To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Railways: Freight
Wednesday 14th December 2022

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the impact of industrial action in December 2022 on the rail freight sector in transporting commodities over the Christmas period.

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

Government continues to work closely with Network Rail (NR) and Freight Operating Companies (FOCs) to ensure as much freight as possible is able to continue to move throughout the industrial action planned over the Christmas period. We are ensuring that critical freight flows are prioritised and we continue to monitor the impacts on specific sectors, through our engagement with other Government Departments.

During periods of industrial action, approximately 20% of rail freight services operate on strike days, returning to around 70% on the day after a strike.


Written Question
Railways: Freight
Tuesday 18th October 2022

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to maximise opportunities for growing rail freight.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The Government remains committed to growing rail freight and unlocking the economic and environmental benefits rail freight can deliver.

Between 2014-2019, the Government invested over £235m in the Strategic Freight Network (SFN) and further investments are being confirmed and announced through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP).


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Tuesday 7th December 2021

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Policy Exchange report entitled Charging up, published on 2 February 2021, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the number of electric vehicle charging points needed to meet demand across the UK are installed by 2030.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The UK has been a global front-runner in supporting provision of charging infrastructure along with private sector investment. Our vision is to have one of the best infrastructure networks in the world for electric vehicles (EVs), and we want chargepoints to be accessible, affordable and secure. The number of public chargepoints available has increased by 33% in the past 12 months from October 2020 to October 2021.

We will invest over £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Our grant schemes and the £400m Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK.

Government’s forthcoming EV Infrastructure Strategy will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of EVs. We will set out our next steps to address barriers to private investment and level up charge point provision. The strategy will clearly establish Government’s expectations for the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure.

Alongside the Strategy, to increase confidence in the charging network and reduce range anxiety the Government is working with industry to simplify payment, ensure reliability and make chargepoint data freely available, helping drivers easily locate and access available chargepoints. In Spring 2021 we consulted on measures to improve the consumer experience of public charging and we will publish our response this winter and are seeking to lay legislation in the new year.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Tuesday 7th December 2021

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 24 of the Net Zero Strategy, what his Department's implementation timeline is for the zero emissions vehicle mandate; and what the next steps his Department plans to take are in respect of the zero emissions vehicle mandate.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

As referenced in the Net Zero Strategy, the Government has committed to introducing a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, setting targets for a percentage of manufacturers’ new car and van sales to be zero emission each year, from 2024.

The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation, and will publish a full Government response in due course.

Following publication of the Government’s response to the consultation, we will work to bring forward specific proposals. The first of these will most likely be in Spring 2022, with regulatory proposals for cars and vans.


Written Question
Railways: Freight
Friday 14th June 2019

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

suggested redraft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect on the viability of rail freight of a 25 per cent reduction in (a) mode shift revenue support and (b) waterborne freight grant.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The Government provides grants worth £15.6m per year to support rail and water freight services which deliver environmental and economic benefits over road transport, but whose operating costs are higher. This level is net of a significant efficiency saving implemented since 2015.

Rail flows of intermodal freight continue to be healthy and the grants deliver high value for money. A research project is underway to inform decisions about future funding and operation of the grants and will consider stakeholder feedback.


Written Question
Railways: Tickets
Monday 15th April 2019

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to reform the rail ticketing and settlement agreement to enable a more (a) transparent, (b) innovative and (c) simpler fares and ticketing system.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) is maintained and managed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of the train operators. It is for the industry to propose changes to the TSA, and for Secretary of State to approve those changes where he is required to do so. The RDG has submitted to the Williams Rail Review its proposals for reform of the fares system, including reform of the TSA, and we are ready to work with the industry to consider how its proposals might work and be tested in the real world.


Written Question
Railways: Tickets
Monday 15th April 2019

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rail ticketing and settlement agreement, and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) is maintained and managed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of the train operators. It is for the industry to propose changes to the TSA, and for Secretary of State to approve those changes where he is required to do so. The RDG has submitted to the Williams Rail Review its proposals for reform of the fares system, including reform of the TSA, and we are ready to work with the industry to consider how its proposals might work and be tested in the real world.


Written Question
Railways: Tickets
Monday 15th April 2019

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many amendments his Department has made to the rail ticketing and settlement agreement since the establishment of that scheme.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) is maintained and managed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of the train operators. It is for the industry to propose changes to the TSA, and for Secretary of State to approve those changes where he is required to do so. The RDG has submitted to the Williams Rail Review its proposals for reform of the fares system, including reform of the TSA, and we are ready to work with the industry to consider how its proposals might work and be tested in the real world.


Written Question
Railways: Competition
Tuesday 12th December 2017

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to attract new open access applications where there is capacity to deliver more rail services, passenger choice and competition.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As the Secretary of State for Transport set in his November 2017 document A Strategic Vision for Rail, through the use of the Department’s franchising powers public procurement through competition will continue to be our central policy for train service operations, reflecting the significant benefits it has brought for passengers.

However, whilst it is for individual operators to consider potential applications, we have made clear that we welcome new open access applications where these do not significantly impact on affordability or the value for money from public investment in the rail network, and where they complement franchised services. Ultimately these applications are for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to determine and government has no contractual relationship with open access operators.

As the Competition and Markets Authority made clear, a pre-condition for greater open access under their preferred Option 1 is that open access makes an appropriate contribution towards the costs of the railway. We are taking forward consideration of this option, both through working with the ORR on charging reform and the public service obligation (PSO) levy. We are therefore pleased that the ORR is taking forward reforms to the track access charging framework as part of its Periodic Review 2018 process.

We are considering the responses to the public service obligation levy consultation, and will continue discussions with the ORR on the potential links between charging reform and the PSO proposals. We intend to our response early next year.


Written Question
Railways: Public Service Obligations
Tuesday 12th December 2017

Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Cleethorpes)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its response to the passenger rail public service obligation levy consultation, which closed on 21 April 2017.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As the Secretary of State for Transport set in his November 2017 document A Strategic Vision for Rail, through the use of the Department’s franchising powers public procurement through competition will continue to be our central policy for train service operations, reflecting the significant benefits it has brought for passengers.

However, whilst it is for individual operators to consider potential applications, we have made clear that we welcome new open access applications where these do not significantly impact on affordability or the value for money from public investment in the rail network, and where they complement franchised services. Ultimately these applications are for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to determine and government has no contractual relationship with open access operators.

As the Competition and Markets Authority made clear, a pre-condition for greater open access under their preferred Option 1 is that open access makes an appropriate contribution towards the costs of the railway. We are taking forward consideration of this option, both through working with the ORR on charging reform and the public service obligation (PSO) levy. We are therefore pleased that the ORR is taking forward reforms to the track access charging framework as part of its Periodic Review 2018 process.

We are considering the responses to the public service obligation levy consultation, and will continue discussions with the ORR on the potential links between charging reform and the PSO proposals. We intend to our response early next year.