Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they voted to support amendments to International Maritime Organisation rules in relation to limiting the carbon intensity of ships; and what assessment they made, if any, of the potential impact on the climate of these amendments before casting their vote.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMG is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce and ultimately phase out greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. The measure agreed at the recent Marine Environment Protection Committee represents a compromise for short-term carbon intensity improvements and provides a framework upon which we can continue to build in the coming years. This is the first step of many under the Initial IMO Strategy to decarbonise international shipping. HMG will be working closely with other Member States and the IMO to develop robust medium- and long-term measures.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to improve the safety and regulation of light aircraft, and (2) the safety and regulation of such aircraft which are registered in the United States and other overseas jurisdictions but operating primarily in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Transport has recently commissioned an independent review into the safety of recreational General Aviation. The review showed a continuous downward trend in the number of accidents involving light aircrafts since the 1980s, and that the number of accidents in the UK is lower than in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The authors considered that the current safety level of recreational GA is acceptable but made a number of recommendations. We will work with the CAA to consider the implications, and will continue to keep all areas of safety policy under review.
Regarding third country registered aircraft based in the UK, the majority are non-complex aircraft registered in the US, used for recreational aviation. Both the General Aviation safety review and evidence from the CAA show there is no evidence that overall non-UK registered aircraft are maintained to a lower standard than UK registered aircraft, and that overall non-UK and European registered aircraft do not have a higher accident rate.
For these reasons, the Department for Transport does not consider there to be a safety case to change the regulation of third country registered aircrafts operating primarily in the UK. However, as highlighted above, we will continue to keep all areas of safety policy under review.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review their process of assessing (1) the carbon emissions, and (2) the economic benefits, resulting from new roadbuilding schemes; and what consideration they have given to assessing those impacts against the same criteria.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Her Majesty’s Government employs a relevant, robust and trusted analytical process designed to assess the likely impacts of both individual strategic road schemes and our road investment strategy as a whole. The impacts of such schemes on, for example, carbon, employment, housing, air quality and environmental issues are all assessed by the Department in line with its Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG).
The Department keeps its appraisal and modelling methodologies which are set out in TAG, under constant review, commissioning research to improve the evidence base as well as improving methodologies. The recently published TAG route map sets out our plans to update our guidance over the next six months and includes plans to update carbon values once these are finalised by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow off-peak tickets on Northern Rail services into Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford or Manchester to be used between 4.00pm and 6.30pm.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no planned changes to Northern’s off-peak travel requirements. In the current COVID-19 crisis, Northern has prioritised running a service for customers that is both resilient and reliable, rather than ramping up services too quickly or introducing measures that may lead to increased passenger demand and thereby exceed restrictions on social distancing.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the expansion of sleeper train services in continental Europe, what plans they have to link up with such services and to provide direct night train services from Northern England and Scotland to continental destinations.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
International passenger rail services provide a number of benefits for passengers, businesses and the wider economy, including environmental benefits. The Government supports the future growth and success of international passenger rail and would welcome the development of potential sleeper services from across Great Britain to continental destinations, linking up with European services.
To that end, the Department for Transport has engaged with UK and European partners to encourage the future growth of international passenger rail services. Officials stand ready to further engage with any potential operators of new international services, including sleeper services, where they have a proposition they wish to explore.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposed expansion of Leeds–Bradford airport in the light of the reduction in air travel caused by (1) the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) changes in consumer behaviour due to environmental concerns.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government supports airports making best of their existing runways. Potential airport growth applications should be considered under the appropriate planning regime and should take careful account of all relevant considerations, particularly economic and environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.
Applications to increase existing planning caps by fewer than 10 million passengers per annum (mppa) as in the case of Leeds-Bradford, should be taken forward through local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with South Oxfordshire District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Network Rail to improve (1) cycling, (2) railway services, and (3) bus services, in the South Oxfordshire district; and whether they expect the delivery of any such improvements to precede the construction of new homes in the district.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government works with all key partners across the country, including local authorities within Oxfordshire and with Network Rail, in ensuring consideration is given to appropriate sustainable transport modes, in particular, where there are planned housing developments. There is a requirement for local authorities to include any proposals in their local plans.
There is a requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework for local authorities to ensure that transport issues are considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals. In planning for new settlements this involves ensuring that opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use are identified and pursued. Plans are also prepared with the active involvement of local highways authorities, other transport infrastructure providers and operators and neighbouring councils, so that strategies and investments for supporting sustainable transport and development patterns are aligned.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the expected levels of use, and (2) the expected increase in carbon emissions of (a) the proposed Culham Thames bridge, and (b) a road link connecting the A34 to the M40; and what progress has been made in respect of these developments.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The responsibility for any assessment of levels of use and increases of carbon emissions for these proposals would lie with the local highway authority, Oxfordshire County Council.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restore the Cowley Branch railway line for passenger services; what stations any such services would serve; what is their timetable for developing any such plans; and what assessment they have made of the impact restoring the line for passenger services would have on carbon emissions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
A study of the rail corridors in Oxfordshire has been undertaken by Network Rail in partnership with the Department for Transport and local stakeholders led by the Oxfordshire Growth Board. The scope of the study has included the possibility of reopening the line between Oxford and Cowley for passenger services, with two new stations serving the Oxford Business and Science Park. The work undertaken to date has not included an assessment of the impact on carbon emissions.
The Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study will be published this Spring, and further development work on reopening the Cowley line will be progressed in accordance with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the railway services at Culham to support the proposed increase in housing in the area; what assessment they have made of the impact of an increase in railway services at Culham on carbon emissions; and whether they expect any such improvements to rail services will precede the construction of new homes in the area.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
A study of the rail corridors in Oxfordshire has been undertaken by Network Rail in partnership with the Department for Transport and local stakeholders led by the Oxfordshire Growth Board. The scope of the study has included an assessment of the demand for train services to and from Oxfordshire stations, including Culham, taking account of planned housing growth contained within existing Local Plans.
The Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study will be published this Spring, and the outcomes will be progressed in accordance with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline. The work undertaken to date has not included an assessment of the impact on carbon emissions of any proposals, which is because the limit of the study work was to produce a train service specification to meet forecast demand, understand the existing capacity shortfall and the infrastructure interventions that might be required in order to meet that specification.