Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) InnovateUK and (b) the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on the appraisal of projects funded in each round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) is funded by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport, to support innovation in the maritime sector. The CMDC is delivered and managed by Innovate UK on behalf of the Department.
We are committed to a robust evaluation of the UK SHORE programme. The Department has commissioned Frontier Economics and SYSTRA Ltd to conduct a comprehensive independent evaluation of the UK SHORE programme, which is assessing the processes and impact of all UK SHORE schemes and will inform future policy development.
In March 2025, the Department for Transport published a report setting out the early outcomes of the evaluation of the UK SHORE programme to date, including completed projects in the CMDC, with the final report due in Autumn 2025.
Officials regularly discuss the appraisal of CMDC projects with Innovate UK, who play a key role in collecting project monitoring data to inform the evaluation programme.
We work jointly across Government to develop policies, regulation and mechanisms to support maritime environment and decarbonisation, including with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds data on (a) vessel operation and (b) maritime skills recorded as part of Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition projects funded by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions in her Department.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) is funded by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport. The CMDC has supported a range of feasibility studies, pre-deployment trials and short demonstrations.
We are committed to a robust evaluation of the UK SHORE programme. The Department has commissioned Frontier Economics and SYSTRA Ltd to conduct a comprehensive independent evaluation of the UK SHORE programme, which is assessing the processes and impact of all UK SHORE schemes, including environmental impacts and job creation.
In March 2025, the Department for Transport published a report setting out the early outcomes of the evaluation of the UK SHORE programme to date, including completed projects in the CMDC. The majority of the CMDC demonstration projects only concluded at the end of March 2025. Therefore, data about their impact will be captured through the ongoing evaluation, due to conclude later this year.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the sub-contractors were who were involved in (a) the supply of crew to operate the Pacific Grebe during the sea trials phase and (b) other aspects of the Winds of Change project funded by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Winds of Change project was awarded funding through the third round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC). The CMDC is funded by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) Research and Development programme in the Department for Transport and delivered and managed by Innovate UK, on behalf of the Department.
Applications for CMDC funding undergo an independent assessment process, managed by Innovate UK. Project partners of all successful bids are published online. Innovate UK and the Department for Transport are not responsible for the procurement of subcontractors, but the rules around the use of subcontractors are set out in the competition scope.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the development of seafarer (a) training, (b) skills and (c) employment policy as a result of projects funded through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has been in frequent discussion with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which oversees UK seafarer training, to ensure green skills are embedded in the new training scheme. This scheme, developed with industry input and coordinated by the MCA, will launch in September 2025. It includes training on future fuels and new technologies, complementing the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition's projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, the MCA has a formal role in both the design and delivery of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition's programme and was closely involved in the design of the latest funding competition, which includes provision for bids covering training and skills.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward legislation to allow the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region to appoint a public sector operator to run Merseyrail services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region already has the power to appoint a public sector operator to run Merseyrail services. There are no plans to change this.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all roads have an accessible width of footway.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local authorities are responsible for maintaining footways within their local areas. The Department provides good practice guidance on designing accessible public realm in Inclusive Mobility: a Guide to Best Practice on Access to Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure, which includes recommendations on footway widths to accommodate all road users.
It is for local authorities to consider how to apply this guidance to their roads to ensure infrastructure is designed in a way that enables them to meet their Public Sector Equality Duty.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Liverpool City Council on the potential merits of prohibiting pavement parking in Liverpool.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local authorities are responsible for pavement maintenance and already have powers to tackle pavement parking by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders. The Department has consulted on further options to help local authorities outside London tackle this issue and will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. Any new measures will be accompanied by an impact assessment. The Department has not had recent discussions with Liverpool City Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities. The Department is fully aware of the damage that can occur to pavements from parked vehicles.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost of damage to pavements caused by pavement parking in the last 12 months.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local authorities are responsible for pavement maintenance and already have powers to tackle pavement parking by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders. The Department has consulted on further options to help local authorities outside London tackle this issue and will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. Any new measures will be accompanied by an impact assessment. The Department has not had recent discussions with Liverpool City Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities. The Department is fully aware of the damage that can occur to pavements from parked vehicles.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle pavement parking in Liverpool.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local authorities are responsible for pavement maintenance and already have powers to tackle pavement parking by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders. The Department has consulted on further options to help local authorities outside London tackle this issue and will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. Any new measures will be accompanied by an impact assessment. The Department has not had recent discussions with Liverpool City Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities. The Department is fully aware of the damage that can occur to pavements from parked vehicles.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Liverpool Riverside constituency on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in the (a) Liverpool City Region and (b) North West.
Answered by Huw Merriman
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.
Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.