Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effect of usage-based telematics products on levels of (a) road safety and (b) environmental sustainability.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Department for Transport recognises the potential benefits of telematics and other in-vehicle technologies in promoting fuel-efficient driving behaviours, which could save motorists and businesses money and reduce vehicle emissions. In line with our commitment in Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, the Department has established a technology taskforce with the motoring and insurance industries to explore the role that new vehicle technologies has to play, and put in place appropriate interventions. The Department is also exploring the potential benefits of this technology in reducing the risk of young driver collisions through the Driver 2020 project.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has requested updated advice from the Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Visual Disorders on whether or not to allow glucose monitors that measure interstitial fluid rather than blood; and whether his Department has received advice on a minimum accuracy standard for such monitors.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The use of interstitial glucose monitoring systems in the context of driving falls within the remit of Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes Mellitus. The panel has recently considered the use of such technology.
Following the Panel’s review, this matter will be the subject of a targeted consultation with key stakeholders over the summer.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers of his Department and (c) officials of his Department have had with the Department of Health and Social Care on driving and new technology for blood glucose monitoring of drivers with diabetes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Department for Transport officials have advised their counterparts in the Department of Health and Social care of plans to carry out a targeted consultation over the summer with key stakeholders on this issue.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in he will meet with the Minister for Loneliness to discuss the role of reliable and timely bus services in helping to alleviate social isolation.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
As part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to deliver a national strategy on loneliness, a Ministerial group has been established, chaired by Tracey Crouch. As the lead Minister on the role of transport in tackling loneliness, I represent the Department on this group.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce overcrowding on passenger rail services.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is making the biggest investment in our railways since the Victorian era, enabling more trains and longer trains to operate on many of our busiest routes. Since 2010, more than 563 new carriages have been brought into service in England and Wales, and a further 5032 are planned to enter service by the end of 2020.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation he plans to undertake before any rail freight sites owned by Network Rail are sold.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department for Transport and Network Rail have undertaken early discussions with key stakeholders in the rail freight industry, including a meeting with the Rail Freight Group, regarding options for the sale of rail freight sites owned by Network Rail.
The on-going process of identifying options for the sale of rail freight sites is at a very early stage. Key stakeholders will be engaged throughout the process.
Network Rail is required to consult should it wish to dispose of land in which it has an interest and which may be important to the continuing operation and future development of the network. A full consultation process will be undertaken before any final decision is taken about the sale of freight sites owned by Network Rail.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of freight capacity in freight sites owned by Network Rail.
Answered by Claire Perry
The capacity of a freight site is determined by a number of factors including the parameters of the site, the loading capabilities within the site and the capacity of the rail network connecting to the site. The department has not made any assessment of the capacity in freight sites owned by Network Rail. Network Rail does not hold all the information required to make such an assessment as this is partly held by those freight operators who manage the sites.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Network Rail paid to buy back land from rail freight owners in October 2014.
Answered by Claire Perry
This was a commercial matter for Network Rail. The total cost to Network Rail of acquiring the lease interests of the Freight Operators under Project Mountfield was £220 million.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons Network Rail bought back rail lands in October 2014; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
This decision was made by Network Rail, and I have sought clarification from the company as to the reasons. I am informed that the purchase was made to increase competition and efficiency across the freight industry, opening up the market to operators.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money accrued to the public purse at the time of rail privatisation from land sold by British Rail to private freight companies.
Answered by Claire Perry
British Rail did not sell land directly to private freight companies but transferred land to the different freight entities within its own operations in advance of the sale of the freight business. It would no longer be possible at this point to extrapolate the land value from the company value.