Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to issuing a safeguarding direction to protect the alignment of the former Lewes to Uckfield line in order to enable its future use to relieve congestion on the London to Brighton line.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not intend to issue a safeguarding direction for the re-opening of the rail line between Lewes and Uckfield.
The Department is committed to improving rail services in the South East and we recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. We will continue to work with stakeholders across the transport industry to identify investments that drive economic growth, deliver value for money for taxpayers, and are affordable.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposed terminal expansions at (1) London Gateway, and (2) the Port of Tilbury, and the resulting impact on available rail paths and infrastructure capacity,
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail fully understands the expansion plans at both London Gateway Port and the Port of Tilbury and is assessing how the predicted uplift in traffic due to the terminal expansions can be accommodated.
Steps have already been taken to support rail freight growth out of both ports. Network Rail has worked with freight operators and London Gateway Port to accommodate the increase in freight traffic following the recent Gemini Alliance switch away from the Port of Felixstowe.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Network Rail, Transport for London and Transport East are coordinating their work to support the growth of rail freight from London Gateway and the Port of Tilbury.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Thameside Taskforce brings together officials from rail, ports and Local Authorities to focus on rail freight growth on the Thameside corridor. The Anglia Strategic Freight Board is made up of route executives, freight operators, freight customers and ports. Together they are working to support and co-ordinate growth initiatives for rail freight traffic using London Gateway Port and the Port of Tilbury.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to increase investment in the Essex Thameside Rail Corridor and associated cross-London transit routes.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
While some key rail infrastructure schemes have already been announced by the Chancellor, my Department is working to confirm the wider portfolio of rail enhancements. More details about rail enhancements will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration has been given to using cats for vermin control across the Parliamentary Estate.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
On advice given previously to the House of Commons, the decision was made not to bring a cat on the Estate on the following grounds:
We continue to work with our pest control contractor to implement targeted and effective regimes across the Palace. The Department of Estates and Facilities is in discussion with Churchill Cleaning Services to increase the level of intervention and with a view to this being in place by beginning of the summer recess.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will advise His Majesty the King to withdraw the invitation to the President of the United States of America to visit the United Kingdom later this year.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We are pleased that the President of the United States accepted His Majesty's invitation for a historic second State Visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump as planned.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of TransPennine Express services were cancelled in each month from May 2022 to May 2024.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Information on train cancellations is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and can be found on their data portal. This data is not available by calendar month, but is published periodically, by rail periods which are 28 days in duration apart from period 1 (starts on 1 April) and period 13 (ends on 31 March). Each financial year (April to March) consists of 13 railway periods.
Table 1 shows the number of trains that were either partially or fully cancelled, and the proportion of planned services that were partially or fully cancelled by TransPennine Express, for each period from 1st April 2022 to 25th May 2024.
Table 1. The proportion of planned services for TransPennine Express that were partially or fully cancelled, each period from 1 April 2022 to 25 May 2024
Rail period | Proportion of planned trains cancelled (%) | Moving annual average of cancellations (%) |
1 April 2022 - 30 April 2022 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
1 May 2022 - 28 May 2022 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
29 May 2022 - 25 June 2022 | 5.6 | 3.6 |
26 June 2022 - 23 July 2022 | 8.2 | 5.3 |
24 July 2022 - 20 August 2022 | 6.2 | 5.3 |
21 August 2022 - 17 September 2022 | 4.9 | 3.6 |
18 September 2022 - 15 October 2022 | 6.4 | 3.5 |
16 October 2022 - 12 November 2022 | 7.9 | 4.4 |
13 November 2022 - 10 December 2022 | 6.3 | 4.1 |
11 December 2022 - 7 January 2023 | 11.8 | 7.9 |
8 January 2023 - 4 February 2023 | 8.9 | 3.1 |
5 February 2023 - 4 March 2023 | 7.2 | 2.9 |
5 March 2023 - 31 March 2023 | 5.7 | 3.3 |
1 April 2023 - 29 April 2023 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
30 April 2023 - 27 May 2023 | 6.0 | 3.0 |
28 May 2023 - 24 June 2023 | 6.0 | 4.1 |
25 June 2023 - 22 July 2023 | 5.1 | 3.6 |
23 July 2023 - 19 August 2023 | 6.4 | 4.4 |
20 August 2023 - 16 September 2023 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
17 September 2023 - 14 October 2023 | 5.0 | 3.7 |
15 October 2023 - 11 November 2023 | 6.6 | 5.1 |
12 November 2023 - 9 December 2023 | 6.4 | 5.1 |
10 December 2023 - 6 January 2024 | 5.2 | 5.9 |
7 January 2024 - 3 February 2024 | 4.3 | 3.4 |
4 February 2024 - 2 March 2024 | 2.2 | 3.2 |
3 March 2024 - 31 March 2024 | 2.3 | 3.0 |
1 April 2024 - 27 April 2024 | 2.3 | 3.2 |
28 April 2024 - 25 May 2024 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Source: DfT analysis of ORR Table 3124
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs of reinstating the UK’s membership of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is considering options for UK access to a satellite-based augmentation system, following our withdrawal from the EU's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay (EGNOS) system. This work is ongoing and no decision has yet been made. The Government engages with the European Commission and European Space Agency on space programmes but has not specifically discussed access to EGNOS.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of alternatives to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service; when any alternatives would be operational; and what they would cost.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises the importance of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies for our security and prosperity. We are implementing the Government Policy Framework for Greater PNT Resilience, including developing proposals for a National Timing Centre and enhanced long-range navigation system. The Government is considering options for UK access to a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). This work is ongoing and no decision has yet been made.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which statutory harbour authorities in England charge for overhanging residential balconies.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The department has not conducted a review of all Statutory Harbour Authorities to assess if they have the power to charge for overhanging residential balconies. Given the divergence in port local acts, it is not clear how many ports have this power.