction By Two Years

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Q17 Philip Hollobone Con
Transport
Context

The proposed £40-million junction 10A on the A14 at Kettering is crucial for the town's future prosperity. The developer and council are working with National Highways to deliver the project post-2025.

Question

The roads Minister will know that the proposed £40-million junction 10A on the A14 at Kettering is crucial for the future prosperity of the town. Can he assure me that National Highways is working expeditiously with the Hanwood Park developer and North Northamptonshire Council to ensure that the project is delivered as soon as possible after 2025?

Answer from Richard Holden

I can provide my hon. Friend with that assurance. Having visited his constituency and met him near the project, I know how important it is to him. National Highways is working to do everything possible to see the project come to delivery.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q18 Kerry McCarthy Lab Bristol East
Transport
Context

The West of England Combined Authority wants to use BSIP funding to reinstate commercially unprofitable but essential bus services. The Minister has not yet clarified how they can access this funding.

Question

The buses Minister assured me a couple of months ago that he was prepared to work with the West of England Combined Authority to ensure “maximum flexibility” in how bus funding could be spent, but I am still struggling to find out how we can get the funding to reinstate commercially non-profitable but essential buses. Will he meet me so that we can try to get to the bottom of it?

Answer from Richard Holden

I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady. I met recently with the West of England metro Mayor, who has had £21 million in BSIP funding, which we have made more flexible. To date, he has looked at schemes including the birthday month travel scheme. I can see that she might not be as interested in that as some of her hon. Friends, but I would be delighted to meet her to discuss what more flexibility we could introduce to preserve buses in her constituency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific actions or timeline for accessing funding were provided

How: More Flexible Schemes Need To Be Considered

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Q19 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Transport
Context

Transport for London has been investigating technicalities of introducing road charging across London in anticipation of falling revenues from ULEZ.

Question

Following his recent meeting with Transport for London about its finances, can my hon. Friend update me on what financial modelling it has done on the impact of extending the ultra low emission zone and what account it has taken of the impact should that not go ahead?

Answer from Richard Holden

I met the acting chief financial officer and Seb Dance, the deputy Mayor for transport, yesterday. They informed me that the Mayor of London, in anticipation of falling revenues from ULEZ in the next few years, had asked them to investigate the technicalities of introducing road charging across London in the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No update on financial modelling for ULEZ extension was given

How: Investigating Road Charging

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Q20 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Transport
Context

Shropshire missed out on bus back better funding last year, despite having some of the worst services in the country. The national level funding was reduced.

Question

Last year, Shropshire missed out on bus back better funding, despite having some of the worst services in the country. That funding was hugely scaled back on a national level. Will the Minister commit to reinstating some kind of funding to give rural places the bus services they need?

Answer from Richard Holden

I have been looking into all bus funding across the country. The hon. Lady will know that Shropshire Council has had around £1.5 million of BSIP plus funding. On cross-border services, I have been working closely with my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd South (Simon Baynes), who is doing a huge amount of work in this area, particularly between Shropshire and Wales.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No commitment to reinstate funding was made

How: Working Closely With Other Members

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