Crewe Railway Station

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Monday 20th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Connor Naismith) on securing this debate. I thank him for continuing to raise the importance of Crewe as a railway station. He never needs to apologise for his advocacy. He is right that Crewe is and will remain a vital component of the rail network. After all, it was the opening of the railway station in 1837 that led Crewe to develop from a small settlement to the proud railway town that it is today.

My hon. Friend is clearly not alone today in recognising the importance of Crewe railway station. I welcome contributions from a range of hon. Members, including my hon. Friends the Members for Mid Cheshire (Andrew Cooper), for Congleton (Mrs Russell), for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner), for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) and for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor) and the hon. Member for Chester South and Eddisbury (Aphra Brandreth)—not forgetting, of course, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).

As my hon. Friend set out, and as other Members have confirmed, Crewe station is now a crucial transport hub, providing 360° connectivity where four regional lines converge with the west coast main line, providing long-distance links to London and Scotland and the great cities of the midlands and the north, as well as more local and regional links.

[Mrs Russell]

I want to take a moment to raise the issues around Sandbach station. There is no accessibility at the station, which serves approximately 20,000 people. The only route to Manchester for Sandbach residents is to take a train to Crewe, where they can change accessibly —assuming that everything is working—and then take a train back to Manchester. Does the Minister agree that this needs addressing?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to advocate for more accessible journeys on the rail network, because we want everyone to be able to travel on our railways. I am sure that my officials will have heard those comments, and I will convey them to my noble Friend Lord Hendy, the Rail Minister, as I am sure he will want to look at that.

Crewe’s location is strategically important to the railway, thanks to the connectivity that it provides for passenger, freight and engineering services. No other UK station is served by more individual train operators. With more than 470 services on a typical weekday, there are just 30 minutes between the last train of the evening and the first of the following morning. It is not surprising to hear that since its opening it has formed a critical part of the UK’s transport infrastructure and will no doubt continue to do so for future generations.

Transport is an essential part of the Government’s mission to rebuild Britain. For that reason, we committed to improving rail connectivity across the midlands and the north while working with devolved leaders, as we set out in our manifesto. The previous Government’s decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2 was met with huge disappointment by leaders and communities in Crewe and, frankly, a lot more widely. As my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme highlighted, the previous Government’s appalling mismanagement of HS2 has undermined trust in our ability to build new railways and perhaps in rail more broadly. For the constituents of my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich, it meant the end of a decade of efforts to plan the benefits that the new high-speed railway would have brought to the town. Now, with the difficult position that this Government have inherited, our immediate focus is on the safe delivery of HS2 between Birmingham and London at the lowest reasonable cost.

However, while we have been clear that we cannot reverse the previous Government’s decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2, we recognise concerns about rail capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester. We are considering a range of potential solutions that will have to be carefully balanced with the very difficult fiscal context in which we are operating. That could include optimising services, delivering smaller-scale infrastructure interventions or the proposals set out by the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Mayor of the West Midlands for a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester.

[Adam Jogee]

I am very grateful to the Minister for giving way. May I urge her, as she seeks to consider options on capacity, to ensure that there is real and meaningful engagement with the communities that will be impacted, as mine in Newcastle-under-Lyme and those in many other parts of north Staffordshire have been? Without that real engagement, the trust that we talked about earlier simply cannot be built.

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the work to engage local communities is vital as we develop future transport plans.

I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich for his passion in advocating for his constituency and ensuring that any eventual decisions take into account the role and needs of Crewe station, which plays such a vital role on the west coast main line. Of course, there are other constituencies that we need to consider, too. Those will certainly be on the Government’s mind as we consider different options. My colleague the Rail Minister had a very constructive meeting with Mayors at the end of last year; he also met my hon. Friend to discuss Crewe’s role in the proposals.

[Rachel Taylor]

Does the Minister agree that decisiveness is the key to delivering rail services at a reasonable cost, rather than the continual escalation in cost that was a symptom of HS2 under the previous Government? Does she also agree that in looking at connectivity between London and Manchester and increasing capacity all the way along the west coast main line, the time to act is now, because there simply are not enough trains to carry the passengers who need to travel in those directions?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the need for more capacity. The west coast main line is particularly constrained. What we know from the previous Government’s approach is that constantly chopping and changing on a project is precisely the way to lead to an escalation in costs and delays to delivery. We do not want to repeat those mistakes.

There is little that I can share with the House at this stage about the future, but I can assure all hon. Members that we will continue to take their views and those of local leaders into consideration as we develop our plans. While we recognise the uncertainty that this period of review is causing local residents, it is important that we take the necessary time not only to get this right, but to learn lessons and ensure that there is no possibility of this Government’s repeating the mistakes that characterised the last Government’s plans for major rail investment. Where they failed so miserably, we are determined finally to deliver the benefits that local communities expect. I assure all hon. Members that this Government will not tolerate poor performance on our railways and that we will hold operators to account.

[Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

The Minister is making an excellent speech. While she is looking at the future connectivity plans, may I make a pitch that she should consider connectivity between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester airport? We do not currently have a direct service, but business leaders in Staffordshire tell me that it would be huge for our growth potential.

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. I am sure that the Rail Minister will have heard him loud and clear and will consider the matter.

In the meantime, while we consider the range of proposals that have been drawn to my attention this evening, there is a clear need for interventions at Crewe station to address ageing assets. The Government have provided Network Rail with £44.1 billion for renewals, operations and maintenance in England and Wales for the period between 2024 and 2029. In turn, Network Rail has developed a programme of interventions to deliver essential renewals in the Crewe area.

I am pleased to assure hon. Members that this work will include replacement of the station’s roof and renewal of power systems, signalling and track assets such as switches and crossings. This is a significant programme amounting to over £270 million, which needed to be re-scoped and re-planned at pace to follow the last Government’s decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2. As the scope of the work develops, we will collaborate with Network Rail to identify any opportunities for investment above and beyond essential renewals. In parallel, officials in the Department for Transport are already working with Cheshire East council on better integration between transport modes at Crewe, including road and rail.

I reiterate that transport is an essential part of the Government’s mission to rebuild Britain. Crewe has played and will continue to play a central role in our railway network. We will continue to work with hon. Members, local leaders and the communities that they represent to ensure that we get the delivery of infrastructure projects right. As I have said, I welcome this debate, because it is vital that we continue to discuss our transport projects openly and transparently. I thank all hon. Members for their contributions this evening and for their continued contributions as we work to deliver the railway network that our country requires.

Question put and agreed to.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)]

3. What steps she is taking to help improve road safety for vulnerable road users.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I assure the hon. Member that this Government treat road safety with the utmost seriousness. We are committed to reducing the number of those killed and seriously injured on our roads. My Department is developing our road safety strategy, and will set out further details in due course.

[Olly Glover]

I join others in welcoming the Secretary of State to her place. Bikeability is the world’s largest road safety programme. Recent data from the Bikeability Trust showed that in areas with higher levels of training for children, the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads decreased. Does the Minister agree that Bikeability training is an essential life skill that everyone should have access to, and will she commit to joining me on a visit to a local Oxfordshire school to see the scheme in action?

[Lilian Greenwood]

A total of 1.6 million people have participated in Active Travel England’s training programmes, including a record half a million children receiving cycle training last year. I am a keen cyclist and, having been knocked off my bike in the last couple of years, I understand how important it is to feel confident about cycling safely. I would be happy to join the hon. Member to see some of that work in action.

[Sarah Coombes (West Bromwich) (Lab)]

I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to her place. A couple of years ago, some children in my constituency started a campaign about a really dangerous stretch of road where cars speed and there is no pedestrian crossing. Tragically, a few months ago, one of those children lost her grandmother to a car crash on that very stretch of road. This is devastating for families and communities. What steps are the Government taking to make our roads safer?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that case. Every single death on our roads is tragic, which is precisely why we will bring forward further measures with the new road safety strategy—the first in more than a decade—which will consider how to prevent such appalling tragedies, including in her constituency.

