Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work (a) has been undertaken and (b) is planned on the creation of a long-term strategy for rolling stock.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of our reforms to the railway, the Government will develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock promoting a longer-term, whole-system approach. This strategy will seek to provide a strong and steady pipeline of orders, supporting British manufacturing and ending the volatility in demand that we have seen over recent years. It will also consider the best financing structures for future orders in partnership with private capital.
Officials are working to develop this strategy alongside the creation of Great British Railways.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6166 on East Anglia Rail Franchise, what are the contractual conditions for termination of rail operator contracts.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The events under which an operator would default on its National Rail Contract with the Secretary of State, and events under which termination of the contract would be applicable, are set out in the National Rail Contracts, in particular in Chapter 9.4.1. National Rail Contracts are published as part of the Public Register of Rail Passenger Contracts and are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-register-of-rail-passenger-contracts
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had direct discussions with her Scottish counterpart since July 2024.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has had direct discussions with her Scottish counterpart since July 2024.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Network Rail has made on the access charge discount scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To date, under Network Rail’s Access Charges Discount Policy for Control Period 7, two applications have been approved. The first, which has commenced operations is a five day per week service between Tilbury and Manchester. The second is a twice a week service from Southampton to London Gateway that will be starting in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had direct discussions with her Welsh counterpart since July 2024.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has had direct discussions with her Welsh counterpart since July 2024.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has met with representatives from GoAhead Ltd.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State visited GoAhead in July, and plans to meet representatives again in the near future.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the motor insurance taskforce will review postcode insurance pricing.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
The Taskforce will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of Network Rail's potential loss of revenue from disabling the advertising board at London Euston station this financial year.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The use of the advertising screen at Euston Station is under review with various options being considered. The potential loss of revenue is commercially confidential.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions Network Rail has had with JC Decaux on the potential costs of turning off their advertising hoardings at Euston Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As key partners, Network Rail speaks with JCDecaux on commercial matters across its railway estate on a weekly basis, or sometimes even more frequently. The loss of revenue is being borne by Network Rail. Network Rail are unable to comment on the financial impact on JCDecaux as the terms of the agreement are commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that her Department has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Details of all Government contracts, including research contracts, are published on Contracts Finder, and FTS, for contracts awarded from Jan 2021 over a certain threshold.