Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many train operating companies are currently operating on UK rail routes; of those, how many are foreign-owned; and whether this proportion is of concern.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Department for Transport (DfT) have franchise contracts with 15 of the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in the UK. Other TOCs operating on UK rail routes have contracts which are let by devolved or Local Authority bodies or are open access operators. All the 15 TOCs franchised by DfT are limited companies registered in the UK and as such will be liable for UK tax. Of those 15 companies, seven are ultimately owned by foreign entities; three are part owned by foreign entities and part owned by UK entities; and five are owned by UK entities. Franchises are let to a range of bidders based in a variety of different countries via fair and open competition with strict qualification criteria. Our franchising system as a whole has delivered great benefits to passengers, including new private investment totalling £6.4 billion over the last 11 years.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish a post with executive authority over the maritime craft of those departments with an interest in coastal littoral activity; and if so, whether that post would lead on procurement of a common fleet of maritime craft in the future.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Joint Maritime Operations Coordination Centre (JMOCC), established very recently, in October 2017, optimises and coordinates the deployment of UK maritime assets across government agencies, including the seagoing craft owned by Border Force, the Royal Navy, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. This is achieved by maintaining a detailed picture of those assets in terms of type, location and availability along with a comprehensive overview of the threats likely to occur in UK waters and access to near real-time monitoring systems. The methodology has already led to successful inventions in respect of incidents ranging from criminality to safety.
Additionally, the Joint Governance Board for the JMOCC and the National Maritime Information Centre supports stakeholders’ decision-making processes in relation to the deployment of resources; as such there are currently no plans to procure a ‘common fleet of maritime craft’.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office intends to fund the £4.5 million annual cost of running the National Maritime Information Centre and Joint Maritime Operations Centre; and if not, how they will ensure that departments involved pay the requisite amount.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) and Joint Maritime Operations Coordination Centre (JMOCC) are currently funded by annual contributions from the major government stakeholders, Border Force, the Department for Transport, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Marine Management Organisation, the National Crime Agency, the Home Office (Office for Security and Counter Terrorism) and the Police. In addition to the financial contributions, a number of these stakeholders also directly sponsor posts at the NMIC and JMOCC. The Royal Navy supports the NMIC-JMOCC estate, along with other infrastructure.
The long-term funding for both organisations will be considered as part of next year’s planned Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued advice to merchant shipping companies about the level of cyber awareness expected of ships entering UK ports.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Department for Transport has issued Codes of Practice on cyber security for both UK-flagged ships and UK ports. These documents, which are available to everyone, provide a management framework intended to support industry in recognizing and addressing their own vulnerabilities, and to encourage them to have in place procedures that safeguard their businesses from current and emerging threats.
We work closely with the wider international maritime community to promote best practice and expertise, especially through the International Maritime Organization, who themselves have recently published guidelines on maritime cyber risk management, which will also be incorporated into their International Safety Management Code in 2021.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the cyber risks to merchant shipping (1) in UK ports, (2) in UK waters, and (3) globally.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government continues to assess both existing and emerging cyber threats to the maritime industry, both in relation to UK-flagged vessels and UK ports, as well as the evolving threats globally. The Department for Transport has issued Codes of Practice for both UK-flagged vessels and ports which are tools aimed at making industry aware of the threats and the impacts they could have on their business, as well as providing practical and simple management solutions which, when properly applied, can provide an effective defence against cyber attacks.
The Government also takes a leading role within the international maritime and security community, through such organizations as the International Maritime Organization, to develop awareness and promote best practice not only to improve defence but to encourage better detection when such attacks occur.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken any research into the level of pollution produced by a new 20mph limit in the London boroughs that have reduced the speed limit from 30mph; and, if so, what that research shows.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Information on road traffic deaths in London boroughs is not collected by the Department for Transport in the form requested, because the Department does not hold information on which London boroughs have implemented 20mph limits, nor when the limits were installed.
The Government has not conducted any specific research into levels of pollution produced by a new 20mph limit in the relevant London boroughs. The air quality plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the Greater London Urban Area published in July 2017 provides details of measured nitrogen dioxide concentrations in London between 2001 and 2015.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been a reduction in road traffic deaths in the first year of operation of a 20mph limit in those London boroughs that have reduced their speed limit from 30mph.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Information on road traffic deaths in London boroughs is not collected by the Department for Transport in the form requested, because the Department does not hold information on which London boroughs have implemented 20mph limits, nor when the limits were installed.
The Government has not conducted any specific research into levels of pollution produced by a new 20mph limit in the relevant London boroughs. The air quality plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the Greater London Urban Area published in July 2017 provides details of measured nitrogen dioxide concentrations in London between 2001 and 2015.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how many months roadworks have been underway on the M3 motorway between the Fleet Services and the M25; for how many months those roadworks are expected to continue; what was the initial cost estimate for those works; and what is the current estimated cost.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The roadworks underway on the M3 between junctions 2 (the M25) and 4a near Fleet services) consist of two combined schemes (a Smart Motorway scheme and a maintenance scheme). These have been underway for 26 months, and are currently due to finish construction in two months in June 2017. The cost estimate approved for these works was £256 million. The current estimated outturn cost of the scheme is also £256 million.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider merchant shipping part of the UK's critical national infrastructure; and what advice they give to UK shipping companies about cybersecurity.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Whilst merchant shipping is vital to the well-being of the country, individual vessels are not considered part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, as this term tends to refer to fixed physical infrastructure. But transport as a whole is designated as a critical sector for the UK.
The Department for Transport regularly liaises with both the ports and shipping industries to address cyber security concerns. A Code of Practice for Ports is scheduled to be published in July 2016. Research into cyber vulnerabilities on vessels has also taken place with the co-operation of shipping companies and it is anticipated that a Code of Practice will be published in due course. In the meantime, we are also working with the International Maritime Organization to address global concerns. Guidelines produced by industry are currently being discussed by the IMO and are available on the Baltic and International Maritime Council website.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there has been a reduction in the number of British seafarers being employed by the world's merchant marine, and if there has, what action they are taking to ensure that the necessary numbers exist to meet national requirements for British seafarers in time of war.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The latest UK seafarer statistics can be found in the attached document “Seafarer Statistics, 2015” that is also available on gov.uk.
In 2015 the total number of UK seafarers active at sea was 23,380, an increase of 2% on the 2014 figure and 2.3% on 2013 figure. The figures for the last five years are shown below:
Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
Active seafarers at sea | 27,010 | 24,100 | 22,840 | 22,910 | 23,380 |
The Maritime Growth Study, chaired by Lord Mountevans and published on 7 September 2015, recognised the need for more proactive action to replenish and develop the skills needed to maintain the UK position as a world-leading maritime centre. The Government has accepted the recommendations and has already let a research contract to Oxford Economics to establish the requirement for trained seafarers in the UK.
However, the Government does not hold data on national requirements for British seafarers in time of war.