Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the benefit to cost ratio of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway road includes the (a) cost and (b) effect of (i) new feeder roads and (i) increases in road capacity.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The estimation of scheme benefits and costs in the strategic outline business case for the ‘missing link’ between Oxford and Milton Keynes was not based on any specific route design considerations. They were derived using the appropriate modelling tools, which take account of the effect of the new capacity on traffic demand, journey times, safety and environmental impacts.
Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor which will enable a more thorough assessment of benefits and costs.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the benefit to cost ratio of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway road is; and whether that ratio is comparable with other transport proposals under review.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government published a strategic outline business case for the construction of the ‘missing link’ between Oxford and Milton Keynes in September 2018 (available on the Department for Transport website). This showed a benefit cost ratio of 1.2 or 1.3 for the preferred corridor B.
Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor which will enable a more thorough assessment of benefits and costs. At the current stage of work the estimated benefit cost ratio is not unusual.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway project on the Government's greenhouse gas emissions targets.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor for the Oxford to Cambridge expressway for a non-statutory public consultation in the autumn. This work will include an assessment of environmental impacts, including carbon emissions using the Defra forecasts for emission rates.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) major routes and (b) feeder roads are classified as (i) projects or (ii) programmes for the purposes of determining whether they require strategic environmental assessments.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Individual road enhancement schemes are projects that are subject to Environmental Impact Assessment requirements as necessary. Strategic Environmental Assessments are a specific legal requirement for plans and programmes that set the framework for the future development consent of projects.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway road will be subject to a strategic environmental assessment.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The preferred route for the Oxford to Cambridge expressway, anticipated to be announced in autumn 2020, will be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment. A Strategic Environmental Assessment will not be required.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from local authorities on the pause of shared space schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The research project into inclusive street design is being led by Transport Scotland, and as such it is for them to provide details of the timetable. However, the Department understands that the intention is for the project to go to tender imminently. The results will then inform revised guidance.
Following the publication of the Inclusive Transport Strategy on 25 July 2018, the Department received a number of queries from local authorities and practitioners on the shared space pause. To address these, a joint letter to local authorities was issued on 28 September 2018 by Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister for Accessible Travel and Kit Malthouse MP, Minister for Housing and Planning. The letter is available at:
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the format timetable is for the joint research with Transport Scotland on shared spaces; and whether that project has gone to tender.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The research project into inclusive street design is being led by Transport Scotland, and as such it is for them to provide details of the timetable. However, the Department understands that the intention is for the project to go to tender imminently. The results will then inform revised guidance.
Following the publication of the Inclusive Transport Strategy on 25 July 2018, the Department received a number of queries from local authorities and practitioners on the shared space pause. To address these, a joint letter to local authorities was issued on 28 September 2018 by Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister for Accessible Travel and Kit Malthouse MP, Minister for Housing and Planning. The letter is available at:
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the guidance entitled, Procurement policy note 03/14: promoting tax compliance, how many suppliers were allocated contracts by his Department as a result of complying with (a) one and (b) more than one of the mitigating circumstances after failing the tax compliance questions.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department does not centrally record details of how many suppliers were allocated contracts as a result of complying with (a) one and (b) more than one of the mitigating circumstances after failing the tax compliance questions
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many suppliers have been excluded from bidding for contracts as a result of not complying with the criteria set out in the guidance entitled, Procurement policy note 03/14: promoting tax compliance, in each year since 2014.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department does not centrally record the reasons for excluding specific potential suppliers from bidding for contracts.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2018 to Question 139598, what steps he has taken to improve the availability of safe, secure and appropriate parking facilities for heavy goods vehicles in terms of (a) planning, (b) the role of Highways England (c) setting standards for lorry parking facilities and (d) tackling illegal parking.
Answered by Jesse Norman
On the 24 July the Government issued a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework that now indicates that the need for sufficient overnight lorry parking should be taken into account in planning policies and decisions. There are already various positive market developments, with operators coming forward with plans for new and expanded sites. In addition, Highways England are currently reviewing their landholdings in order to identify sites with the potential to be developed into lorry parks.
On the 18 May the Department published a comprehensive survey of lorry parking in England, including in relation to welfare standards. On request the Department will share the underlying survey data relating to specific sites, in support of various existing market-led initiatives to improve the transparency around standards. There is a current trial of the use of new enforcement approaches in a part of Kent to deter inappropriate parking that has seen positive results to date. The Government is monitoring the outcomes of the 18-month trial with a view to informing future measures in relation to parking enforcement.