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Written Question
Isles of Scilly Steamship Company
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company to continue its role as sole strategic provider of seaborn passenger traffic between the islands and mainland in the case of any sale.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport strongly supports the reliable and accessible provision of lifeline transport services to the Isles of Scilly, as we acknowledge their importance to the Isles’ communities.

It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment on private commercial issues concerning the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group.


Written Question
A303: Dual Carriageways
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their progress in completing the project to create a dual carriage way on the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling scheme started construction in September 2021. National Highways is now planning to Open for Traffic in Winter 2024/2025.


Written Question
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 25th October 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the condition of road infrastructure in England and how many potholes they have (1) identified and (2) filled to completion on (a) roads and (b) pedestrian pavements.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department annually collects and publishes information on GOV.UK regarding the condition of roads in England, covering surface condition, skidding resistance, and highway maintenance treatments and expenditure. This information comes from surveys which identify a series of road surface defects, although some of these defects may be related to potholes, the number of potholes cannot be recorded. The most recent release can be read on GOV.UK.

The Department does not hold information on the condition of footpaths, this information will be held by local authorities for their own asset management needs.


Written Question
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 25th October 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they define the term ‘pothole’.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

There is no nationally agreed definition of a pothole. It is up to local authorities to decide which surface defects on the highway to treat, following a risk-based approach. This is set out in the best practice document “Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice”, which is available online.


Written Question
Railway Stations: Tickets
Wednesday 13th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the results of the public consultations on proposals to close manned ticket offices at railway stations in England; and if not, why they do not plan to publish.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

This is an industry led process where Train Operating Companies put forward proposals to close or change the opening hours of station ticket offices and launch passenger consultations. The independent passenger bodies, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, are currently considering the consultation responses and will publish their response to each train operator’s proposals once the process has completed.


Written Question
Railways: Health and Safety
Tuesday 18th July 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 27 June (HL8446), what plans they have to discuss with South Western Railways that company's failure to provide water for passengers during hot weather, unlike the other operators cited.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ensuring the welfare of passengers and rail staff is a top priority for train operating companies, including during particularly hot weather. The advice remains for passengers to carry a bottle of water on all train journeys in hot weather, so that they can keep hydrated. Most modern trains also have air conditioning installed to maintain cool temperatures, but, where air conditioning is not available, operators ventilate trains as best as they can by opening windows throughout journeys and train doors at stations, where possible.

For hot weather, an ill passenger or an air conditioning failure, South Western Railways stocks water on most trains, and will provide to passengers in those circumstances. South Western Railway also maintains water supplies at key stations so that they can be added to trains during periods of extreme hot weather, particularly at key stations on their longer distance lines.


Written Question
Railways: Health and Safety
Tuesday 27th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health and safety issues, if any, that may occur on train services lasting more than three hours where refreshments, including water, are not made available to customers in hot weather.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ensuring the welfare of passengers and rail staff remains a top priority for the Government, particularly during hot weather, which can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion or fainting. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for safety oversight of the railway in Great Britain and works with train operators to encourage all passengers to follow the latest public health and travel advice.

While no study has been undertaken specifically on the health and safety issues of water not being provided on services lasting more than three hours, the advice to passengers is to carry a bottle of water on all train journeys in hot weather so that they can keep hydrated. Most modern trains also have air conditioning installed to maintain cool temperatures, but where air conditioning is not available, operators ventilate trains as best as they can by opening windows throughout journeys and train doors at stations, where possible. Many operators also offer free water in hot weather and when services are delayed.


Written Question
South Western Railway: Standards
Wednesday 10th May 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether a shortage of diesel fuel was the reason for South Western Railways ceasing to provide a full West of England service from Exeter into London Waterloo in the week ending 28 April; what discussions have they had with (1) the train company, and (2) the rail regulator; and what assessment they have made of the cost to the regional economy of three days without trains.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Department Officials worked closely and extensively with South Western Railway (SWR) to understand the root cause, solution and timelines for returning to the full timetable. It was determined that the cause was contaminated bio fuel in the storage tanks at Salisbury Depot. SWR has hired an independent investigator to find out how and why this occurred which will take a few weeks to conclude.

SWR returned to its normal timetable from Friday 28 April, which included direct services between Exeter and London Waterloo. Some Exeter to Waterloo services and services between Salisbury and Southampton returned earlier. The cost to the regional economy was minimised as passengers had the option to travel via Salisbury and Basingstoke or to change tickets to another operator on a similar route.


Written Question
Railway Stations: Access
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of accessibility at train stations, such as Castle Cary station in Somerset, for passengers who are elderly, infirm or disabled.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are carrying out accessibility audits at all stations in Great Britain. Around 95% of these are complete and the data will be made publicly available once the project is complete.

We are also assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding for the period 2024-29, including a nomination for Castle Cary, should further funding be made available.


Written Question
Driving Tests
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the time taken to issue dates for driving tests.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a 24-week forward booking window and tests are not available to book beyond this. The DVSA adds new test appointments to the booking system on a weekly basis when the 24-week forward booking window refreshes.

All available practical driving test appointments, including cancellations, show on the live booking system to everyone at the same time. The DVSA adds any additional tests to the system as soon as they become available.