[Mr Andrew Snowden (Fylde) (Con)]

As police and crime commissioner for Lancashire, I invested significant amounts of money in increasing the resources available to target drink and drug drivers, which is a key plank in improving road safety. It has become easier for police to target drug drivers over recent years, in particular through the advancement of technology, but while arrest rates have improved, charge rates are still lagging behind; it takes months for drug drivers, compared with weeks for drink drivers. D.tec International is a Fylde company that provides all 43 police forces with DrugWipe kits. It would like to use technology that is used in other European countries to improve charge rates through the use of roadside saliva testing. Will the Minister meet me and D.tec International to look at how this technology could improve the speed with which we can get drug drivers banned and off our roads?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise concerns about the impact of drug driving. Those affected by an impairment drug were involved in 13% of fatalities last year. Just before Christmas, I went out with Jo Shiner, one of the leading police officers responsible for roads policing, and saw the work that is happening and heard about prosecutions, which the hon. Gentleman has raised. I would be very happy to meet him to discuss the matter further.

[Phil Brickell (Bolton West) (Lab)]

St Helens Road in my constituency has regrettably become the site of numerous serious car crashes, and local residents have raised their grave concerns with me about both speeding and dangerous driving. How is the Minister working with local leaders in particular to drive improvements to road safety?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is right to raise the concerns of his constituents. Local authorities have a vital role to play; they are responsible for introducing road safety measures appropriate to their areas. Of course, the Department is responsible for legislation and the guidance to help them to do so. I continue to engage with local authorities to ensure we are providing them with the support they need to make our roads safer.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

4. What steps her Department is taking to help maintain roads.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lewis Cocking (Broxbourne) (Con)]

5. What steps she is taking to help prevent road closures when roadworks are not taking place.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I am delighted to confirm that, as part of the £1.6 billion investment in highways maintenance that the Government announced before Christmas, we will clamp down on disruptive works by doubling fixed penalty notices for utility companies that fail to comply with rules and extending charges for works that overrun into weekends.

[Lewis Cocking]

I draw Members’ attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

Drivers in my constituency are sick to death of the endless road closures and temporary traffic lights when no works are taking place. Will the Minister demand that utility companies do everything in their power to get roads open as quickly as possible, particularly when they have dug them up under the emergency procedure?

[Lilian Greenwood]

Absolutely. There can be legitimate reasons why works are sometimes left unoccupied—for example, when they are waiting for materials to cure or gas to vent—but I take the hon. Member’s point, particularly where utilities are using emergency procedures unnecessarily. We have examined Street Manager data and spoken to industry representatives and found no evidence of misuse. None the less, given the number of urgent works—which are, of course, not unrelated to the appalling state of our roads left by the previous Government—we will see what more can be done to ensure that these works are managed and communicated to road users properly.

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

Roadworks plague my constituency. A significant issue is that utility companies dig up the roads without requiring council permission, and they often leave these sites incomplete while different teams carry out their work, causing chaos and congestion in the process. We frequently face the absurd situation where there are roadworks on diversion routes for roadworks. Does the Minister agree that we need to require utility companies to co-ordinate with councils to properly plan this maintenance work and complete their projects in a timely manner, in order to avoid congestion?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is proving a great champion for road users in his constituency. The simple answer to his question is yes. Local authorities already have a legal duty to co-ordinate all works on their network, and utility companies have a duty to co-operate, and we will ensure that they do so.

[Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)]

6. What steps she is taking to help improve the accessibility of public transport.

--- Later in debate ---

[Michelle Scrogham (Barrow and Furness) (Lab)]

T3. In Barrow and Furness, we often joke that we live at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the UK. The A590 and the A595 are lifelines for people in my constituency. Our future growth, the nuclear deterrent and the emergency services depend on the roads working well, but we are often cut off. Will the Minister therefore confirm the Government’s commitment to investing in the improved reliability of such critical pieces of infrastructure?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the importance of those roads to her constituents. I am working closely with National Highways and holding it to account for those parts of the road network, as well as working with local authorities to ensure that roads are reliable, well maintained and available.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead) (LD)]

T2. Over the past few weeks, I have seen at first hand how businesses on WhatsApp groups are using bots to buy up driving tests and then sell them at £250 or more. That is even after the Government’s changes that came into force on Monday this week. What further steps can the Secretary of State take to stop that practice?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The hon. Member is right to raise concerns about these appalling practices that are being used to rip off learner drivers. To help with this, we announced a call for evidence on the current rules and processes, and we will be working hard to eliminate the bots and make sure that learner drivers get a proper deal.

[John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)]

Under the previous Government, bus services in rural areas were decimated. The number of bus journeys in the Derbyshire Dales declined by 55% between 2010 and 2023. What steps is the Minister taking to stop further cuts to bus services in rural areas like the Derbyshire Dales.

--- Later in debate ---

[Noah Law (St Austell and Newquay) (Lab)]

This weekend, grassroots campaigners in Newquay will meet to oppose the privatisation of car park charge enforcement in Newquay and Cornwall more widely. Will the Secretary of State and colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government meet me to discuss how councils can retain more of that profit locally, instead of sending it up-country to often unscrupulous and usurious operators?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the concern, and I would be happy to meet him to discuss the issues further.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

The residents of Wareham, just along from Bournemouth, have been trying to get electronic gates for 20 years. Network Rail’s latest excuse is that it is for the Office of Rail and Road, and the Office of Rail and Road says that it is for Network Rail. Will the Secretary of State meet me so that we can bang heads together and get this resolved once and for all?

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Scott Arthur (Edinburgh South West) (Lab)]

Pavement parking is a massive issue in many of our towns and cities, particularly for people faced with sight loss and for parents trying to push buggies. All of us here benefit from the pavement parking ban in London, but given that it is over four years since the consultation closed, is it time to give towns and cities across England the power to enforce a pavement parking ban if they so wish?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this problem. We will publish a formal response to the consultation, which the previous Government shamefully failed to act on. We will announce next steps for pavement parking policy in England in due course.

[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

Upgrading Ely junction would deliver more passenger services to King’s Lynn in my constituency, boost freight and unlock benefits of £5 for every £1 invested. Will the Secretary of State confirm whether that is a priority in the Department’s bid for the spending review?

Road Safety

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) on securing the debate, and thank him for continuing to raise the issue of road safety in his constituency. I am pleased, and somewhat surprised, to see that so many of my hon. Friends have come to the Chamber to contribute to this vital discussion about reducing deaths and injuries on our roads. It is welcome to have had more time than we might have expected for an Adjournment debate.

The Government are committed to road safety, because it contributes to every single one of our national missions. Safer roads enable economic growth and opportunities, support greener journeys through active travel, reduce pressures on our NHS, and help people to travel without fear.

My hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen clearly described the impact that road danger has on his local residents, and other Members have made equally valuable points, particularly highlighting the impact on children and their ability to travel safely and make those vital journeys to school and in their local communities.

More than four people lose their lives every single day on our roads, and as a number of Members have said, we know that most of these deaths are avoidable, the result of excess speed, driving under the influence of drink or drugs and frequently both, using a mobile phone behind the wheel or not wearing seatbelts. My hon. Friend is right to raise concerns about those who do not use our roads appropriately and place themselves and others in harm’s way.

In my short time as future of roads Minister, I have read too many heartbreaking accounts of loss and serious injury, and we have heard more examples this evening, including from my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley), who is not in his place; I cannot comment on the specifics of that case, but I would be happy to meet him to discuss his concerns.

I have spoken to grieving family members rightfully demanding change. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (John Slinger) for speaking on behalf of his constituents this evening and for the work that he and they are doing to campaign on this issue. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Jodie Gosling) for the work she has done in her constituency and with her constituents.

The Transport Secretary and I are determined to make our roads safer for everyone who uses them. The lack of progress on road safety over the past decade has been inexcusable. There has been no direction and no long-term vision, and that is reflected in the statistics, with drink-driving deaths at their highest levels in 15 years. In 2022, around 300 people were tragically killed where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit. That represents 18% of all fatalities. In the same year, 203 people were killed in a road collision where at least one deceased driver had an impairment drug detected. That was 13% of all fatalities. We need to tackle these illegal behaviours. As the Secretary of State has stated, tackling reckless behaviour on the roads is a priority for her and for us, because these statistics—more than 1,600 deaths a year and almost 30,000 serious injuries—are not inevitable.

