Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department makes an assessment of the (a) quality and (b) durability of (i) pothole repairs, (ii) resurfacing and (c) other maintenance of local roads.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department works with both local highway authorities and National Highways to assess road surface condition across England annually. Local highway authorities undertake road condition surveys on their classified road networks, and their surveys identify road defects and provide an overall score of road condition. The latest data was published on gov.uk on 23 November 2023:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2023
It is up to local highway authorities to determine how best to fulfil their statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, taking into account local circumstances and priorities. This includes decisions on the equipment, techniques, and materials used as part of their maintenance activities. The Department advocates a risk-based, whole-lifecycle-asset management approach that considers all parts of the highway network, and recommends that authorities follow the best practice guidance set out in the Well-managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice which is available via the website of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how long each Rural Mobility Fund demand responsive transport pilot will last; when (a) interim and (b) final findings from these pilots will be published; and what form those findings will take.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Rural Mobility Fund demand responsive transport pilots are planned to last between two and five years from the point of launch. They have all launched at different times, influenced by multiple factors such as vehicle availability and resourcing, so the end of each trial period may vary from the original timeframes envisaged.
We expect to publish interim findings in the first half of 2023, further findings in late 2023/early 2024, and the final findings in 2025 in the form of written reports. However, the exact timings and dissemination approach will be determined closer to the time.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to evidence given by the Campaign for Better Transport to the Transport Committee on the National Bus Strategy: one year on, published on 20 April 2022, if he will publish the 2021 research report prepared for his Department by the Campaign for Better Transport on the capacity and capability of local transport authorities in respect of bus services planning and delivery.
Answered by Richard Holden
The report will be published in due course.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2023 to Question 122440 on Buses: Exhaust Emissions, whether he plans to publish the results from his Department's monitoring and evaluation project for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area scheme.
Answered by Richard Holden
We will publish the first report from the Department’s monitoring and evaluation project for the ZEBRA scheme, covering process evaluation of the pre-implementation phase of the project in due course. We will publish a final report at the end of the project.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q417 of the oral evidence by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads, Buses and Places to the Transport Committee on 29 June 2022, HC 161, when his Department plans to publish a call for evidence on municipal bus companies.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department will publish a call for evidence later this year.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to allocate the next tranche of funding under the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area scheme; and whether his Department is considering changes to the structure of the scheme (a) in general and (b) in order to incentivise local authorities to place bus orders more quickly once they have been allocated funding.
Answered by Richard Holden
We have funded an estimated 3,378 Zero Emission Buses across the UK so far. The Department will provide details on future funding for ZEBs in due course, taking into account the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to launch its consultation on reform of the Bus Service Operators Grant.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department for Transport intends to publish the consultation on reform of the Bus Service Operators Grant later this year.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Enhanced Partnerships are operating in England outside London; and what the current status is of any proposed Enhanced Partnerships not yet operating.
Answered by Richard Holden
76 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in England outside London are pursuing an Enhanced Partnership (EP) to deliver their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) and provide better bus services to passengers. The majority of LTAs that have been awarded BSIP funding have now made their EPs.
For LTAs not in receipt of BSIP funding, 10 are finalising the content of their EP, in consultation with local bus operators and the rest have either now made their EP or are in the final stage awaiting the approval of local decision makers before making their EP. We expect the vast majority of EPs to be made and in operation by 31 March 2023.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local transport authorities have received confirmation of their Bus Service Improvement Plan funding; how much of that funding has been disbursed; and which of those authorities have received their funding.
Answered by Richard Holden
Funding for 29 Bus Service Improvement Plans has been confirmed, representing 31 Local Transport Authorities. So far, payments have been made to 23 Local Transport Authorities to deliver the first year of their plans. To date, £143.5 million has been paid.
Asked by: Iain Stewart (Conservative - Milton Keynes South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local transport authorities were allocated funding for demand responsive transport schemes as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan process; and how much funding each such authority was allocated.
Answered by Richard Holden
Fifteen Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) were allocated funding for demand responsive transport (DRT) schemes as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) process, totalling over £37m. This figure only includes schemes from LTAs who have had their funding confirmed. In cases where the LTA has not provided granular detail, some elements of this funding will include funding for other services alongside DRT.