Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what performance penalties may apply in relation to Southern train services since 24 January 2017.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is an incentive/penalty regime in place within the Franchise Agreement for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, but this is measured against the performance of the franchise in its entirety; we do not disaggregate the franchise down to its core business groups (i.e. Southern). Any penalties accrued under this regime are assessed annually, not on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Southern since 24 January 2017 on its performance against contract standards on punctuality, delays and cancellations since that date.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Ministers are in regular contact with the operator regarding performance on this franchise. Officials are also in regular discussions.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to ensure that constituencies increasing in population size will be adequately supported by (a) road and (b) rail infrastructure.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Secretary of State for Transport has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government about how best to continue to provide the best possible transport solutions for the nation and its constituencies. Both the Road Investment Strategy and the current rail upgrade plan are focused on meeting the current and increasing demand, and stimulating economic growth by investing record amounts in transport links to communities. We use detailed models and evidence to support these investments and we are committed to continuing to do so in the future.
An important aim for the second Road Investment Strategy, which is being developed, is to provide transport capacity to support new housing construction. Officials in both departments are coordinating planning activity to understand and accommodate new pressures on the strategic road network.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to accelerate the rate of performance improvement on the Southern rail network.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recently announced an additional £300 million investment for Network Rail to boost the operational resilience of the infrastructure on its Southern Rail route. This is in addition to the £20 million investment announced last year.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans are in place for the proposed fare increase due on 1 January 2017 to directly fund improvements on the GTR network.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have capped the rail fares we regulate at inflation (Retail Price Index) since 2014, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament. This means those fares we regulate will not rise by more than1.9% in 2017. Limiting fares increases to inflation-only means that industry revenues keep track, but do not out-pace, the impact of inflation on their costs. Our current investment programme is the largest since the Victorian era and requires funding from both taxpayers and farepayers. As part of this, the GTR Franchise Agreement contains obligations requiring the franchisee to make significant improvements at stations and on trains through the life of the franchise. On the Thameslink network alone that means £1.6billion of new trains which started to be introduced earlier this summer and Gatwick Express has also benefited from new trains. During this time of major investment we are also clear that at the same time we must deliver a more joined up approach to running the trains and tracks and make things work better for the travelling public. That is why My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State has just announced a package of measure including a £20milion fund and the appointment of one of Britain’s most experienced rail industry figures to get the service running back as it should.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of households eligible for the property compensation scheme proposed by Gatwick Airport Limited under the current proposal for the expansion of Gatwick Airport.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The property compensation scheme proposed by Gatwick Airport Limited consists of two elements, compulsory purchase and a voluntary purchase scheme (‘Home Owner Support Scheme’). Approximately 168 properties will be eligible for compulsory purchase compensation. The number of properties eligible for voluntary purchase will be determined by the promoters published eligibility criteria in due course.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what operational mitigation measures have been proposed by (a) Heathrow Airport Limited and (b) Gatwick Airport Limited to reduce the effect of aviation noise in the event of expansion of those airports.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Heathrow Airport Ltd. and Gatwick Airport Ltd. have published proposals on their respective websites to mitigate the impacts of aviation noise. The Government is continuing to engage with promoters for all three schemes shortlisted by the Airports Commission to develop the best possible packages of mitigation measures, including on noise.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the suitability of alternative travel options for passengers and employees travelling to and from Gatwick Airport in the event that the Brighton Mainline is out of service.
Answered by Claire Perry
No formal assessment has been carried out by the Department, however Network Rail and the rail operator are required to work together in the event of disruption on the Brighton Main Line to ensure that passenger needs are catered for. Alternative travel options are put in place for planned engineering works, and these worked well during the Christmas period last year when extensive engineering work took place. The rail industry is required to have contingency plans in place for disruptive events.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage data-sharing between highway authorities, mapping providers and satellite navigation companies to limit the use of inappropriate routes by HGVs.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government is putting the UK at the forefront of innovation in road transport. For example, we are establishing the UK as a global centre for excellence in connected and autonomous vehicles, creating a ‘Connected Corridor’ from London to Dover to enable vehicles to communicate wirelessly with infrastructure and potentially other vehicles, and planning trials of truck platooning on our motorways.
The Department has brought together satnav manufacturers, mapping companies, local authorities and other industry organisations in a Satnav Summit and in further discussions. We are working with these parties to improve the information satnavs provide to road users, and enable better co-operation and information-sharing between local highway authorities and the industry through joint working.
ITS UK, an industry body, have also worked with the freight and haulage industry to promote the use of appropriate satnav devices designed specifically for HGVs.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many holders of full driving licences in Wealden constituency are people aged over 70 who have renewed their licence.
Answered by Andrew Jones
On 30 January 2016, there were 28,703 holders of full driving licences in the Wealden constituency postal code areas over the age of 70.