Our THINK! campaign continues to address key priorities around drink-driving, speeding and seatbelts. Our innovative campaigns around positive choices and the power of peer influence are targeted at young men aged 17 to 24—a group that is four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on our roads. My hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Julia Buckley) spoke about her constituent Crystal Owen, who lost her son Harvey in heartbreaking circumstances, and I look forward to the debate that she has secured. These life-saving behaviour change campaigns matter, and we will continue to work on them.

I turn to the important points that my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen made on community road safety interventions. Traffic authorities have the responsibility for making decisions about the roads they manage. That includes measures to protect the safety of road users based on their knowledge of the area, taking into account local needs and considerations. That must include listening to local communities. My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) made an important contribution about a dangerous road in her constituency, and I am sure that her concerns and those of her local constituents will have been heard by the relevant local authority and the Mayor of the West Midlands. Traffic authorities are best placed to make these decisions, but my Department also has a really important role: we need to set the enabling legislation and national policy objectives and provide good practice, guidance and, of course, vital funding.

I agree with my hon. Friend that the risk rating of a road should be a consideration when designing road safety interventions. Since 2017, the safer roads fund has provided £185.8 million to address the dangers on 99 high-risk roads, working with the relevant local authorities to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. The programme has provided vital infrastructure interventions where they are needed the most, taking into account those who are killed or seriously injured but also traffic flow and the potential hazards on a road. It is really important work. A number of hon. Members have rightly highlighted the dangers on rural roads, including you, Madam Deputy Speaker. We need to look to the future and understand how new technologies can help prevent future collisions. My hon. Friend talked about some of the international comparisons and how we might draw on those in the future.

When it comes to speed, local authorities have the power to set speed limits on their roads. It is for local authorities to determine what measures are appropriate in individual cases, because they have local knowledge. They also have a range of traffic management measures available to help them improve safety outside schools, including 20 mph speed limits, traffic calming and the introduction of school streets where appropriate. Local authorities are able to place advisory part-time 20 mph speed limit signs in the vicinity of schools without the need for Government approval.

I listened with interest to my hon. Friend’s suggestion to implement “netting off”. The previous trial allowed fixed penalty revenue to be used to reinvest in more camera enforcement, and the national scheme that followed ended on 1 April 2007. The funding of cameras was integrated into the local transport plan process at the same time that the scheme ended. Paying fines and penalty receipts such as speeding fines into the consolidated fund is generally considered preferable to ringfencing or hypothecating specific funding. The risk of appearing to create incentives to collect fines and penalty receipts for the sake of generating revenues, rather than for the purpose of enforcement and road safety, needs very careful consideration if we are to retain public trust in tackling speeding.

I am sure that my hon. Friend is aware that most central Government funding for local government is not ringfenced so that local authorities can make the best decisions relating to their local priorities. Money from the Consolidated Fund supports general expenditure on public services, including those that motorists will benefit from, such as healthcare, policing, local government grants and transport. Nevertheless, he makes an important point, and I will certainly look into it further.

The enforcement of road traffic law is vital, and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual chief officers and police and crime commissioners, taking into account the specific local problems and demands that they face. My hon. Friend made important points that I will consider further, including about people who drive for a living and the important role that we can play in ensuring that employers take their responsibilities seriously.

I turn to my hon. Friend’s point about tyres. Tyre labelling regulations require a new tyre’s wet grip performance to be displayed at the point of sale, along with other attributes. The ratings are established following standardised tests, and presented in a consistent manner that helps the consumer to see the relative performance and make an informed choice. The market surveillance unit in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency checks new car tyres supplied into the market are accurate with respect to their assigned wet grip, fuel efficiency and external noise ratings. The unit has also worked closely with trading standards relative to part-worn and re-treaded tyre sellers, supporting any sanctions that trading standards may take in respect of non-compliance. The DVSA welcomes intelligence about part-worn and re-treaded tyre compliance.

The last Labour Government halved the number of people killed on our roads each year, but under the Conservatives that progress stalled, with only a 12% reduction between 2010 and 2023. That is a legacy that my Government are determined to put right. That is why we have announced that we are developing a new road safety strategy, the first in over a decade. I can assure my hon. Friends that we will continue to use the “safe system” approach to support our thinking, be evidence based and ensure responsibility for tackling the problem is shared among policy makers, those who enforce our laws, those who design our roads and those who use them. We will be setting out next steps in due course.

My hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen made a number of really important points in his contribution, and I will be working with officials to consider them further, as we continue our work in this area. I will be pleased to keep in touch with him, and other hon. Friends here today, as we progress our work on road safety. I once again congratulate him on securing this important debate, and everyone who made a contribution this evening.

Question put and agreed to.

Practical Driving Test Waiting Times

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Wednesday 18th December 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I am pleased to announce today that this Government are taking decisive steps to address long waiting times for car practical driving tests.

A driving licence is a passport to employment, opportunities and better living standards for hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Across the country, waiting times for a car practical driving test are at 13 weeks in Wales, over 15 weeks in Scotland, and nearly 21 weeks in England. These figures highlight a system under strain.

The proportion of 17 to 20-year-olds with a full driving licence dropped from 35% in 2019 to 29% in 2023. This matters, because one in six jobs require a driving licence. The top occupations for young drivers include roles critical to our public services and economic growth: healthcare workers, construction trades and transport workers.

Learner drivers should be able to take a test when they are ready to pass. Yet thousands have had to wait many months for a test, with some being exploited by businesses taking advantage of long waiting times or having to travel hundreds of miles in the process.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency provided over 2 million car driving tests, and it has over half a million driving tests booked in the next 24 weeks.

In response to increased demand, the DVSA created an extra 145,000 test slots between October 2023 and March 2024 by redeploying eligible managers and administrative staff to conduct tests. The DVSA has also reviewed its recruitment process and increased its effort to recruit and train driving examiners. But the case for further action is undeniable.

So today, I am setting out the robust plan I have asked the DVSA to deliver to tackle this issue head-on, while it helps to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably.

First, we will recruit and train 450 driving examiners. This will aim to significantly increase the workforce and ensure that examiners are available in high-demand areas, reducing waiting times for learners across the country.

Secondly, we will increase the notice period for changing or cancelling a test without losing the fee from three to 10 working days. This will minimise last-minute disruptions and ensure that cancelled slots can be reallocated to those ready to take their test.

Thirdly, we will review and improve the rules around booking tests, including measures to ban the resale of driving test appointments. This will ensure fairer access to test slots and stop the profiteering that disadvantages learners.

Fourthly, we will strengthen terms and conditions for driver training businesses managing test bookings. This will improve the efficiency of the booking system, making it harder for those looking to exploit learner drivers to secure test dates.

Fifthly, we will consult on introducing longer waiting times to rebook a test for candidates who fail by making multiple serious or dangerous faults, abuse driving examiners or fail to attend their test, and we will consider a penalty fee for those who fail to attend. This will discourage bad behaviour and ensure that examiners’ time is respected.

Sixthly, we will explore allowing learner drivers to book tests further in advance than the current 24-week limit. This will give learners more certainty in planning their preparation and reduce the stress of finding available slots.

Finally, we will expand the successful “Ready to Pass?” campaign to help learners throughout the whole process of learning to drive. This will increase the likelihood of learners passing their test the first time, reducing overall demand on the system.

These measures are practical, targeted, and designed to address the issues facing the driving test system. But I have to be clear: there is no quick fix to the current situation. It will take time for us to tackle the root causes of this issue, fix the broken system this Government inherited and to build a robust system for the future.

I am also pleased to announce today the publication of the DVSA’s 2024 to 2025 business plan.

This plan sets out the main business priorities the agency will deliver, including measures on the delivery of the car practical driving test that underpin the measures I have just announced, as well as the key performance indicators by which the DVSA’s performance will be assessed.

This plan allows service users and members of the public to understand the DVSA’s plans for delivering its services and managing its finances.

