Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations they have received from (a) Hitachi and (b) Alstom on their redundancy consultations.
Answered by Huw Merriman
My Department has been in intensive discussion with Alstom since the company announced a consultation on potential redundancies at its train manufacturing site in Derby in November 2023. Hitachi is not currently consulting on redundancies at its train manufacturing site in Newton Aycliffe, but my Department has met Hitachi Rail’s UK management team several times in recent months to discuss workload at the company’s Newton Aycliffe site.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's strategy on rolling stock procurement.
Answered by Huw Merriman
I wrote to train manufacturers in January 2024 to provide an overview of current and expected rolling stock opportunities, which include upcoming competitions being run by Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine and Chiltern. This is published on-line here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-and-expected-rolling-stock-procurement-opportunities. These contracts are worth an estimated £3.6 billion alongside significant maintenance and refurbishment opportunities. I have asked my officials to consider what additional information we could provide to the market in the coming months.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the (a) Avanti and (b) South Western train contracts.
Answered by Huw Merriman
For Avanti West Coast (AWC), no assessment has been made as the operator has a contract with a core term until 15 October 2026, after which the Department can terminate the contract at any point with three months' notice.
The National Rail Contract for South Western Railway ends in May 2025 having been extended by the maximum two-year period to a maximum term of four years. A Prior Information Notice was issued on 2 April 2024 setting out the Department’s intention to seek to obtain a Direct Award with SWR at the end of the current contract. The proposed Direct Award is expected to have a core term of three years and a potential maximum term of up to eight years.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question 17164 on Carbon Emissions: Finance, how much funding has been allocated for the continuation of his Department's 2024-25 net zero policies in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Departmental budgets are set at Spending Reviews. The previous Spending Review (SR21) set departmental budgets until 24-25. Funding for the continuation of net zero policies in 25-26 will be allocated as part of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question 17165 on Carbon Emissions: Finance, how much funding each of the policies listed will receive in the financial year 2025-26.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Departmental budgets are set at Spending Reviews. The previous Spending Review (SR21) set departmental budgets until 2024-25. Funding for the continuation of net zero policies in 2025-26 will be allocated as part of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Ministerial Code also states, at paragraph 2.13: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.” Paragraph 2.13 covers whether a minister has notified the Law Officers of a personal role in litigation.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to Question 15694 on Department for Transport: DP World and P&O Ferries ,tabled by the Hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley on 26 February 2024 for answer on 29 February 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman
A response to PQ 15694 was provided on 8 March 2024.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of employment tribunals in relation to fire and rehire practices that have found in favour of employees in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024.
Answered by Mike Freer
Fire and rehire claims are usually recorded under an unfair dismissal coding. From 01 January 2021 to date, there are more than 17,000 unfair dismissal judgments on the Employment Tribunal decisions register. To provide the information requested it would be at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of employment tribunal cases concerning fire and rehire practices in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024.
Answered by Mike Freer
It is not possible to provide the information requested without checking each claim at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for for Business and Trade on enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (Offshore Employment) (Amendment) Order 2020 for seafarers working on (a) domestic shipping routes and (b) offshore oil and gas installations on the UK Continental Shelf.
Answered by Guy Opperman
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.