Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which occasions he met Network Rail to discuss the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester; and when he received updates from Network Rail on that project.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Secretary of State regularly meets Network Rail to discuss a wide range of topics.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what opportunities his Department gave local authorities to make representations to it before the decision was made to pause the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In March of this year the department signed a formal partnership agreement with Rail North, representing 29 local transport authorities. This will govern the new Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) franchises from April 2016. The agreement includes important mechanisms to enable the Rail North authorities to make decisions on changes to their local rail services and make investments in these franchises to make improvements.
It also enables further devolution to take place during the life of the franchises. Under the agreement, the Department for Transport will work together with Rail North, through a single joint strategic board and management team based in Leeds, to manage and develop these 2 new franchises once they are let. A core team of 5 headed by a managing director will be in place at the end of year.
Rail North has already been actively involved in the design of the future Northern and TPE franchises and the Partnership Agreement is a significant step towards full devolution of rail services. The franchise specification took into account the uncertainty in delivery of Transpennine electrification.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The timetable for electrification of the TransPennine line east of Stalybridge will be outlined in Sir Peter Hendy's re-planning proposals this autumn. Transpennine electrification remains a major part of our economic plan for the region, but it is vital that Network Rail gets this right. As the Transport Secretary has already explained to MPs (Transport Select Committee evidence March 2015), this means the project will not be completed by 2019, as originally proposed. However, compromising on the scope of this project would not be in passengers’ best interests. That is why we continue to work with Network Rail on revised plans so that it delivers the best possible results.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been allocated from the public purse for the rail investment programme in the North of England; and what the priorities for that programme are.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government has ambitious plans for rail which is why Network Rail has been allocated a record £38 billion for the period from 2014-2019. It is for Network Rail to determine precisely how much will be allocated to the rail investment programme in the North of England but the Secretary of State expects that the committed programme set out in the High Level Output Specification ([Rail Investment Strategy]) will be delivered. The government’s enhancements programme is an ambitious and stretching programme and it needs to be re-planned to ensure it remains deliverable and affordable, which is the task that has been asked of Sir Peter Hendy.
However, the franchising programme will continue to deliver for passengers and taxpayers as planned and live procurements, including Northern and Transpennine Express, which will transform rail services across the region with more service, capacity and the scrapping of Pacers, will not be affected. Other rail investments in the north also continue to be delivered; for example the electrification of the lines between Liverpool and Manchester and Liverpool and Wigan has already been completed and there will be the roll-out of state of the art Intercity Express trains on the East Coast route during this Parliament.
Transpennine electrification remains a major part of our economic plan for the region, but it is vital that Network Rail gets this right. The Secretary of State has already explained to MPs (Transport Select Committee evidence March 2015), this means the project will not be completed by 2019, as originally proposed. However, compromising on the scope of this project would not be in passengers’ best interests. That is why we continue to work with Network Rail on revised plans so that it delivers the best possible results.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of hub connectivity for airports and businesses in the North of England; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage growth in (a) the UK domestic network and (b) from London airports to the North of England.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government recognised in its 2013 Aviation Policy Framework (APF) the very important role airports across the UK play in providing domestic and international connections and the vital contribution they can make to the growth of regional economies.
However, in the UK airports, and the airlines that use them, operate in a competitive, commercial environment. It is for individual airlines to make market-based decisions regarding the air services that they operate, and form which airports. It is not open to the Government to compel airlines to operate air services between specific airports.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's assessment of the evidence received in favour of the expansion of either Heathrow or Gatwick airport and the effect on job creation in the North.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
To ensure our long term connectivity needs can be met, the previous Government established the independent Airports Commission to identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining this country’s status as an international hub for aviation.
Three options for expansion have been shortlisted by the Commission for further consideration and the relevant documents can be found on the Airport Commission website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/airports-commission
Following publication of the Commission’s final report with recommendations to Government, we will carefully consider the evidence and set out our plans for taking this forward.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to alleviate road congestion.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government’s Road Investment Strategy has committed £15bn to deliver 127 schemes on the strategic road network over the next five years. Some of these schemes will tackle longstanding congestion and safety problems as well as major capacity enhancements around Yorkshire. On local roads a programme of major local schemes with around £1 billion of Departmental funding has been announced.