The business plan will be available electronically on gov.uk and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS343]

Aldridge Train Station

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Betts. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton) on securing this debate about the future of Aldridge train station. I also congratulate the hon. Members for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and for Wokingham (Clive Jones), who used the opportunity to raise important issues pertinent to their constituencies. I know that the hon. Member for Wokingham would like my thoughts about extra car parking spaces at Twyford station; I regret that I shall have to ask my colleagues in the Department and perhaps my officials to write to him about that, as I had not prepared notes on Twyford for today's debate.

I share the right hon. Lady’s enthusiasm for the delivery of new rail infrastructure enhancements such as a new station at Aldridge, and I recognise the wide array of transformative benefits that they can bring. Railways can create jobs, spur economic growth, promote decarbonisation via a modal shift from road to rail, and generally enhance people's quality of life by helping them to get easily from A to B. The magnificent new University station in Birmingham, which opened at the start of the year, has already facilitated millions of journeys and is a shining example of how infrastructure can transform lives and stimulate growth. That is backed by early passenger survey results, which show that nearly 90% of passengers rate the new station as “good” or “excellent”, and nearly 20% would have taken their journey by car if the new station was not there. I am sure she agrees that those are worthy goals, and she is right to advocate for the delivery of similar schemes in her constituency that can unlock such benefits.

I completely understand the right hon. Lady’s vision for passenger train services serving her constituency for the first time in a long time. However, it is in that spirit of wanting to complete transformative transport enhancements that difficult decisions have been made. As she knows, in 2022 the Conservative Government allocated £1.05 billion of city region sustainable transport settlement funding to the West Midlands combined authority, or the WMCA. The money was devolved to the WMCA, led by then metro mayor Andy Street, to spend on its local transport priorities. The WMCA set out its priorities for a programme of investment, which the Department for Transport supported and which included an allocation of £30 million towards delivery of a new railway station at Aldridge.

Time passed, and in July 2024 the West Midlands combined authority presented a paper to the Department outlining cost pressures across its portfolio of projects. As the right hon. Member knows, there has been significant inflation since 2022, and it is not unique to the West Midlands combined authority that cost pressures have arisen in the delivery of infrastructure projects. The cost gap presented a material risk that schemes already in construction would be left unfinished. The combined authority proposed reallocating funding that was allocated but not ringfenced from schemes not in construction, including Aldridge railway station, to those in delivery to ensure that they were completed.

I am happy to share with the right hon. Member which schemes have been prioritised. The schemes that have been assisted with the funding, reallocated as she described, include Rail Package 2, which is delivering three new stations—Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road—on the Camp Hill line between Kings Norton and Birmingham New Street; the Wednesbury metro depot; certain sections of the Sprint phase two priority bus corridor; the Dudley Interchange, which is a new bus station at Dudley; and the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill metro extension and a further extension on to Merry Hill. Also included is the Birmingham Eastside metro extension, which serves Digbeth and will serve the HS2 Curzon Street station.

A number of other programmes have been deferred as a result of those schemes needing to be prioritised. I can assure the right hon. Lady that while improving bus services is an important issue, including in the West Midlands, the funds are not being redirected and used for the purpose that she suggests might be the case.

The West Midlands combined authority proposed retaining £3.6 million to complete important ongoing design and business case development work for Aldridge station. As the right hon. Lady knows, projects need to go through a process to secure final funding and move to delivery. At present, work is being done using that development funding to produce an outline business case for Aldridge railway station; then, a final business case will be needed. In any case, these are crucial steps to securing a decision to deliver. Work can still continue with that important development funding.

[Wendy Morton]

I hear what the Minister is saying, and I still hope she will answer some of my questions, but on that ongoing work, that money was part of the £30 million for Aldridge station. The Department and the mayor always fall back on the argument that the station is not under construction, but the work had started and it is ongoing. There is £3.6 million to do the preparatory work and ground work. I have spoken to Network Rail, and it is all teed up to do all of this. The Government have allocated £3.6 million, but I would still argue that that is part of the £30 million. I still do not understand why Aldridge train station was the one singled out to be pulled from all the projects.

[Lilian Greenwood]

A number of projects are in construction, and I have spelled out precisely which ones. The West Midlands combined authority wanted to ensure that those projects would be completed and opened, as significant spending had already been put into taking those into construction. As I have set out, Aldridge railway station has not yet reached an outline business case. It is not in construction, but that development funding—the £3.6 million—will be used to develop the work and ensure that it can go forward in the future. It is not the only project that has been deferred.

[Wendy Morton]

I will not make too many more interventions, but on the specific point about the project moving to the next phase and then into construction, does the Minister not accept that because the mayor and the Department for Transport have vired the money elsewhere, the money for the station’s construction is now gone?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I accept that the West Midlands combined authority had cost pressures and that it does not have sufficient funding to complete all the projects that were set out in its original plan to the timetable that was envisaged. The right hon. Lady is correct that the money has been reprogrammed to be used on other projects, but that does not mean that the railway station cannot be delivered in the future. Other deferred programmes include part of Sprint phase 2, the Hagley Road rapid transit development and the cross-city bus programme. I know that will be unwelcome news.

The request was made in July this year, and in September my Department approved the West Midlands combined authority’s recommendation. I stand by that decision, although I understand the right hon. Lady’s disappointment that schemes not yet in construction, including Aldridge railway station, will not be delivered to the timescale originally planned. The £1.05 billion originally allocated by the Conservative Government to the West Midlands combined authority has not been reduced; the West Midlands combined authority has, with our approval, reallocated the way that the money is being spent so that it can finish the job on schemes that are in flight. I am confident that we are aligned on the benefits that transport enhancement can bring, and that is why we cannot afford to leave schemes unfinished. I understand the right hon. Lady’s concerns, but that is the decision that the West Midlands combined authority sought for us to take, and we have allowed it to proceed in that way.

As the right hon. Lady says, the West Midlands combined authority’s portfolio of transport enhancement schemes was established and signed off under the previous West Midlands mayor and under a Conservative Government. However, cost escalations and delays to the programme also occurred during Mayor Street’s tenure, and under a Conservative Government. I am committed to ensuring that the schemes in delivery, which were named in the previous mayor’s manifesto, and which the right hon. Lady campaigned for, are delivered. I believe that with her advocacy and the leadership of the current metro mayor, Richard Parker, who I know is ambitious for the West Midlands and its transport network, the future remains bright for Aldridge railway station. With its £3.6 million of development funding, design work and business case development continue at pace.

My Department is undertaking a review of the previous Administration’s spending plans, and once that is complete, we will confirm future funding allocations. By carrying out that essential pre-delivery business case and design work, the West Midlands combined authority is ensuring that Aldridge station is well placed for delivery funding, as and when more money becomes available. The right hon. Lady’s work with the West Midlands combined authority and her constituents to advocate for the scheme is the best way of ensuring that there is a strong local consensus behind it and increasing the chances of it being funded in the future, as and when funds become available. If and when Aldridge does get delivered, in combination with the new stations being built at Willenhall and Darlaston, we could see the number of stations in the Walsall area double from three to six, which is a hugely exciting prospect for her constituency and the wider region.

I am ambitious for the future of Aldridge and the West Midlands, and I urge the right hon. Lady and the West Midlands combined authority to continue developing plans to ensure that we deliver better transport infrastructure, which supports economic growth, jobs, decarbonisation and improved quality of life for the travelling public of the West Midlands.

Question put and agreed to.

Old Oak Common Station

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) on securing this debate on the impact of Old Oak Common on rail services to Wales and the west of England. I thank all hon. Members for their contributions.

This Government understand the important role the rail network plays in providing connectivity to support economic development, housing and employment growth, as well as access to jobs, public services and leisure. That is why we have made fixing Britain's railways one of our top transport priorities. We have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers for too long. Cancellations are at a 10-year high and punctuality is inconsistent across the network, so I will take no lectures from the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Broadland and Fakenham (Jerome Mayhew).

We need to improve services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer. We have taken immediate action, such as bringing an end to the long-running pay dispute with train drivers, and Ministers continue to meet managing directors of train operators and their Network Rail counterparts to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards. If the shadow Minister’s Government were in power, we would still see drivers out on strike. Just last week, the Minister for Rail met again with Great Western Railway and Network Rail to ensure that they are progressing their plans to restore reliability on the route.

