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Written Question
Railways: Competition
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to (a) allow multiple train operating companies to operate on each rail line and (b) take other steps to help increase competition on regional lines.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

We recognise that competition can be beneficial for passengers as it can drive innovation and improvements to services. We have been clear that, in the right circumstances, open access operators can play a role in increasing this competition and have supported recent applications such as Wrexham, Shropshire & Midland Railway’s application to operate services for customers in North Wales, the West Midlands and on the West Coast Mainline.


Written Question
Road Traffic Control: Greater London
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated to (a) London boroughs and (b) the Mayor of London for traffic management schemes in each of the last two years.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has not provided funding to TfL or London boroughs for traffic management programmes.


Written Question
Active Travel: Finance
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department plans to provide to local authorities for active travel plans in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is currently providing £70 million of dedicated funding to local authorities in 2023-24, for developing and delivering local infrastructure schemes and to boost capability and enable higher levels of walking and cycling. Funding for local authorities in 2024-25 is subject to final Departmental business planning decisions.


Written Question
Heathrow Airport and M4: Air Pollution
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative estimate of the average contribution to air pollution of (a) vehicles on the M4 and (b) air traffic at Heathrow.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has no plans to make a comparative estimate of the average contribution to air pollution from vehicles on the M4 and from air traffic at Heathrow.


Written Question
Railways: Finance
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the level of funding his Department will provide to the rail industry in the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Central Government Supply Estimates 2023-24, presented to the House of Commons and published on 27 February 2024 (see link below), details the funding provided to the Department for Transport across a large number of different areas. The value associated with all rail and rail related lines is £33.029 billion, across both Departmental Expenditure Limit and Annually Managed Expenditure. More than half of the total value is associated with Network Rail, with other areas including but not limited to High Speed 2, Crossrail and support for passenger rail services. The numbers in the Central Government Supply Estimates take account of technical accounting adjustments and are not necessarily reflective of cash that will be required.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65dcb981b8da630011c86233/E03059123_CG_Supp_Estimates_2023-24_Bookmarked.pdf


Written Question
Active Travel: Finance
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department takes into account local attitudes to active travel projects when assessing requests for funding from local authorities.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department recognises the importance of active travel schemes that work for and reflect the wishes of the public. This is why funding guidance for local authorities is clear that all schemes must be developed in consultation with local communities, in line with responsibilities under existing legislation such as the Public Sector Equality Duty and Road Traffic Regulation Act. This will enable a range of views to be considered and given due regard. Effective consultation is a condition of funding and it may result in the downgrading of local authority capability ratings if it is not adequately fulfilled.


Written Question
Speed Limits
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has issued recent guidance on challenging the imposition of 20 mph zones by local authorities.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is finalising the details to the guidance update on setting local speed limits and in respect of 20mph speed limits, as announced in the Plan for Drivers. This will be published in due course.


Written Question
M4: Speed Limits
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to determine when temporary air quality speed limits are used on the M4 near Heathrow.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways implemented a speed restriction of 60mph on the M4 westbound at junctions 3 to 4 in December 2022 to achieve nitrogen dioxide (NO2) compliance in the shortest possible time.


Written Question
Active Travel: Wokingham
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided to Wokingham Borough Council for active travel projects in the (a) 2022-3 and (b) 2023-4 financial year.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the 2022/23 financial year, Active Travel England awarded Wokingham Borough Council £127,359 of revenue funding through the Capability Fund and £606,215 of capital funding through the fourth tranche of the Active Travel Fund. So far in 23/24, Wokingham Borough Council has been awarded £63,680 through the Capability Fund. Capital funding for 23/24 is yet to be agreed.


Written Question
Official Cars: Costs
Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a comparative estimate of (a) initial capital costs and (b) annual running costs of (i) pure electric vehicles, (ii) petrol cars and (ii) diesel cars in the Government car fleet.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government Car Service (GCS) provide a Departmental Pool Car Service to Departments as a shared resource. Ministers have access to this service which is managed by the receiving Department. The GCS currently operates 38 battery electric cars (33% of the GCS fleet). Initial capital costs to procure battery electric cars for the GCS fleet incurred an uplift of at least 18% compared to a similar fit for purpose car.

A comparison of annual running costs is not held at present by GCS. This is due to the fact that the electric battery fleet is charged at multiple locations across numerous Government departments, and that data is not recorded. However, in many cases, electric vehicles continue to benefit from significant savings on the cost of fuel. Charging a medium sized electric car at rates equivalent to the January 2024 electricity price cap equates to around half the cost of filling up an equivalent petrol vehicle. In addition to this, electric vehicles generally cost less to maintain due to fewer moving parts than their petrol or diesel equivalents.