Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (a) made to and (b) received from third parties on its inquiry into the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam from the cruise ship Disney Wonder.
Answered by John Hayes
Rebecca Coriam disappeared from a Bahamas registered vessel in non-UK waters. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) therefore has no jurisdiction in this case and did not initiate an investigation.
An investigation was undertaken by authorities in the Bahamas and the Chief Inspector wrote to the Bahamas Maritime Authority to register the UK as a substantially interested state pursuant to the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code.
MAIB has received one request from a third party into the information it holds on the case.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of construction jobs that are likely to be created through each construction contract as part of High Speed 2 Phase One in each year.
Answered by Andrew Jones
High Speed 2 Limited estimate that around a total of 25,000 private sector employment opportunities will be generated in the process of building the HS2 railway, with a further 3,000 jobs to operate it once finished. The London-West Midlands Environmental Statement (Volume 3, Route-Wide Effects, November 2013) estimated that the equivalent of 14,600 full time employment opportunities would be generated in the construction of Phase One. The government has not made an estimate of the number of construction jobs created through each construction contract in each year.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote the recruitment of local workers for the construction and operation of High Speed 2 (HS2) in (a) London, (b) Birmingham and (c) the rest of the HS2 Phase One route; and what reporting requirements he is placing on HS2 contractors with regard to (i) local labour recruitment, (ii) spending with local suppliers and (iii) recruitment from disadvantaged and under-represented groups.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The steps taken to promote the recruitment of local workers (as well as disadvantaged and under-represented groups) are set out at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509181/G4_-_Approaches_to_Training_and_Employment_v1.4.pdf
Measures to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and local businesses from across the UK access supply chain opportunities are also included in the major works contracts. HS2 Ltd require every procurement to be fair, transparent and competitive and to maximise the opportunities for SMEs to provide the works.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what definition will be used for the term local workers in relation to recruitment policies introduced for the construction phase of High Speed 2.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The steps taken to promote the recruitment of local workers (as well as disadvantaged and under-represented groups) are set out at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509181/G4_-_Approaches_to_Training_and_Employment_v1.4.pdf
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the chart entitled HS2 Review Phase 1 Target Schedule on page 10 of the High Speed 2 Plus supporting slides, published by HS2 Limited on 17 March 2014, if he will update that chart so that it provides the latest contribution schedule for High Speed 2 Phase One.
Answered by Andrew Jones
HS2 Ltd remain committed to a target date of December 2026 for the introduction of services for Phase One of the project.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2016 to Question 52862, if he will make representations to (a) the Home Secretary and (b) Chief Officers of Police to put in place measures to enforce the ban on coloured decorative lights on HGV vehicles.
Answered by John Hayes
The road enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for individual Chief Police Officers, and their officers can issue verbal warnings, fixed penalty notices or report the driver for formal prosecution.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to amend the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 to proscribe the use of blue coloured decorative lights on HGV vehicles.
Answered by John Hayes
The specification including colour and use of lamps on road vehicles are the subject of The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. The Government has no plans to amend the regulations to ban the use of blue coloured decorative lamps on HGV vehicles, as these lamps are already prohibited by the regulations.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide a schedule of documents held by his Department relating to the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam from the Disney Wonder cruise ship in March 2011 and the investigation into that disappearance.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I am happy to provide the Honourable Member with full details about the documents held by the Department relating to the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam and have asked officials to write to him with this information.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department issues guidance to bus operators on air pollution control and leaving bus engines running idle while at a bus stand.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government fully recognises the potential hazards to health and the environment that pollutant emissions from motor vehicles can cause, including when vehicle engines are left idling. Whilst the Government has not issued specific guidance on the subject of idling by bus operators, under Regulation 98 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, it is an offence to cause emissions or noise by leaving a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily whilst stationary on the road - other than when in traffic. Local authorities also have powers under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002 to issue fixed penalty notices for this offence.
We are committed to improving the UK’s air quality, reducing health impacts and fulfilling our legal obligations. Our air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published on 17 December 2015, sets out a comprehensive approach to meeting our ambition for the UK to have some of the cleanest air in the world, including by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones. Under the Plan, by 2020 the most polluting vehicles, including older polluting buses, will be discouraged from entering the centres of Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby. As part of the plan, London also has a well-developed strategy for improving air quality, including the implementation of an ultra-low emission zone by 2020 - which will cover a range of vehicles, also including buses.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between junctions 12 and 14.
Answered by Andrew Jones
No work has been done to estimate the costs of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between Junctions 12 and 14 as this scheme is not within the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS). Highways England is working hard to deliver the schemes set out in the RIS in the first Road Period 2015-20.
Future investment in the strategic road network is currently being developed through Highways England’s Route Strategies process, which will be used to plan new investments in the second Road Period 2020-25.