I will respond to the questions from the hon. Member for Cheltenham in a little while. First, I will address the subject of the debate. Old Oak Common station is a crucial enabler for the Government's growth mission. It will be not just a connection to HS2 for Birmingham and the north, but a destination in its own right, providing access to work and housing development alongside better connections to other services, including the Elizabeth line through central London, and to Heathrow airport. However, I recognise hon. Members’ concerns about the impact of the station and the construction works on rail services from Wales and the west.

[David Reed (Exmouth and Exeter East) (Con)]

The key theme set out by hon. Members from across Wales and the south-west is that we are all being kept in the dark. What will the Minister do to engage with MPs from across the region and tell us what plans for mitigation are being put in place in our constituencies for the planned works at Old Oak Common?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I will use the rest of my speech to do just that. My colleague the Minister for Rail has already had a meeting with a large number of MPs to discuss these issues, and he will continue to engage on precisely those points.

As you will appreciate, Mr Efford, a project of the scale and significance of Old Oak Common cannot be delivered without some disruption to existing services. Our challenge to HS2 Ltd is to keep the disruption to a minimum and to support Network Rail and train operators to keep passengers moving. The next phase of work takes place this Christmas, with changes made to Great Western Railway services from 27 to 29 December. The rail industry has been working hard to prepare for the work and has invested £30 million to mitigate its impact and keep passengers moving.

I will set out some of the things that that money has paid for. While some of the interventions are close to London, they are designed specifically to allow Great Western Railway passenger services during Old Oak Common works, such as electrification of the Poplars railway, which connects the Great Western main line and the west London line. That allows services to access their maintenance depot and for more Great Western Railway trains to terminate at Ealing Broadway. Investment has been made in Ealing Broadway and Reading stations so that they can provide better information to connecting passengers; in facilities at Euston to allow for the terminating Great Western Railway long-distance services, including the Penzance sleeper services; in alternative stabling for the Hitachi trains that serve Great Western Railway; and in other, similar provisions that are designed to help Great Western Railway services to continue operating during the period of disruption.

During these days, some inter-city services will divert to London Euston and some will terminate at Reading or Ealing Broadway. Extensive mitigations have been progressed behind the scenes so that trains continue to be maintained and can provide services again after the works. Passenger communications are happening now to enable people to make choices about how and when they travel. I recognise the importance of providing timely passenger information to enable people to do that. The next significant blockade had been due to take place in December 2026, but this is now being re-planned to a later date by HS2 Ltd. Further detail on the future works plan will be shared as soon as it is available in the spring.

Old Oak Common station is being built to enable all Great Western main line and relief line services to call at the station. This is important for future-proofing, but while all trains will be able to call, the future timetable will be under development for many years, so it is still too early to say with any certainty which trains will call there or from when, but I will come back to that in a moment. We know that many passengers from Wales and the west of England value the faster journeys into London, and will have other options, not via HS2, to travel north. The Rail Minister and I have heard from many colleagues about the concerns of their constituents, and officials are working with the industry to assess the options for calling patterns at Old Oak Common.

[Martin Wrigley]

I was listening very carefully, and I think the Minister just said that not all trains will necessarily stop at Old Oak Common. Could she confirm that, please?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I can confirm that the station is being constructed to allow all Great Western services to call, but no decision has been made on the future timetable.

None the less, building the station requires realignment of the Great Western main line to curve around new platforms. Unfortunately, that means that even trains that do not stop at the station will have a small increase in journey times. I know the Rail Minister has already asked industry partners to review current plans to ensure the impact of this is minimised. I will come back to this when I answer questions from hon. Members. I also recognise that this disruption comes on top of several years of poor performance on this route. The Government are determined to reverse that trend, improve punctuality and reliability, and rebuild a railway we can once again be proud of.

I do not think I can answer all of the questions that were posed during the debate, but I shall attempt to respond to a few of them. I know that my colleague the Rail Minister has met with many hon. Members to listen to their concerns, and that he is committed to finding the best possible solution that minimises disruption to services to constituencies in Wales and the west. He will continue to engage with hon. Members on this issue. A number of Members asked whether Great Western Railway services will stop at Old Oak Common and raised concerns about the impact on journey times. There will be a small but permanent journey time impact for all services passing through Old Oak Common without stopping. I recognise that that is a disbenefit to hon. Members’ constituents, and the Rail Minister has asked what more can be done to get that down from the estimated 90 seconds.

The hon. Member for Cheltenham asked about increasing running through the station from 60 mph to 80 mph, and Network Rail has already begun to develop proposals. They were discussed at the last Old Oak Common programme board, which the Rail Minister attended. If some or all services are to stop at Old Oak Common—as I said, no decision has been made yet on future timetables; that is some way off—it will, of course, add further to journey times. Four to seven minutes added to journey times has been suggested. That would slow down those services but would allow for potential interchange with the Elizabeth line and access to parts of London via the Elizabeth line and the London Overground. The London Overground does not connect directly, but work has begun on Old Oak Common connectivity and a range of options are under consideration, from improved walking routes through to more material interventions.

Various periods of blockade were discussed. The programme is currently under review, but there will be periods of disruption, as the hon. Member for Cheltenham set out, and those are likely to of the duration that he described or longer. As has been noted, there will be diversions to Euston when the blockades are in place, which will allow services to continue directly into central London for the many constituencies represented here today when the line between Ealing Broadway and Paddington is closed. That will add perhaps 15 to 20 minutes on to journey times.

The hon. Gentleman and others asked about short-form trains. He described clearly the impact on people’s journey experience, which is totally unsatisfactory. I know that the availability of sufficient fleet is vital. I recognise the inadequacy of the situation when the trains are over capacity and I know that the Minister for Rail is working to address this.

The hon. Gentleman also mentioned wi-fi. Free wi-fi is available on Great Western Railway services, but I know from my own travels that there are connectivity issues on part of the network. The Rail Minister has asked officials to explore the feasibility of a range of technology options to improve passenger connectivity on the rail network. The Department is conducting research to measure the strength of mobile phone signals along the network to fully understand where interventions are needed and the potential impacts.

The hon. Gentleman rightly raised the issues of Sunday timetables and cancellations. Problems with infrastructure, fleet reliability, and train crew availability have resulted in high levels of cancellations on Sundays in recent months, and I agree that that is unacceptable. We know these issues must be addressed. They were not addressed by the previous Government and we are working to do so.

Finally, the hon. Gentleman mentioned progress on the extension to the Honeybourne line active travel route in Cheltenham. I know it well, and I agree with his assessment that it would be a valuable extension. I understand that Great Western Railway, Network Rail, and Gloucestershire county council are working to progress the project, and if there is more we can do to hurry it along, I am sure the Rail Minister will be happy to do so.

[Max Wilkinson]

I am aware that I get another chance to speak shortly, but the reason I raised Network Rail’s blocking of that scheme is because of the way it has been done: by extending contract negotiations over years, to the point when a bit of cycle path is costing tens of thousands of pounds per metre because Network Rail demands ever greater levels of infrastructure to be inserted. I have raised this with Ministers and all sorts of people, but it is clear that Network Rail just wanted to kick it into the long grass by making it uneconomic. I know that the Minister is an advocate for active travel, so if she could intervene with Network Rail and just say, “Get it done,” I would be grateful.

[Lilian Greenwood]

As the hon. Gentleman says, this Government are committed to increasing the number of people who walk and cycle for short journeys. If there is something that my colleagues in the Department and I can do to unblock things and get them moving, we will do it.

Questions were asked about investment in Welsh railways. I assure hon. Members that the Wales Rail Board meets regularly and provides a forum for the UK and Welsh Governments to discuss matters of mutual interest. I understand the new Secretary of State is meeting the Secretary of State for Wales and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, imminently to discuss transport in Wales. Transport Ministers regularly meet our counterparts in the devolved Governments.

