Topical Questions

Question

Thank goodness Santa travels by sleigh, not train! Avanti has just released its new timetable, with London to Holyhead services up to Christmas slashed. It is certainly no Nadolig Llawen for my Ynys Môn constituents, who like me are fed up with this service. Avanti has a new contract; what assurance can my right hon. Friend give to my constituents that he is doing everything he can to restore the number of direct trains from London to Holyhead to pre-pandemic levels?

Question

We now know that High Speed 2 was billions of pounds over budget, Parliament may have been misled, and the Government are about to waste hundreds of millions more on the fire sale of the land. Why, then, did the Prime Minister choose to dismantle the ministerial taskforce that was literally designed to oversee the cost and delivery of HS2 when he entered No. 10?

Question

Neither the Secretary of State nor the Prime Minister were paying attention, were they? They have fatally undermined confidence in HS2 and its delivery, which is why no one has confidence in Network North. The Rail Minister failed to respond to my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Mike Kane) about the fact that dozens of projects in Network North are unfunded because they are valued in 2019 prices. Will he publish the delivery plans and up-to-date costs, or can we all conclude that Network North is not worth the paper it is written on?

Question

Some 75% of visitors to Bournemouth travel by car. They are most welcome, particularly when they do not park on double yellow lines, but some are choosing to do so for a great day by the sea. They are willing to pay the £35 charge, which obstructs local traffic and, indeed, the emergency services. If someone parks on a double yellow in London, the charge is £65. That is a real deterrent, so can the London charging rates for parking on yellow lines please be extended to Bournemouth?

Question

By the time we next meet for Transport orals, it will have been more than three years since the Government consultation on pavement parking closed. Are we ever going to see a Government response, or is it time that the Government came clean with disability groups and admitted that they have put this issue in the “too hard to do” pile?

Question

Potholes and road repairs are a key concern for many of my fellow Gedling residents so I warmly welcome the recent announcement of over £8 billion of spend on potholes. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that money will be spent where it is needed most and outline how much of it is coming to the east midlands?

Question

Scotland has had a far more progressive approach to encouraging the switch to electric vehicles with incentives including interest-free loans for electric vehicles, enhanced home-charger grants and a far more comprehensive charging network with twice as many rapid chargers per head as England. The Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for net zero has described the delay on banning petrol and diesel car sales as an 'unforgiveable betrayal of current and future generations', putting the UK on the 'wrong side of history' on climate change. She is right, isn't she?

Question

Chalkwell station in beautiful Leigh-on-Sea has 40 steep steps to get up from and down to the platform; it is 100% inaccessible. I was told last year by the Treasury that work on it is part of the £350 million Department for Transport Access for All programme. Work was supposed to start a year ago, but nothing has happened. The timetable has slipped; it is not due to be completed until March 2026. To ensure that there is no further slippage on this timetable, will the Minister meet with me?

Question

Can the Minister confirm that although HS2—or maybe HS1- and-a-quarter—is going no further than Birmingham, the HS2 trains will continue to run on the west coast main line? Is he aware of repeated reports that because the new trains are not designed for existing track, the high-speed trains to Glasgow will go slower than the existing trains on that line? Can the Minister categorically assure the House that that is not the case, and tell us how much time will be cut from the train journey from Glasgow to Birmingham?

Question

Open access passenger and freight train operators have recovered faster since the pandemic, experience higher staff morale with fewer strikes, provide better deals for passengers and cost taxpayers less too. Over the next three to six months how many new open-access services does the Minister expect to see approved?

Question

The Government's mishandling of HS2 was and is absolutely staggering, but their attempt to pull the wool over northern eyes with Network North is a farce. Does the Minister really believe the people of the north-east are falling for his fag-end fake network to nowhere?

Question

The fight against potholes is much like our own fight to stay healthy: if we do nothing about it, we deteriorate faster. I therefore thank the Minister for the additional £200 million allocated to local authorities for pothole repairs. Will he join me in praising Dudley Council's new approach of moving away from traditional, reactive quick wins towards a proactive, high-quality structural maintenance service?

Question

The government has said that every penny spent on HS2 will be reinvested in local and regional transport. To clarify, can you confirm that South Yorkshire's city region sustainable transport settlements round 2 uplift is £543 million, and will the Minister work with the Mayor to maximise this investment?

Question

With the global AI summit coming up next week, what steps is the Department taking towards regulating autonomous pavement delivery robots?

Question

Will the Department look at the successful London scheme to address illegal freight operators contributing to cyclist deaths and encourage partnerships between local authorities, DVSA, and police forces?

Question

Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss the £40 million, ready-to-go project in Broxtowe and wider county, especially considering the east midlands has the lowest amount per head spent on transport?

Question

What is the Secretary of State's new prediction for rail passenger numbers making the journey between Scotland and London after abandoning the HS2 project?

Question

Does my right hon. Friend think people of the Jewish faith feel safe on the London Underground? Should not Transport for London equipment misuse leading to harassment be punishable under the Public Order Act 1986?

Question

Is it not essential that we have better, more streamlined franchising models for local bus services so that communities like Blaydon can have a greater say in their transport offer?

Question

Will the Minister consider progressing this railway line to the next phase, including drawing up a full business case? Will he meet Members to discuss it further?

Question

In response to a previous question, it was claimed that the Mayor asked for £8 million to restore bus services. However, this request is specifically for restoring cuts made last year. Will the government reconsider the funding needed for South Yorkshire?

Question

When will Ministers give LNER permission to extend its service from King's Cross-Lincoln to Cleethorpes?

Question

According to regulations, the review should have been published by now. When will it be released? Additionally, when will the department start listening to concerns raised by fishermen?

Question

How can my right hon. Friend explain to constituents why the Mayor of London first wanted to abolish the travelcard and then tried to take credit for saving it?

Question

What does the Secretary of State think about allegations made by Andrew Bruce, former head of land acquisitions for HS2, regarding property valuation in the acquisition process?

Question

Will the Minister meet me to discuss this distressing case involving an unprovoked attack on my constituent's son, and consider more widely the remit and resourcing of British Transport police?

Question

Will the English Government provide similar support to commuters in England, or are they too proud to follow Scotland's lead?