Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of the out-turn cost of HS2 on the basis of their latest proposals for the completion of the project.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Our latest position on cost is noted in our December 2024 report to parliament. We are undertaking a full reset of the programme, led by the new CEO Mark Wild. Until that work is concluded we are unable to provide a robust assessment of outturn cost but will be reporting to parliament in due course.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the reduction of the general speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour in built-up residential areas in England.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There has not been any consideration given to reducing the general speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour in built-up residential areas in England.
It is for local authorities to decide where reduced speed limits will be effective on the roads they manage, and consultation and community support should be at the heart of the process.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the West Coast Main Line upgrade between Warrington and Carlisle on services between north Wales and London.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
This investment in renewing and upgrading rail infrastructure is critical to meeting current and future needs of communities along the West Coast Main Line. The Department expects operators to minimise the impact of planned engineering works on passengers as far as possible.
It is expected that route blockades to facilitate these essential works will span a number of years, and it is possible there could be some disruption on parts of the route away from the works, including in north Wales. However, the specifics in terms of effect on passenger services are yet to be agreed between Network Rail and Train Operating Companies. Therefore, the Department is not yet able to assess the full impact on passengers during the work.
Network Rail and relevant Train Operating Companies will keep passengers informed closer to the dates when they are agreed.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the economies of both Wales and the UK, of the recent closure of shipping facilities at the port of Holyhead; and what discussions have they had with the company that manages the port and the government of Wales about minimising the impact of the closure.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
DfT is working closely with the Welsh Government, which is leading on this matter. Welsh officials have had regular contact with operators, including Stena, which operates the port of Holyhead. UK Government officials (including DfT, Border Force, DBT and HMRC) have supported them in the implementation of additional routes. DfT is also working very closely with the Irish Government and British Embassy Dublin, to support the response.
The Government recognises that this will have been a challenging time for the people and businesses of Ynys Mon. The Isle of Anglesey County Council business support portal will give the opportunity for businesses to express concerns to the Welsh Government. The Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales has also announced a new multi-stakeholder task force to help deliver a new strategy for the future of Holyhead Port.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the change in the volume of freight shipped through Holyhead between 2015 and 2023.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport publishes maritime freight statistics for all of UK’s major and minor ports, including the Port of Holyhead, as part of the annual Port Freight Statistics Publication.
Table 1 shows the maritime freight volume through the Port of Holyhead across the period 2015 to 2023. The freight volume has increased by 7% across this period.
Table 1: Maritime freight volume through the Port of Holyhead from 2015 until 2023
Year | Tonnage (million tonnes) |
2015 | 4.45 |
2016 | 4.94 |
2017 | 5.24 |
2018 | 5.22 |
2019 | 5.33 |
2020 | 5.86 |
2021 | 3.76 |
2022 | 4.10 |
2023 | 4.78 |
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the frequency, reliability and journey times of passenger trains between Cardiff and London during the construction of HS2.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Old Oak Common is a crucial enabler for the Government’s growth mission. During construction there will be periods of full line closures and some periods – generally weekends – when the closure of some lines means fewer services will operate. During full closures, some services from Cardiff to London are expected to divert into London Euston, maintaining direct access into Central London. Government is working with industry to ensure disruption for passengers is kept to a minimum.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since 4 July to ensure that a reliable train service is maintained between London Euston and Holyhead.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The performance of Avanti West Coast (AWC) services between London and Holyhead has not been good enough, with too many cancellations and delays. Poor Network Rail infrastructure reliability has also contributed to the disruption felt by passengers.
The former Secretary of State met with AWC and Network Rail in July to challenge them on poor performance and demand immediate action to deliver urgent improvements.
As part of its recovery plan, AWC will introduce 25 new weekly services on its Chester and North Wales route from 15 December 2024. In addition, AWC expects to complete work to replace its diesel trains with a brand-new fleet of modern bi-mode Hitachi trains on the North Wales Mainline by May 2025, offering more space and a quieter journey for passengers.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Avanti West Coast train executive in relation to their performance in maintaining scheduled direct passenger services between (1) London and Holyhead, and (2) London and Wrexham.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Avanti West Coast (AWC) has made significant progress in recovering from recent poor reliability and punctuality, but we are clear that performance is still not good enough and there is more to do. Officials continue to closely monitor and review AWC’s progress to a sustained recovery, restoring services reliably on the West Coast Main Line and delivering good value for the taxpayer. Officials regularly meet with AWC senior management to review performance and we will always hold AWC to account for matters within its control.
Over the next few months AWC is working to introduce a brand-new fleet of bi-mode Hitachi trains offering more space and a quieter journey for passengers along the North Wales mainline.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many miles of road in England have speed limits of (1) 20, and (2) 30, miles per hour.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
This information is not centrally held.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the train cancellations announced by Avanti West Coast for the summer do not negatively impact tourist-related businesses in the coastal resorts of north Wales.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Avanti West Coast (AWC) plans to maintain current service levels between London and North Wales throughout summer 2024. Network Rail engineering works over six weekend days between May and August 2024 will, however, close parts of the North Wales Coast Line to all operators, with temporary changes required to accommodate these.
The Department recognises the inconvenience that these works will cause, however, this investment in renewing and upgrading rail infrastructure is critical to meeting current and future needs of communities in North Wales. Alongside these crucial infrastructure works, AWC is working to introduce a brand-new fleet of bi-mode Hitachi trains offering more space and a quieter journey for passengers along the North Wales mainline.