I will close by taking this opportunity to confirm again that the Rail Minister is working with all partners to ensure minimum disruption to travellers on the Great Western main line, both during the construction of Old Oak Common station and when it is in operation. I recognise that these are difficult issues, which hon. Members are right to raise on behalf of their constituents. I thank the hon. Member for Cheltenham and all hon. Members for their participation in this debate. I fully acknowledge and appreciate the importance of the issue to him and his constituents, and indeed to all hon. Members’ constituents. We will work to come up with a viable solution.

[Clive Efford (in the Chair)]

We have 14 minutes left, but that is not an invitation for a long speech from Max Wilkinson. I call him to sum up.

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and Local Road Networks

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Wednesday 11th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock (Calum Miller) on securing this debate, and I thank him for continuing to raise the issue of the London Road level crossing in his constituency. I recognise the concerns that he raises on behalf of local residents, and I appreciate the strength of those concerns—indeed, that was demonstrated by the presence of a number of his constituents today.

As the hon. Member is well aware, East West Rail launched a non-statutory consultation on 14 November on its proposals for the construction of a new railway that would provide a direct service between Oxford and Cambridge for the first time since the 1960s. That will provide billions in economic growth, which can be reinvested into the economy nationally. The upshot of that is that, as he says, East West Rail is proposing the closure of the London Road level crossing in Bicester. The possibility of that was noted in the non-statutory consultation that took place in 2021. I appreciate that for constituents facing these sorts of challenges it is difficult to have that uncertainty over a long period, when they know something is coming but it is some way off and they do not know exactly how it will impact on them.

The introduction of four East West Rail passenger trains per hour on top of existing passenger and freight services would represent—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lilian Greenwood]

I had forgotten that would happen at 7 pm.

The introduction of four East West Rail passenger trains per hour on top of existing passenger and freight services would represent a significant uplift in the rail traffic passing over the level crossing. On one level, that is a benefit, including to the hon. Gentleman’s constituents, who will have those new options for connectivity and the choices that brings in jobs, education or just getting about. That is a huge advantage not just to his area, but to the country. However, I understand that it does have less welcome impacts, and he has described the severance issue in his constituency in Bicester. Indeed, the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) and the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton), who is not in his place, took the opportunity to highlight the importance of listening to the concerns of local communities when developing national infrastructure projects and working with them to mitigate any adverse impacts. I understand the importance of trying to do that.

Turning back to London Road and the level crossing, the level crossing barriers are currently closed for around 10 minutes every hour, but the closure time is expected to regularly exceed 32 minutes in the hour once all East West Rail services are operational, and the barriers could be closed for up to 12 and a half minutes of continuous downtime at a time. The impact of that would be queues half a mile long in either direction. That would have a huge impact not only on those stuck in the queue, but on air quality and broader congestion. It would cause the significant traffic disruption that the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock is rightly keen to avoid, creating long tailbacks, potentially through the centre of town, on a daily basis.

In addition to the traffic issues that would be caused by retention of the crossing, we also have to consider the personal safety of crossing users, whether they are crossing on foot, on bicycles or other non-motorised means. Analysis undertaken by the East West Railway Company determined that the risk of collision between a train and a road user, whether through misuse of the level crossing or an accident, was simply too high with the uplift in East West Rail services. We know that level crossings are a point of vulnerability on the rail network, and safety has to be a top priority.

In the view of the East West Railway Company and Network Rail, no further steps could be taken to improve the safety of the level crossing without undertaking its closure. I understand how disappointing that is to members of the hon. Gentleman’s local community. The East West Railway Company has reviewed all the possible options for the crossing, having consulted on them in 2021. Those options include a road bridge over the crossing and a road tunnel underneath it. As the East West Railway Company set out in its 2023 route upgrade announcement, providing an overbridge or an underpass presented insurmountable design, constructability and affordability challenges, and those options were not progressed.

I recognise, as the hon. Gentleman said, that when the area around the station was redeveloped, I think back in 2014, there might have been an opportunity to look at different ways the crossing could have been done, but at the time there was no East West Railway Company, and perhaps there was a lack of join-up that could have been provided at that time. However, I am afraid we are 10 years on from that.

The East West Railway Company did undertake to explore options to leave the road open to local traffic and develop options to retain connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-vehicle users, which would of course include mobility scooter users such as the constituent that the hon. Member referred to. Ensuring accessibility for those groups is extremely important.

Since 2023, the East West Railway Company has also considered providing new road bridges crossing the railway at other locations in Bicester. I am afraid that the modelling work undertaken on the downtime of the level crossing barriers produced the results that I set out for the extended closure period, so it is deemed not appropriate to retain the level crossing for local use only. Providing road bridges in other locations in Bicester has also been ruled out on the grounds of affordability and constructability. East West Rail has provided further details of its analysis that led to those conclusions in the technical report accompanying the current non-statutory consultation. I am sure that the hon. Member is aware of that, and that his constituents and those watching either will have read that or will now go and seek it out.

The options currently out for consultation of a pedestrian footbridge or underpass—they would of course be built to suitable accessibility standards to provide opportunities for cyclists and those using mobility scooters—alongside local road diversions, aim to provide the best possible balance between affordability and constructability and the needs of the local community in the hon. Member’s constituency. Both the footbridge and the underpass have been developed in the light of feedback received at and since the 2021 consultation. I assure him that there are opportunities for further design refinements to ensure that the solution meets the community’s need.

I note the hon. Member’s comments about the issues that he would like to see addressed and what he believes the majority of his constituents would prefer. I assure him that the Government are listening and that I and my colleague the Rail Minister will be happy to keep in touch with him. I am sure there will be opportunity for further discussion as things progress.

[Calum Miller]

I very much appreciate the Minister’s fulsome response. There is one point that I want to press her on slightly. East West Rail’s own analysis has demonstrated that there is still a lot of technical work to be done—as I highlighted, some of the traffic modelling has not yet been done—so given that the information is not fully there and we have no public figure on how much money could be spent on a solution, will she accept that there should be openness to suggestions that might come from the community and not a closing down on the relatively limited range of options that East West Rail has so far provided? The Rail Minister gave me that assurance when I spoke to him, and I would be grateful if the Minister would confirm that there is openness to considering other options if they can be demonstrated to be technically and financially feasible.

[Lilian Greenwood]

I am happy to give the hon. Member that assurance, and I certainly would not disagree with the Rail Minister. I can also assure him that the proposed road diversions and any further enhancements required to minimise the impact of these diversions will be funded as part of the East West Rail project and that the local authority will not be expected to foot the bill. I have heard the representations about the importance of protecting the hon. Member’s constituents, and I know that my noble Friend Lord Hendy will have done as well.

I understand that having to travel to the centre of Bicester by an alternative route is unwelcome, but initial traffic modelling has demonstrated that any journey lengthening caused by vehicle traffic taking the alternative route proposed in the consultation will still be considerably shorter than the journey time extension caused by sitting in a traffic jam at the crossing for 10 minutes and upwards.

In closing, I signpost the ongoing consultation, and I invite all those with views, including the hon. Member’s constituents, to contact the East West Rail Company through the published channels before the closing date of 24 January 2025. It is so important that we listen to local people’s views and that we try to take them into account as we develop further mitigation. As I said, no final decision has been taken on which option to choose for the level crossing and future access for the local community. Feedback from the public will play a part in influencing the outcome. I would be pleased to keep in touch with the hon. Member as the position on the level crossing develops, and once again I congratulate him on securing this important debate, ensuring that his constituents’ concerns are heard in this place.

Question put and agreed to.

Rail Connectivity: Oxfordshire

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Wednesday 27th November 2024 Westminster Hall

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Sir Mark. I congratulate the hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard) on securing this debate on railway connectivity between Witney, Carterton, Eynsham and Oxford. It is clear that he has been a passionate advocate for restoring the rail link, and I thank him for the important points that he has made and other hon. Members for their contributions.

The Government recognise the significance of Oxfordshire and the wider Oxford economic region. It is a global centre for research, learning and healthcare, and one of the most productive economic regions in the UK, so continuing to invest in the region and work with those who represent it is vital. Its transport network is clearly important for providing the connectivity to support economic development, as well as planned housing and employment growth. That is why significant investments are being made in road, rail and sustainable transport improvements. As the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock (Calum Miller) made clear, housing and transport connectivity must go hand in hand. It is vital that the local transport authority, which knows its local area, can develop and prioritise transport investment projects that support those aspirations.

