Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that (1) Hikvision, and (2) Dahua, cameras and technology are not used in the procurement supply chain for the HS2 railway line.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is not government policy to comment on security arrangements.
HS2 Ltd's procurement process is undertaken in line with the Utilities Contract Regulations (2016 as amended). HS2’s contracts specify a level of capability which suppliers of products must be able to meet.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 March (HL6409), how many Chinese technology cameras made by (1) Hikvision, and (2) Dahua Technology, are currently in use in (a) train stations, (b) airports, and (c) bus stations, in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not Government policy to comment on security arrangements at UK transport sites.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to implement the International Maritime Organisation’s Recommended framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, issued on 6 May, to ensure the continued free movement of seafarers; and what steps they are taking to ensure the swift return to the UK of UK seafarers whose contracts of employment have expired and are now stranded on ships around the world.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government welcomes the framework that was developed by the International Chamber of Shipping and other organisations, which has been supported and circulated by the International Maritime Organisation. The Department wrote to the International Maritime Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation on 23 March 2020, confirming that the UK will continue to meet its international obligations related to the transit and transfer of seafarers and highlighted that the UK is fully committed to the welfare of all seafarers regardless of their nationality.
The Government is currently considering the framework in more detail to see what more can be done to further facilitate crew changes in UK and we will do this work as quickly as we can, as we are very keen to see a resolution, and support the sector.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the UK Chamber of Shipping’s request that they sign up to a global initiative to repatriate seafarers stranded across the world.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands the concerns that have been raised by the UK Chamber of Shipping in relation to crew changes and ensuring that seafarers who have completed their contracts can return home. We acknowledge their request for the UK to sign up to the initiative developed by the International Chamber of Shipping and other organisations, which has been supported and circulated by the International Maritime Organisation.The Government is currently considering the framework in more detail to see what more can be done to further facilitate crew changes in UK and we will do this work as quickly as we can, as we are very keen to see a resolution, and support the sector.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that up to 2,000 UK seafarers have been stranded on ships. [T]
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to welfare for all seafarers to the ILO and IMO at the start of this crisis, which we will continue to uphold.
According to DfT data, the number of British crew members currently working on cruise vessels around the globe is closer to 1,400 rather than 2,000.
We recognise this is a worrying time for British crew on board cruise ships around the world. It is primarily the responsibility of their employers – the cruise ship operators – to ensure the welfare and safety of their staff. However, the Government continues to monitor the welfare of all UK seafarers and is working to support employers in their repatriation efforts for all non-essential staff.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restore passenger services on the Hellifield railway line from Clitheroe.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has committed £500m to reopen routes and stations and has offered funding to develop ideas for this. We welcome the funding bid from the local MP, Nigel Evans, to explore the case for passenger services north of Clitheroe.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Transpennine Express have cancelled up to 40 per cent of trains on some routes; what are the reasons for those reported cancellations; how long they estimate any cancellations to last; what discussions they have had with Transpennine Express about the cancellations; and what was the outcome of any such discussions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The December timetable was designed to be transformative for customers travelling on its three new fleets of trains. The full December timetable included a new direct route from Liverpool to Glasgow, the extension of the service from Newcastle to Edinburgh and a new service from Middlesbrough to Redcar.
Due to the late delivery and technical issues with its new trains which impacted on driver training and availability of crews, customers of TransPennine Express (TPE) experienced an unacceptable increase in disruption. To provide a more stable service, TPE has introduced temporary timetable changes between Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh until the end of January to allow it to recover. The Rail North Partnership representing the DfT and Transport for the North continues to challenge TPE robustly and hold the operator to account on its contractual obligations. Only last week, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport called in executives from TPE and other industry bodies to reinforce this point. If appropriate, we will take action under the terms set out in the Franchise Agreement.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they respond to the assessment of Lord Berkeley, former deputy chairman of the Oakervee Review into HS2, that (1) Parliament has been misled about the cost of HS2, (2) it could cost more than £100 billion, and (3) the costs are “out of control”.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Lord Berkeley’s report represents his personal views. The Secretary of State commissioned the Oakervee Review to provide advice on how and whether to proceed with HS2, including examining the project’s costs and benefits. Douglas Oakervee’s report will inform our assessment of the estimated cost, if the Government decides to proceed. We will of course give appropriate consideration to Lord Berkeley’s personal views.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 2 April (HL14685), of the £48 billion committed to investment in the rail network during Control Period 6, how much is for new (1) infrastructure, and (2) rolling stock; and what is the planned investment in HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail during the same period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The £48bn Control Period 6 funding settlement for the railway that Government announced in 2017 makes provision for the operation, maintenance and renewal of rail infrastructure between 2019 and 2024. It includes a £10.4bn provision for infrastructure enhancement projects. This is on top of new rolling stock, which is procured via separate arrangements.
High Speed 2 (HS2) has a long-term funding envelope of £55.7bn (2015 prices). It is this government’s largest capital programme and the benefits are largely for the North.
The Government has committed £52m to continue to develop Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) this year. Decisions on future investment will be considered in the Spending Review. We are working with Transport for the North on their plans for NPR. The full benefits of NPR can only be achieved by integrating it with HS2 and given the status of the projects NPR needs HS2 to be built first.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the New Economic Foundation A Rail Network for Everyone: probing HS2 and its alternatives, published on 20 March, in particular its conclusions that (1) HS2 will make the north–south divide worse by concentrating wealth in London, and (2) the budget for HS2 should be invested in the existing railway network instead.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
HS2 has the potential to be a transformative infrastructure project that will help to rebalance our economy. The report misrepresents evidence that by no means suggests that HS2 would exacerbate a North-South divide. The project has cross-party Parliamentary support and significant support from political leaders in the North and Midlands, in particular, who can see the benefits this project can have in terms of job creation, providing new apprenticeships and opportunities for large and small businesses, unlocking commercial space and regeneration and facilitating new housing.
The project is already leading to significant investment in Birmingham and we expect it to deliver similar growth in towns and cities across the North. HS2 not only represents an investment in the economies of the North and Midlands, it will also add additional capacity where our rail network needs it most and the trains will call at 25 stations across the UK, as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow, which will improve people’s connections between towns and cities the breath of the UK.
To present the investment in our rail network as an either / or between modernising the existing network and investing in new infrastructure is both misleading and inaccurate. In Control Period 6 the government is planning to invest £48bn on our rail network, this is in addition to HS2 and the emerging plans Transport for the North has developed for Northern Powerhouse Rail. While upgrading existing lines is essential, doing that alone would not provide the long-term capacity that is so vitally needed – HS2 will deliver capacity roughly equivalent to two new dual three-lane motorways - would lead to more disruption for passengers on the existing networks, and more importantly it would not offer the range of economic benefits that City Regions and LEPs have set out in their HS2 Growth Strategies.