Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what restrictions she has placed on the Rail Delivery Group on attending (a) party political conferences, (b) international railway meetings overseas and (c) other lobbying activities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We do not hold this information; the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG’s) structure reflects the role the organisation has played as a means of facilitating collaboration and delivering whole-system outcomes within a multi-operator sector. As a Non-Departmental Public Body, Network Rail strictly adheres to Cabinet Office rules which prohibit attendance at party conferences and the use of consultancies for lobbying activity.
The Secretary of State has not put any restrictions on RDG from attending party political conferences, international railway meetings overseas and other lobbying activities.
Furthermore, we have not carried out a value for money assessment in relation to RDG and Network Rail engaging public affairs agencies for lobbying purposes. RDG undertakes and provides a wide range of critical functions across the rail industry which deliver high value for money for the industry.
Network Rail has a profitable international consultancy arm which involves international travel and conferences; and also necessarily participates in international activities as railway standards and the railway supply chain are both international.
The Rail Delivery Group will be overtaken by GBR in due course which will be an arms-length body of the Department for Transport and therefore subject to Cabinet Office rules.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) Network Rail and (b) the Rail Delivery Group spent on lobbying activities, including expenses related to attending party conferences and engaging public affairs consultancies, for financial years (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We do not hold this information; the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG’s) structure reflects the role the organisation has played as a means of facilitating collaboration and delivering whole-system outcomes within a multi-operator sector. As a Non-Departmental Public Body, Network Rail strictly adheres to Cabinet Office rules which prohibit attendance at party conferences and the use of consultancies for lobbying activity.
The Secretary of State has not put any restrictions on RDG from attending party political conferences, international railway meetings overseas and other lobbying activities.
Furthermore, we have not carried out a value for money assessment in relation to RDG and Network Rail engaging public affairs agencies for lobbying purposes. RDG undertakes and provides a wide range of critical functions across the rail industry which deliver high value for money for the industry.
Network Rail has a profitable international consultancy arm which involves international travel and conferences; and also necessarily participates in international activities as railway standards and the railway supply chain are both international.
The Rail Delivery Group will be overtaken by GBR in due course which will be an arms-length body of the Department for Transport and therefore subject to Cabinet Office rules.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the value for money of (a) the Rail Delivery Group, (b) Network Rail and (c) other publicly funded railway bodies engaging public affairs agencies for lobbying purposes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We do not hold this information; the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG’s) structure reflects the role the organisation has played as a means of facilitating collaboration and delivering whole-system outcomes within a multi-operator sector. As a Non-Departmental Public Body, Network Rail strictly adheres to Cabinet Office rules which prohibit attendance at party conferences and the use of consultancies for lobbying activity.
The Secretary of State has not put any restrictions on RDG from attending party political conferences, international railway meetings overseas and other lobbying activities.
Furthermore, we have not carried out a value for money assessment in relation to RDG and Network Rail engaging public affairs agencies for lobbying purposes. RDG undertakes and provides a wide range of critical functions across the rail industry which deliver high value for money for the industry.
Network Rail has a profitable international consultancy arm which involves international travel and conferences; and also necessarily participates in international activities as railway standards and the railway supply chain are both international.
The Rail Delivery Group will be overtaken by GBR in due course which will be an arms-length body of the Department for Transport and therefore subject to Cabinet Office rules.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the completion date of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is progressing planning and design works to support future delivery of our plans for northern rail connectivity.
As set out by the Chancellor at the Budget, the Transpennine Route Upgrade between York and Manchester, via Leeds and Huddersfield, will transform northern rail connectivity and lay the ground for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
We are thoroughly reviewing the position we have inherited and will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department projects that the Transpennine Route Upgrade will be completed.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The core Transpennine Route Upgrade programme is currently scheduled for completion in the early 2030s, with incremental benefits delivery before then, including a rolling programme of electrification and station enhancements. Full benefits delivery, including digital signalling, will be made available by the mid-2030s, facilitating further enhancements to east-west rail connectivity across the Pennines.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department projects that the A57 link road upgrade will be completed.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A57 Link Road scheme will shortly be starting full construction and works are expected to be complete in 2028.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to implement key performance indicators to measure the performance of rail operators after franchises have expired.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the provisions of the Passenger Railways Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, passenger services operations currently delivered by privately-owned operators under National Rail Contracts with the Department will transfer into public ownership when existing contracts expire.
