Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that airlines monitor the quality of cabin air.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Currently there is no evidence to suggest that continuous monitoring of aircraft cabin air would be worthwhile. The Government concluded in 2014, after a research programme on cabin air quality lasting for several years, that an international approach to any further research into the issue would be most appropriate. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has launched a programme of research into this issue in 2015.
In terms of monitoring individual events, the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (CAP382) ensures that an event that is considered by crew to be a “safety-related event which endangers or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person” is reported and investigated.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role Network Rail has in the HS2 project, and whether it will have a role in deciding where the steel required for that project should be purchased from.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Network Rail will be responsible for undertaking works on their network where they interact with the HS2 network. The materials used for such works will be subject to future procurements. However, currently, around 95% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand for steel is procured from Tata steel.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether steel produced in Britain will be used for the HS2 project.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
It is estimated that HS2 will need approximately 2 million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years. The procurement for the main civil engineering works between Euston and Birmingham is now underway with procurements for the stations and rail systems expected to commence later this year and for rolling stock in early 2017. Subject to Royal Assent, the project will start construction in 2017.
As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain. We positively encourage bids from British companies and are already holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts for the steel that will be needed for track, concrete reinforcements, overhead wires and other structures. This Government has put rules in place for all its departments to ensure we can buy the right quality steel, produced under the right conditions - which will be of clear benefit to UK bidders.
HS2 provides an excellent opportunity for businesses across the UK with 25,000 jobs created during construction and 3,000 when up and running.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether steel produced in Britain will be used for the electrification of the Manchester to Blackpool train route.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The electrification of the Manchester to Blackpool train route is still in the design phase and the steel has not yet been purchased.
Network Rail already sources 95% of its steel rail from the UK. Steel for electrification projects has typically been procured by principal contractors from a variety of sources, but Network Rail is currently seeking to aggregate volumes wherever possible and procure materials directly. Total forecast requirement of steel for electrification projects is forecast to be around 175k tonnes over the next 6 years. Network Rail’s strategy is to source this from the UK wherever possible, and the electrification of the Manchester to Blackpool train route will also be in accordance with this.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of lost property is recovered from (1) Heathrow airport, (2) Manchester airport, (3) Liverpool airport, (4) Gatwick airport, and (5) Glasgow airport.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government does not collect statistics on what proportion of lost property is recovered from airports. This is a matter for the airports concerned.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what happens to the lost property that is not recovered at (1) Heathrow airport, (2) Manchester airport, (3) Liverpool airport, (4) Gatwick airport, and (5) Glasgow airport; and what revenue, if any, property that is not recovered raises for each airport.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government does not hold information on the lost property arrangements of individual airports or any revenue that they collect as a result. However it is usual practice for items to be retained for a minimum of 90 days and then either auctioned, donated or, where they may be deemed hazardous, to be disposed of in a suitable manner.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why Network Rail took the decision to close Rawlinson Lane, Chorley Road and Grimeford Lane in Adlington, Lancashire, at the same time to accommodate electrification of the Manchester to Preston via Bolton and Chorley line.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Network Rail took the decision to close the roads simultaneously in order to coordinate with the railway closures. These kinds of closures are planned up to two years in advance. In this area Network Rail had five bridges to rebuild and two possession slots; the intention was to split the bridge rebuilding over two years, doing two in 2014 and three in 2015. Due to environmental impacts identified at Grimeford Lane last year that particular bridge was rescheduled from the original plan to be completed this year.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest date that each bridge in Adlington, Lancashire, could reopen.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Grimeford Lane will be re-opened by the end of week commencing 16 March.
The dates of closure for the other roads at present are in accordance with the following programme:
- Chorley Road – (skew bridge) full closure from 26 January – 19 June 2015
- Rawlinson Lane – full closure from 5 January – 22 May 2015
- Station Road, Blackrod – full closure from 2 February – 15 May 2015.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions Network Rail had with Lancashire County Council and Bolton Council in advance of the bridge closures in Adlington, Lancashire.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Network Rail had extensive discussions and meetings to plan the work with both Lancashire County Council and Bolton Councils in excess of 12 months in advance of the bridge closures in Adlington, Lancashire. Town councillors, borough councillors and county councillors were brought together in one room to discuss the work. Importantly this gauged their preferences on the order in which bridges would be rebuilt in the Adlington area before any orders were submitted to the local authority.
Network Rail also held information events for elected members and the public to learn about the work before it commenced.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions Network Rail had with parliamentarians and local councillors in advance of work beginning on the bridges in Adlington, Lancashire.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Network Rail had a meeting with the Rt Hon Member for Chorley (Lindsay Hoyle MP) in winter 2013/14 and met with the Hon Member for Bolton West (Julie Hilling MP) in February 2014 to give an overview of the bridge and tunnel works required in 2014/15. Network Rail held meetings with all tiers of local government, including town councillors, borough councillors and county councillors.