The Government’s housing infrastructure fund has approved £126 million to Oxfordshire county council for its A40 smart corridor scheme, which will provide infrastructure for better bus travel, and safer walking and cycling along the A40 route between Eynsham park and ride and Oxford. That kind of multimodal approach will be really important. In addition, since 2014, £118.4 million from the Government’s local growth fund has been used by the Oxfordshire local enterprise partnership to invest in the transport network. That included £35 million to deliver the second phase of the A40 Oxford science transit scheme, demonstrating Government’s commitment to investing in this key corridor. I agree that public transport has a vital role to play in improving connectivity and relieving congestion on our road network, and the hon. Member for Witney quite rightly points out future projections and the importance of thinking for the long term to ensure we can cope with rising population in the area, and with the demand for more housing and more growth.

A strategic vision for rail investment in the county was set out in the Oxfordshire rail corridor study report, which was published in 2021. It brought together the views of local stakeholders and the rail industry to assess the impacts of planned growth in Oxfordshire, and identified key investments in the rail network to deliver economic growth and meet the changing needs of the county. An early output from the rail corridor study has been the Oxford station project, which will undertake a series of investments to support new rail services into Oxford, and enable faster passenger and freight journeys.

An early deliverable of the project is to widen the rail bridge over Botley Road, which has been closed since 2023 to enable a series of utilities diversions. I expect that hon. Members will be aware that Network Rail has experienced significant difficulties in delivering those works, which have had an unacceptable impact on the residents and businesses in the area—and on Members’ constituents who commute into the city, no doubt. I can only offer my sincere apologies to those affected. Network Rail has been tasked with developing a plan that enables the reopening of Botley Road, and the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, will be meeting stakeholders and local representatives to discuss that in due course.

The Oxfordshire area also benefits from connectivity through the East West Rail programme, although I appreciate that that is to the east of the city rather than to the west. At the autumn Budget, the Chancellor committed Government support to accelerate works on the Marston Vale line to deliver services between Oxford and Bedford from 2030.

Let me turn to the specific subject of today’s debate: a reopening of the line linking Carterton, Witney and Eynsham to Oxford. I welcome Oxfordshire county council’s recent publication of the feasibility study into reopening the line, and recognise the local and regional benefits it sets out. It is a really good example of why this Government’s approach to how transport projects can be funded is based on local leaders and local transport authorities knowing best which projects to pursue; these bodies are best placed to decide on and take forward transport schemes that will most benefit their local areas.

There are a number of significant challenges associated with the proposed reopening, the most significant of which is funding the estimated costs of £700 million to £900 million. I appreciate that the proposed scheme is described as a long-term project, but it is dependent on other projects that have not yet been funded or delivered; given the associated costs, other options for increasing connectivity in the area may present better value for money. I am sure that the hon. Member is in conversation with the county council about thinking in that way.

[Charlie Maynard]

Just one small correction: from Oxford to Carterton North is £600 million only—we do not need to build out to Carterton West necessarily; that would just be a nice-to-have—and, of that, land value capture would allow something like £300 million. That is the broader scheme of it.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the hon. Member for that clarification. However, he will appreciate that £600 million —even with a significant private sector contribution —is not an insignificant amount. I understand that delivering the scheme would require funding from central Government—I guess that is the purpose of his debate—but he will also know that, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor set out in her speech to the House on 29 July, the Government have been forced to look again at the economic inheritance left by the last Government.

The Secretary of State has announced her intention to conduct a thorough review—indeed, it is ongoing—of the previous Government’s transport plans, to ensure that our transport infrastructure portfolio drives economic growth and delivers value for money for taxpayers. We are having to look at a number of schemes that are closer to deliverability within that portfolio. Decisions about individual projects will be informed by the review process and confirmed in due course.

I encourage the hon. Member for Witney to continue to work with his local authorities and stakeholders to develop the proposal further. I commend his work to pursue alternative funding sources and to think in the round about how best to meet the aspirations that his constituents rightly have to improve connectivity.

I again thank the hon. Member for securing this debate on rail connectivity between Witney, Carterton, Eynsham and Oxford. I fully acknowledge and appreciate the importance of the matter to him, to his constituency and his many constituents, and to those in the wider West Oxfordshire area; this Government recognise the requirement for connectivity in the region, and we stand ready to work with them to meet their aspirations. I hope that I have been able to provide some clarity on the Government’s position on being able to fund the development of such proposals currently, but I am sure we stand ready to have further discussions in the months and years ahead.

Question put and agreed to.

Transport

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Written Corrections

[Gareth Bacon]

… On Monday, in her statement on bus funding, the Secretary of State said that a formula was being used to allocate funding. She said that the formula will allocate funding

“based on local need, population, the distance that buses travel, and levels of deprivation…This formula and the funding allocated is a fair arrangement, ensuring that every area of the country gets the service levels it needs”.—[Official Report, 18 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 43-45.]

The formula, including the weighting given to the various factors by the right hon. Lady, has not been published. When will it be?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his question. We are proud of the work that we have done to ensure that every part of the country benefits from additional funding for their buses, and we will publish that later today.

[Official Report, 21 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 352.]

Written correction submitted by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood):

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his question. We are proud of the work that we have done to ensure that every part of the country benefits from additional funding for their buses, and we will provide further details in due course.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Thursday 21st November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) (Con)]

3. What recent estimate she has made of when electrification of the midland main line will be complete.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

The electrification of the remainder of the route to Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby—the midland main line electrification programme—is in development, and currently it is planned to be completed by the early 2030s, subject to business case approvals and wider affordability considerations.

[Neil O’Brien]

It is marvellous that we now have the electric lines energised up through Market Harborough to Wigston, and we are looking forward to our electric trains arriving next year. Even better, we have Spion Kop bridge staying open. Will the Rail Minister meet me to ensure that we avoid any risk that future electrification works lead to a further withdrawal of late and early services to Market Harborough? The last train back from London is already far too early, so we need to avoid the works having any further damaging impact.

[Lilian Greenwood]

We are all concerned about the impact of works on services. I know that the Rail Minister is aware of that and would welcome the opportunity to visit, alongside Network Rail, to see the work being done to mitigate the impact on the hon. Gentleman’s constituents as that work continues.

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

4. Whether she is taking steps to support the participation of small and medium-sized local bus operators in bus franchising schemes.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

This Government are empowering every community to take back control of their local bus services. Legislation on bus franchising requires local authorities to consider small and medium-sized enterprises as part of the franchising process. We are working with those interested in pursuing franchising to develop different models, including smaller-scale models, which require less financial commitment and provide more opportunities for small and medium-sized bus operators to participate.

[Jayne Kirkham]

I am pleased to hear that this is part of the consultation on updating the bus franchising guidance. We have some strong local SMEs in Falmouth that provide a knowledgeable, local and flexible bus service, along with community bus services too. Will the Minister please confirm that she will be supportive of that kind of model when going through the guidance?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is a great champion for businesses in her constituency. We recognise the important role that smaller local bus operators can provide in delivering high-quality bus services; they know their customers and their communities. In addition to the requirement to consider SMEs as part of the franchising process, this Government’s reforms to the bus system are designed to give more options to local communities to deliver local bus services. Our transformative buses Bill will seek to give local areas the choice of pursuing bus franchising, high-quality partnerships with the private sector or local authority-owned bus companies and, once in law, will provide more opportunities for all operators, including SMEs.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Minister for that answer, which is incredibly helpful. To support the participation of small and medium-sized local bus companies in bus franchising schemes, they also want to be energy-efficient. That enables them to apply for the franchises and do better. How can the Minister help those small and medium-sized bus companies to be energy efficient—with hydrogen buses, for example—and thereby gain the franchises and contracts?

[Lilian Greenwood]

Transport matters are devolved in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency, of course, but putting buses at the heart of our policies and wanting to increase ridership provides brilliant opportunities for local manufacturers of buses to take part and supports local manufacturers and operators.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

[Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

On behalf of the Opposition Front Bench, I too offer my sincere sympathies to the family of the late Lord Prescott on his passing.

