Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing discounted train and bus travel for apprentices in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport continues to explore the practicability of implementing such a scheme or schemes, which is likely to include an analysis of the costs involved.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on bus and train travel for apprentices.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is implementing apprenticeship reforms to continue to improve the quality of apprenticeships for all, providing the skills that employers need to reach our commitment of 3 million starts in England by 2020. The Government has also expressed a desire that it does not want the costs of travel to deter young people, and so the Department (in discussion with the Department for Education) has started exploring options for travel for apprentices.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents were reported involving mobility scooters in 2015.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Statistics for 2015 will be published in June 2016.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the franchise agreements for Northern Rail and TransPennine Express will be published.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The draft franchise agreements are already published by the Department:
TransPennine Express (TPE): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417830/franchise-agreement.pdf
and the final agreements will be published after the conclusions of the franchise competitions, due in December 2015, and when the agreed redactions have taken place.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which passenger rail contracts let by (a) his Department, (b) the Scottish Government, (c) the Welsh Government, (d) Transport for London and (e) Merseyrail are (i) franchises, (ii) concessions, (iii) management contracts and (iv) other types of passenger rail contract.
Answered by Claire Perry
Under the terms of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended), all operational contracts for the supply of passenger rail services are franchises.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which current rail franchises include break clauses; and what is the purpose of each of those break clauses.
Answered by Claire Perry
Older franchise agreements including Chiltern (let in 2002) and Wales & Borders (let in 2003) have continuation reviews at defined points, which could allow the removal of a poorly performing operator. Newer franchise agreements do not have continuation reviews at pre-defined points but the Department has the right under the Franchise Agreement to terminate the franchise in the event of severe and continuing non-compliance with the Agreement.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he proposes that Rail North will exercise in respect of the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises by May 2016.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In March of this year the Department for Transport (DfT) signed a formal partnership agreement with Rail North. This agreement sets out the arrangements by which a locally-based team in Leeds, reporting to a joint Rail North/ DfT strategic board will manage the new Northern and TransPennine Express franchises from April 2016. The agreement includes important mechanisms to enable the Rail North authorities to make decisions on changes to their local rail service and fares and to make investments in these franchises to make improvements.
It also sets out the steps by which further devolution will be agreed by the parties during the life of the franchises.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he plans Rail North to assume in relation to rail franchises by 2020.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In March of this year the Department for Transport (DfT) signed a formal partnership agreement with Rail North. This agreement sets out the arrangements by which a locally-based team in Leeds, reporting to a joint Rail North/DfT strategic board will manage the new Northern and TransPennine Express franchises from April 2016. The agreement includes important mechanisms to enable the Rail North authorities to make decisions on changes to their local rail service and fares and to make investments in these franchises to make improvements. The partnership agreement with Rail North signed in March 2015 sets out the steps by which further devolution will be agreed by the parties during the life of the franchises.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role he plans for Rail North in (a) assessing bids for the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises and (b) drafting the agreements for those franchises.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport (DfT) has been working with Rail North throughout the process to renew the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises. As well as their active involvement during the development of the franchise specifications and public consultation, Rail North staff have also been part of the DfT teams evaluating the bids and have commented on key parts of the draft Franchise Agreements.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sexual assaults on trains there have been in the last 12 months.
Answered by Claire Perry
In the period 1 November 2014 to 31 October 2015 there were a total of 754 reported sexual assaults on trains, and 3 reported rapes. It is likely that the levels reported are at least in part a result of various initiatives by the British Transport Police (BTP) to raise awareness and encourage more reporting of sexual offences, including various specific campaigns such as Project Guardian which encourages victims to report inappropriate sexual behaviour. Further detail on the range of actions being taken by the BTP to reduce sexual offences can be found at http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/how_we_tackle_crime/sexual_offences.aspx.