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Written Question
Bus Services: Stoke on Trent
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence he has had with Stoke-on-Trent City Council on the potential for bus franchising within that city; and whether he will place copies of that correspondence in the Library.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Bus Services Act 2017 (BSA) introduces new bus franchising powers for local authorities as well as providing other tools to improve bus services. We are working with interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.

We have had no formal requests or correspondence on the potential for bus franchising within the City of Stoke-on-Trent. Ministers and officials meet regularly with all local authorities to discuss a range of issues.

Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) have automatic access to new powers to franchise local bus services. No local authority which is not part of an MCA currently runs a franchise under the BSA.

We set out criteria for assessing proposals in our guidance, available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694428/bus-services-act-2017-franchising-guidance.pdf)


Written Question
Bus Services: Franchises
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authorities that are not part of Mayoral Combined Authority areas, run franchised bus services under the Bus Services Act 2017.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Bus Services Act 2017 (BSA) introduces new bus franchising powers for local authorities as well as providing other tools to improve bus services. We are working with interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.

We have had no formal requests or correspondence on the potential for bus franchising within the City of Stoke-on-Trent. Ministers and officials meet regularly with all local authorities to discuss a range of issues.

Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) have automatic access to new powers to franchise local bus services. No local authority which is not part of an MCA currently runs a franchise under the BSA.

We set out criteria for assessing proposals in our guidance, available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694428/bus-services-act-2017-franchising-guidance.pdf)


Written Question
Bus Services: Franchises
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities have submitted proposals for franchising services to his Department under the provisions of the Bus Services Act 2017.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Bus Services Act 2017 (BSA) introduces new bus franchising powers for local authorities as well as providing other tools to improve bus services. We are working with interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.

We have had no formal requests or correspondence on the potential for bus franchising within the City of Stoke-on-Trent. Ministers and officials meet regularly with all local authorities to discuss a range of issues.

Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) have automatic access to new powers to franchise local bus services. No local authority which is not part of an MCA currently runs a franchise under the BSA.

We set out criteria for assessing proposals in our guidance, available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694428/bus-services-act-2017-franchising-guidance.pdf)


Written Question
Bus Services: Franchises
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department uses to assess the (a) capacity, (b) track-record and (c) economic geography of a local authority to undertake bus franchising; and whether Stoke-on-Trent City Council has complied with that criteria.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Bus Services Act 2017 (BSA) introduces new bus franchising powers for local authorities as well as providing other tools to improve bus services. We are working with interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.

We have had no formal requests or correspondence on the potential for bus franchising within the City of Stoke-on-Trent. Ministers and officials meet regularly with all local authorities to discuss a range of issues.

Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) have automatic access to new powers to franchise local bus services. No local authority which is not part of an MCA currently runs a franchise under the BSA.

We set out criteria for assessing proposals in our guidance, available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694428/bus-services-act-2017-franchising-guidance.pdf)


Written Question
Department for Transport: Pay
Friday 25th January 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Department for Transport does not hold remuneration rates for cleaners, catering staff and security guards as these services are provided through a Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract, which has a fixed single monthly payment covering all services. Under that TFM contract all staff employed by the service provider are paid at least the National Minimum Wage.


Written Question
Department for Transport: Living Wage
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

There are no staff within the Department of Transport or its agencies, who are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.


Written Question
Department for Transport: Living Wage
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

There are no staff in the Department for Transport or its agencies, who are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.


Written Question
Department for Transport: Working Hours
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in his Department.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Senior Civil Servants (SCS) are contracted to work a minimum (over a 5 day week) either 41 or 42 hours, including daily meal breaks for one hour. The new model contract was introduced on the 1st July 2013, which standardised the working hours to 42 hours. This has been applicable to all new SCS staff joining the Civil Service as well as those staff being promoted into or within SCS, from that date forward.


Written Question
Department for Transport: Staff
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how may staff (a) are employed directly by, (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to her Department.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

As at 30th June 2018, the number of staff employed directly, seconded to and working under contract in the Department (including the Central Department and Executive Agencies) is as follows:

The number of staff employed directly was 14,510, published in the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable.

There were 33 staff seconded to the Department and 361 staff working under contract.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: West Midlands
Wednesday 13th June 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date construction work is planned to commence on the West Midlands to Crewe portion of HS2.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

Construction work will begin on Phase 2a of the High Speed Two (HS2) rail project after the High Speed 2 (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill has passed through the full Parliamentary process. We aim to have Royal Assent by December 2019 which would mean that construction would begin in 2020. Some enabling work may commence earlier, such as modifications to utilities, highways and existing railway, under separate legal powers.