The Department will continue to hold all operators to account for their performance through a range of measures, including key performance indicators.
The Department is also working on plans with operators and Network Rail to display performance information at stations – this will provide passengers with transparency and will allow the public to hold the rail industry and the Department to account for delivery.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the completion date of the A63 Castle Street improvement project.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The schemes in question are in different stages as follows:
Four schemes have been completed and are open to traffic.
Scheme Name | Completion Date |
M621 Junction 1-7 Enhancements | Completed September 2024 |
A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool | Completed March 2024 |
A19 Down Hill Lane | Completed March 2022 |
A61 Westwood Roundabout | Completed February 2021 |
The following three schemes are in construction and expected completion dates as follows:
Scheme Name | Expected Completion Date |
A63 Castle Street Improvement | March 2026 |
A1 Birtley to Coal House | March 2025 |
Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road | 2028 |
As the Chancellor informed Parliament on 29 July, an internal review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio has been commissioned. The primary aim of the review is to provide strategic advice to the Secretary of State, which may in turn inform decisions on specific projects as part of the multiyear Spending Review. Schemes below are subject to this review and therefore we cannot give any assurances around delivery of these schemes until the Spending Review concludes.
Scheme Name |
A66 Northern Trans-Pennine |
M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange |
A46 Newark Bypass |
A38 Derby Junctions |
M54-M6 Link Road |
Finally, the A5036 Princess Way scheme was cancelled in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the completion date of the A19 Down Hill Lane RP2 project.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The schemes in question are in different stages as follows:
Four schemes have been completed and are open to traffic.
Scheme Name | Completion Date |
M621 Junction 1-7 Enhancements | Completed September 2024 |
A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool | Completed March 2024 |
A19 Down Hill Lane | Completed March 2022 |
A61 Westwood Roundabout | Completed February 2021 |
The following three schemes are in construction and expected completion dates as follows:
Scheme Name | Expected Completion Date |
A63 Castle Street Improvement | March 2026 |
A1 Birtley to Coal House | March 2025 |
Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road | 2028 |
As the Chancellor informed Parliament on 29 July, an internal review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio has been commissioned. The primary aim of the review is to provide strategic advice to the Secretary of State, which may in turn inform decisions on specific projects as part of the multiyear Spending Review. Schemes below are subject to this review and therefore we cannot give any assurances around delivery of these schemes until the Spending Review concludes.
Scheme Name |
A66 Northern Trans-Pennine |
M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange |
A46 Newark Bypass |
A38 Derby Junctions |
M54-M6 Link Road |
Finally, the A5036 Princess Way scheme was cancelled in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the completion date of the M621 Junction 1-7 enhancements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The schemes in question are in different stages as follows:
Four schemes have been completed and are open to traffic.
Scheme Name | Completion Date |
M621 Junction 1-7 Enhancements | Completed September 2024 |
A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool | Completed March 2024 |
A19 Down Hill Lane | Completed March 2022 |
A61 Westwood Roundabout | Completed February 2021 |
The following three schemes are in construction and expected completion dates as follows:
Scheme Name | Expected Completion Date |
A63 Castle Street Improvement | March 2026 |
A1 Birtley to Coal House | March 2025 |
Mottram Moor Link Road and A57 Link Road | 2028 |
As the Chancellor informed Parliament on 29 July, an internal review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio has been commissioned. The primary aim of the review is to provide strategic advice to the Secretary of State, which may in turn inform decisions on specific projects as part of the multiyear Spending Review. Schemes below are subject to this review and therefore we cannot give any assurances around delivery of these schemes until the Spending Review concludes.
Scheme Name |
A66 Northern Trans-Pennine |
M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange |
A46 Newark Bypass |
A38 Derby Junctions |
M54-M6 Link Road |
Finally, the A5036 Princess Way scheme was cancelled in the Autumn Budget 2024.