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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Ministerial Code to specifically include (a) commercially sensitive statements and (b) personal boycotts.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honourable Member to PQ 9328 of 22 October 2024.

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.

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.

Found: Richard Holden Jerome Mayhew Rebecca Harris Kevin Hollinrake Mr Andrew Snowden Sarah Bool Helen

Found: Richard Holden Jerome Mayhew Rebecca Harris Kevin Hollinrake Mr Andrew Snowden Sarah Bool Helen