On Monday, in her statement on bus funding, the Secretary of State said that a formula was being used to allocate funding. She said that the formula will allocate funding

“based on local need, population, the distance that buses travel, and levels of deprivation…This formula and the funding allocated is a fair arrangement, ensuring that every area of the country gets the service levels it needs”.—[Official Report, 18 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 43-45.]

The formula, including the weighting given to the various factors by the right hon. Lady, has not been published. When will it be?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his question. We are proud of the work that we have done to ensure that every part of the country benefits from additional funding for their buses, and we will publish that later today.

[Gareth Bacon]

The Secretary of State also said in her statement:

“Councils such as Leicester, the Isle of Wight, Torbay and Cambridgeshire will see unprecedented levels of funding for services.”—[Official Report, 18 November 2024; Vol. 757, c. 42.]

What levels of subsidy does she believe that bus services in those areas will require?

[Lilian Greenwood]

It is incredibly important that decisions about local services are taken by those who are operating them. That is why not only have we provided substantial levels of funding—£1 billion announced in the Budget and the allocations set out on Monday—but we are providing local transport authorities with the powers they need to provide the services that local communities want and deserve.

[Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells) (LD)]

5. If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of local bus services in enabling children’s travel to school.

--- Later in debate ---

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

11. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

Fourteen years of decline in local bus services under the previous Administration has hit communities across the country hard, especially in rural areas. This Government know that buses are a lifeline, and through our upcoming buses Bill, we will give all local leaders the powers that they need to design networks that meet the needs of their communities, including measures to ensure that vital services for passengers remain running.

[Claire Young]

Many of my Thornbury and Yate constituents have been impacted by the loss of the 84/85 bus. I am told that funding is made more difficult because that bus is a cross-border service between Gloucestershire and the west of England. Does the Minister agree that the rules need clarifying, so that they do not get in the way of ensuring that we keep important bus services running?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I absolutely recognise the concern that arises when vital bus services are lost, which the hon. Lady mentioned. That is why, in the forthcoming buses Bill, we will explore a local network management measure that will give local transport authorities the power to ensure that cuts to local networks are made only when absolutely necessary, thus protecting people like her constituents, who relied on that vital bus service.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Chris Bloore.

[Chris Bloore (Redditch) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for recognising my half-bob. My thoughts are with Lord Prescott’s family; he was one of the first politicians I met as a young student, and he certainly made an impression.

May I congratulate the Secretary of State and the Minister on the £9.3 million investment in buses in Worcestershire? I represent a rural constituency where people have not been able to get to work, access health services or stay connected with friends and family. This investment may well make a real difference to their lives.

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to speak up for his constituents in Worcestershire, and about the difference that will be made by the funding that this Government are providing. It will ensure that his constituents have the connections that were cut off for too long under the previous Government.

[Andrew Cooper (Mid Cheshire) (Lab)]

12. What steps she is taking to improve the accessibility of railway stations for disabled people.

--- Later in debate ---

[Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)]

14. If she will take steps to help reduce overcrowding on Chiltern Railways services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

The Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Hendy and officials continue to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support delivery of an improved passenger experience. To reduce crowding, Chiltern periodically adjusts its timetable, responding to passenger demand. It is exploring options for procuring additional trains, in order to relieve crowding while ensuring value for money for the taxpayer.

[Freddie van Mierlo]

Haddenham and Thame Parkway train station is a key transport hub for my residents who commute regularly to London. However, constituents face overcrowded trains; some even report fainting on hot, stuffy trains. I understand that Chiltern Railways has an active business case with the Department for Transport. Will the Minister approve, as a matter of priority, the replacement trains and carriages that it is requesting?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question on behalf of those people who travel on Chiltern Railways. The Rail Minister has assured me that the cascaded rolling stock is under active consideration in the Department, and we will complete the process as soon as possible.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)]

15. If she will take steps to help ensure that the Tyne Bridge is restored in time for its centenary in 2028.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I thank my hon. Friend for that question —she is a great champion for her city. It is the responsibility of Newcastle city council to manage the bridge restoration project, but we encourage the council to do all it can to ensure that the restoration of this iconic bridge is completed in time for its centenary celebrations.

[Chi Onwurah]

As the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on jazz, I want to add to the many tributes paid to the great Lord Prescott by saying that he was a champion of jazz and a jazz lover as well.

I do hope that the Minister will be able to join us on the restored Tyne bridge for its centenary celebrations in 2028. However, she may be aware that an uplift to the funding announced under the previous Government for the restoration has not yet materialised, and inflation and issues uncovered during the project have led to a rise in costs. Could she confirm to me that the difficult decisions this Government have made mean that the uplift in funding will be available for the fully restored Tyne bridge?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I thank my hon. Friend for that fantastic invitation on 2028. This Government’s manifesto was clear that we want to forge ahead with infrastructure improvements as part of our mission to kick-start economic growth. As with all schemes in the major road network programme, the Department’s contribution is fixed once the scheme is approved, and Newcastle city council was awarded over £35 million towards the total cost of the scheme. However, I absolutely commend her for championing this important project. As she says, it is one of the world’s most iconic bridges, and we are happy to keep this in mind in the context of the spending review.

[Dr Jeevun Sandher (Loughborough) (Lab)]

17. What steps she is taking to decarbonise the transport sector.

--- Later in debate ---

[Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)]

T3. John Prescott was a good friend, and condolences go to his wife Pauline and his family and friends. Northumberland’s biggest town, Blyth, is in desperate need of a relief road. It was much promised by the previous Government, and the plan was submitted before the general election in 2024. Can the Minister update the House on that plan’s progress?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

Like my hon. Friend, we are all thinking of Lord Prescott and his family today.

My officials have had meetings with Northumberland county council, which is working to strengthen the case and provide further analytical work before the scheme can be fully appraised. I would be happy to update my hon. Friend on those discussions when I can do so.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

--- Later in debate ---

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

T5. The last Government and Surrey county council were working on progressing junction improvements with the A31 at Hickley’s Corner in Farnham. Can the Minister confirm that that improvement will go ahead? In addition, the pressure on the A325 through Wrecclesham is becoming intolerable. Will she work with local authorities to provide a Wrecclesham bypass, which is so sought by my constituents?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I would be happy to get my officials to write to the hon. Gentleman to provide an update on discussions around those important schemes.

[Patrick Hurley (Southport) (Lab)]

T6.   The key to improved rail performance in my constituency is the reinstatement of rail infrastructure, notably the Burscough curves, alongside improved services to Manchester, where my constituents are also continually let down by Northern Rail. Does the Secretary of State agree that one of the best ways to achieve the high growth that the country needs is to improve those transport connections? Will she meet me to discuss that further?

--- Later in debate ---

[Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter) (Lab)]

T9.   Branston bridge in my constituency, a main route in and out of Burton and Branston, is falling down. It was confirmed yesterday that it will be closed to vehicles for safety reasons, which is causing significant distress to residents, local businesses and commuters. Will the Minister work further with me and others so that we can solve this problem?

[Lilian Greenwood]

Of course, I recognise that Branston bridge is a vital part of Staffordshire county council’s road network, linking communities and businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency. In addition to the £500 million of maintenance funding that the Chancellor announced in the Budget, there is also £650 million of transport funding outside city regions next year. Full detail on how that funding will be allocated will be confirmed in due course.

[Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)]

Several key roads in my constituency are either closed or partially closed for roadworks, which are being done by utility companies who are increasingly getting around road permits by declaring an emergency. Will the Minister look into that to ensure that utility companies use emergency powers only when absolutely necessary?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The hon. Member raises a really important point about the disruption of roadworks. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we mitigate those problems and deal with them exactly as he said.

[Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

I associate myself with the comments about Lord Prescott, a true working-class hero.

Constituents regularly tell me that the No. 57 bus that connects Stocksbridge to Sheffield is often delayed and does not always stop, even when bus stops are busy. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the funding she announced this week will provide reliable and affordable bus routes connecting our rural and urban communities in Penistone and Stocksbridge?