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 reported £243 million underspend by Network Rail as reported by the Office of Rail and Road, and what plans they have to allow Network Rail to spend some of this underspend in investment in new or upgraded rail infrastructure.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reported in its Annual Efficiency and Finance report that Network Rail financially underperformed by £243 million during 2024/25. This represented an increase in costs driven largely by inflationary pressure, higher maintenance and poor train performance. There are arrangements in place to allow Network Rail to manage overspends and underspends across its five-year funding periods. Network Rail is working to improve its financial performance in the current financial year.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the allocation of responsibilities of Ministers in the Department for Transport.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The responsibilities of Ministers in the Department for Transport can be found below:
The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all Department for Transport business, including:
The Minister for Rail is responsible for:
The Minister for Roads and Buses is responsible for:
The Minister for Local Transport is responsible for:
The Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation is responsible for:
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the scope and timescale for their recently announced research on pavement parking.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them.
In accordance with Government procurement requirements, my officials are in discussion with suppliers to determine the terms of reference for the current work and expect to issue the formal specification shortly. Timelines will be finalised during the procurement process. Findings will be published as early as possible and no later than 12 weeks after the final outputs from the data collection stage are agreed in accordance with the Government Social Research Publication Protocol. The research will seek to measure the extent of pavement parking and its impacts and provide a baseline so that whichever policy we implement can be evaluated. It will not delay any policy announcement nor the publication of my Department’s formal response to the previous Government’s 2020 consultation.
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 reasons for the delays and reduced passenger services on the rail line from Exeter to Salisbury, and what action Network Rail is taking to remedy the situation and reinstate the original timetable.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Delays and reduced passenger services have been caused by ‘soil moisture deficit’, shrinking the clay embankments the rail line from Salisbury to Exeter is built on. This requires speed restrictions, leading to extended journey times and the need for an amended timetable to accommodate. South Western Railway and Network Rail continue to monitor soil moisture levels, track conditions and train performance, and provide regular updates to the Department. We are assured by South Western Railway and Network Rail that usual services will be reinstated as soon as it is safe to do so.
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.