Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to revise the algorithms used to assess the benefits of transport investment schemes in order to support their levelling-up agenda.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Transport business cases follow the HM Treasury five case business case model. Decisions are informed by the assessment of the scheme in relation to strategic fit, value for money, deliverability, commercial and financial considerations. The appraisal framework set out in the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) is intended to support scheme promoters to capture the full range of impacts associated with transport investment (economic, social and environmental) as part of the economic case.
The Department is planning to publish an initial response to the HM Treasury Green Book Review this Spring as part of a wider update to business case guidance. This will set out work in progress to support the appraisal of schemes which meet Government’s strategic priorities, and how we plan to implement other changes required by the Review. This includes ensuring that existing tools and flexibilities in current strategic and economic case guidance are used fully in making the case for investment which supports levelling up. The Department’s Rebalancing Toolkit provides guidance to describe how a transport investment scheme fits with the objective of spreading growth across the UK and can be used to assess the impact and identify the benefits that a transport scheme may have on local and regional economic performance.
The Green Book Review found that existing appraisal practice may lead to a focus on boosting benefit-cost ratios at the expense of analysis which illuminates the impacts of a proposed investment. The Department plans to review the existing culture and processes around the development of transport business cases to address behaviour and incentives which may be obstacles to supporting the delivery of Government’s objectives.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of changes to the Green Book on the viability of proposed railway enhancement schemes; and whether there will be a greater emphasis on benefits related to regeneration and access to employment for people living in economically deprived areas.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Transport business cases (including those for proposed railway enhancement schemes) follow the HM Treasury five case business case model. Decisions are informed by the assessment of the scheme in relation to strategic fit, value for money, deliverability, commercial and financial considerations. The appraisal framework set out in the department’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) is intended to support scheme promoters capture the full range of impacts associated with transport investment (economic, social and environmental) as part of the economic case. These impacts include agglomeration, labour supply and land use change impacts, as set out in TAG unit A2.1
The department is planning to publish an initial response to the Green Book Review this Spring as part of wider update to business case guidance. This will set out work already in progress to support the appraisal of schemes which meet Government’s strategic priorities and how we plan to implement other changes required by the Review. The department is considering what improvements may be required across business cases to support the Government in delivering on its strategic priorities. This includes ensuring that existing tools and flexibilities in current strategic and economic case guidance are being fully used to support scheme promoters in making the case for investment which supports levelling up. The department’s Rebalancing Toolkit provides guidance to describe how a transport investment scheme fits with the objective of spreading growth across the UK. This tool can be used to assess the impact and identify the benefits that a transport scheme may have on local and regional economic performance. We plan to highlight these flexibilities alongside reviewing existing guidance and ensuring that relevant analysis is presented to decision makers.
The Green Book Review found that existing appraisal practice may lead to a focus on boosting benefit-cost ratios at the expense of analysis which illuminates the impacts of a proposed investment. The department plan to review the existing culture and processes associated with the development of transport business cases to understand and address behaviour and incentives which may be obstacles to supporting the delivery of Government’s objectives.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the levels of (1) personal, and (2) commercial, vehicle transportation on the roads following the COVID-19 pandemic; and if so, (a) to what level they plan to, and (b) how they intend to, reduce such activity.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In response to lockdown measures implemented by the Government, demand for all modes of transport, including road usage, has fallen. My Department regularly publishes statistics on this subject, which are available on the gov.uk website (“Transport use during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic”).
Transport will play a key role in recovery from Covid-19, and there is opportunity to build upon some of the behavioural changes which have been evident, such as an increase in active travel. In addition, my Department remains committed to the achievement of longer-term strategic objectives, publishing three Priority Outcomes as part of Spending Review 2020. One of our Priority Outcomes is to tackle climate change and improve air quality through the decarbonisation of transport. Cars and vans alone accounted for a fifth of the UK’s total domestic greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.
We are continuing to assess what needs to be done to decarbonise our transport system, of which road transport represents one of the highest emitting elements. Road transport will continue to play a key role in allowing people and goods to move efficiently around the country, but to support the Government’s aim to build back better we have already announced significant measures relating to road transport. These include:
Further details of these plans for decarbonising cars and freight will form part of Department’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan, to be published later this year. The plan will set out in detail what Government, business and society will need to do to put us on a pathway to achieving carbon budgets and net-zero emissions by 2050.
