Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce which Access for All programmes will be funded during Control Period 7.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As part of our recent Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of our train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding. At stations awarded funding this will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that road safety improvements committed to in the register of undertakings and assurances for HS2 will be fulfilled.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State takes compliance with all HS2 undertakings and assurances (U&As), including those which relate to road safety, very seriously. In most cases, day to day responsibility for compliance is delegated to HS2 Ltd or the relevant contractor. HS2 Ltd completes regular reviews of each U&A on the register and ensures that a suitable plan for compliance with each U&A is in place. HS2 Ltd also records evidence to demonstrate compliance and performs risk-based assurance. Overall compliance is monitored by the Department.
Assurance #2047 on the register committed the Government to provide up to £30 million to improve road safety along the HS2 line of route. The Department informed relevant local authorities of their allocations from this HS2 Road Safety Fund in 2017. Since then, local authorities have been drawing down these funds for use in accordance with their own locally agreed priorities.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been allocated from the HS2 Road Safety Fund in (a) total and (b) each local authority area.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The total amount that has been allocated from the HS2 Road Safety Fund is £29,660,000. This has been allocated to local authorities as set out in the table below:
Road Safety Fund | |
Local authority | Allocation |
Camden | £2,425,000 |
Westminster | £1,560,000 |
Ealing | £1,010,000 |
Hillingdon | £645,000 |
Hertfordshire | £1,165,000 |
Oxfordshire | £1,140,000 |
Solihull | £2,435,000 |
Birmingham | £2,660,000 |
Warwickshire | £8,045,000 |
Northamptonshire | £1,650,000 |
Staffordshire | £2,975,000 |
Buckinghamshire | £3,950,000 |
Total | £29,660,000 |
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve safety at the A5 Shotatton Crossroads.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A5 Shotatton Crossroads is already subject to a 40 mile per hour speed limit to reduce accident risk, and this is enforced by fixed cameras. Accidents still do occur, most recently on 27 March. National Highways is currently undertaking a route safety study of the A5, from the A5/A458 Churncote roundabout, west of Shrewsbury as far as the Welsh Border near Chirk. This study will examine collision data and recorded safety issues along the route, with a view to providing a consistent safety approach for users of this route. National Highways expects the work to include improved traffic signage, edge markers/bollards, and road markings. At present, this study has not identified further safety measures, at the Shotatton crossroads junction but this may change as the study develops.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to provide compensation to town and parish councils for time spent on (a) applications and (b) other work linked to sections of the HS2 that have been cancelled.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Policy changes are a common feature of Government and there is no mechanism or precedent for compensating local authorities or councils for abortive costs incurred as a result of changes in Government policy. Providing compensation in this instance would create wide-ranging and repercussive consequences for the taxpayer. Whilst abortive costs are unfortunate, they should be seen in the context of a broader package of support for local authorities that the Government is providing through Network North. For instance, a new £2.5 billion fund for local transport across all areas in the North outside the six city regions – smaller cities, counties, towns and countryside and as well as a new £3.3 billion fund for road resurfacing in the North.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Avanti West Coast on the withdrawal of the direct Euston to Shrewsbury service.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Department officials routinely engage with Avanti and its Owning Group over many areas, including timetabling decisions.
The Department specifies the train services to be operated by train companies including Avanti West Coast through National Rail Contracts. As part of industry wide efforts to align timetables to changing demand patterns and restore the financial stability of the railway, the Government asked all operators to present cost saving options. Due to very low passenger numbers, the service between Shrewsbury and London is currently operating at a loss of £1.4 million per year. We cannot ask taxpayers to maintain the historically high level of financial support for the industry indefinitely, so the service will be withdrawn from June 2024. West Midlands Railway (WMR) and Transport for Wales provide sufficient capacity for passengers between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Department has agreed that WMR will introduce a second hourly Birmingham to Shrewsbury semi-fast service in June 2024 to operate via the Stour Valley and provide quicker journey time between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct Avanti West Coast to hold a public consultation on its planned withdrawal of the Shrewsbury to Euston service.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is required to make decisions as part of industry wide efforts to align timetables to changing demand patterns and restore the financial stability of the railway, the Government asked all operators to present cost saving options. Due to very low passenger numbers, the service between Shrewsbury and London is currently operating at a loss of £1.4 million per year. West Midlands Railway (WMR) and Transport for Wales provide sufficient capacity for passengers between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Department has agreed that WMR will introduce a second hourly Birmingham to Shrewsbury semi-fast service in June 2024 to operate via the Stour Valley and provide quicker journey time between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.
Government support for the operational railway was almost £12 billion in the last financial year – equivalent to more than £420 per household. The Secretary of State’s decision to withdraw a service operating at a loss estimated at £1.4 million every year, was taken to help reduce public subsidy and restore the financial sustainability of the railway. No public consultation is planned as, given these clear financial constraints, meaningful consultation is not possible, as it would not alter the outcome.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his permission was required for Avanti West Coast to withdraw its direct Shrewsbury to Euston service.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is required to make decisions as part of industry wide efforts to align timetables to changing demand patterns and restore the financial stability of the railway, the Government asked all operators to present cost saving options. Due to very low passenger numbers, the service between Shrewsbury and London is currently operating at a loss of £1.4 million per year. West Midlands Railway (WMR) and Transport for Wales provide sufficient capacity for passengers between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Department has agreed that WMR will introduce a second hourly Birmingham to Shrewsbury semi-fast service in June 2024 to operate via the Stour Valley and provide quicker journey time between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.
Government support for the operational railway was almost £12 billion in the last financial year – equivalent to more than £420 per household. The Secretary of State’s decision to withdraw a service operating at a loss estimated at £1.4 million every year, was taken to help reduce public subsidy and restore the financial sustainability of the railway. No public consultation is planned as, given these clear financial constraints, meaningful consultation is not possible, as it would not alter the outcome.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that programmes for improving safety on the strategic road network receive adequate funding.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund, worth £140m in RIS2, is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme and aims to deliver over 150 safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas, to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network.
The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against its performance indicators and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help improve safety on the strategic road network.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund, worth £140m in RIS2, is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme and aims to deliver over 150 safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas, to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network.
The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against its performance indicators and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.