We are also seeking to develop measures to encourage changes in the way we travel following the end of Covid restrictions, such as through increasing levels of walking and cycling and ensuring a reliable and safe public transport network. This includes:
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North of England has been deferred to 2021; if so, (1) why, and (2) when they now expect it to be published.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following full consideration of the National Infrastructure Commission's Rail Needs Assessment report, published on 15 December, the Government expects to publish the Integrated Rail Plan early in 2021.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 23 November (HL10065), what stage the project to reinstate the railway between Colne and Skipton had reached in the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) process; whether the GRIP process has now been paused or abandoned for this project; and if so, what would be the criteria to restart the GRIP process for this project.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The work carried out to date on infrastructure options for this scheme by Network Rail and Steer is assessed overall by Network Rail as being ‘pre-GRIP’. Further work on developing the infrastructure options is included within the proposals for initial ‘Develop’ stage work referred to in my answer of 23rd November (HL10065).
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the purpose, (2) the terms of reference, and (3) the annual operating budget, of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council; what staff support this council has and who provides this; and what costs this council has incurred so far.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Northern Transport Acceleration Council is an advisory forum to provide the North’s leaders with regular and more direct access to Ministers to discuss priority transport and infrastructure projects, utilising their local expertise and knowledge to drive forward growth and development in the North of England. It is intended to provide a mechanism for speeding up key decision making and rapidly progressing projects, supporting the Secretary of State in his role as the Northern Powerhouse Minister.
The Council does not have an operating budget in and of itself as it functions as an advisory forum to progress and unblock existing priority transport projects – it is not vested with its own decision-making or funding powers.
The Council is supported by a Secretariat of DfT staff currently based in the North. Beyond the time of these existing staff, the work of the Council has not incurred any additional costs to date.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the meeting of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council on 9 December, (1) what was the agenda, (2) who attended the meeting and which bodies they represented, (3) what decisions were made, (4) whether the meeting was streamed, (5) whether the minutes have been published, and (5) was a press statement issued; and when the next meeting of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council will take place.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Northern Transport Acceleration Council provides the North’s leaders with regular and more direct access to Ministers to discuss priority transport and infrastructure projects. The agenda items for the meeting on the 9 December included the outcome of the recent Spending Review, the role of the Department’s Acceleration Unit, reform to the Green Book and the Integrated Rail Plan.
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary of State and was attended by Transport Ministers as well as representatives from each of the local transport authorities in the North, John Cridland in his capacity as President of the Council and the Chair of NP11.
The Northern Transport Acceleration Council is an advisory forum and whilst it is intended to speed up key decision making, the Council itself does not have decision-making powers.
A press statement was issued with regards to the Northern Transport Acceleration Council, however the meeting was not streamed nor have the minutes been published. A date for the next Council meeting has not yet been arranged.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on their assessment of proposals for (1) the preservation of the Queensbury Tunnel, and (2) the use of that tunnel as part of a cycleway between Queensbury and Keighley.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has agreed to provide up to £1 million for two studies to inform a decision on possible future uses of the tunnel. The studies are considering what would need to be done, and how much it would cost, to return the tunnel to a safe and usable condition, as well as options for possible new cycling and walking routes in the area. The work is being overseen by a steering group comprising representatives from the Department for Transport, Highways England, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Both studies are due to be complete by March 2021.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposals by Highways England to create wildflower verges on all new large-scale highways projects will take account of differing (1) climatic, (2) geological, and (3) ecological, conditions in different areas of England; and what plans they have to include provision for future management of such verges in ways that conserve their wildflower nature and avoid their being over-run by invasive coarse weeds, including guarantees for the necessary funds.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Highways England’s new approach to low nutrient grasslands will support the creation of new areas of grassland that support greater biodiversity. Any seed mixes used to establish grasslands will be appropriate to the local area of the project and specifications will be determined on a scheme by scheme basis taking account of local climate, geology and ecology.
Low fertility grasslands are expected to reduce maintenance requirements because of reduced vegetation growth, but maintenance will still be required. This will be determined on a plot by plot basis and managed appropriately to maintain low nutrient levels and improved biodiversity. This can be achieved by cutting once a year in late summer and removing the arisings from the grassland plot. This will minimise the risk of coarse weeds becoming established and maintain low soil fertility.