Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the £2 billion in funding announced for cycling will be allocated to (a) South Yorkshire and (b) Sheffield.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The first part of the £2 billion to be released will be a £225 million Emergency Active Travel Fund in the current financial year. The first tranche of this will be released as soon as possible provided local authorities submit suitably ambitious plans to the Department, and the second tranche will be released later in the summer. Indicative allocations to local authorities have been published on gov.uk. Sheffield City Region Combined Authority has been indicatively allocated £1,437,000 for tranche one and £5,749,000 for tranche two: its final allocations will depend on the quality of the plans it submits to the Department. Decisions on the remainder of the £2 billion will be a matter for the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what process the Government will use to decide which rail routes and stations closed after the Beeching report are re-opened; what the Government's timeframe is for that process; and if he will consider reopening (a) the Woodhead line, (b) the direct Derby to Manchester line (via Bakewell), and (c) Millhouses station in Sheffield, Hallam constituency.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This Government has been clear that our ambition is to level up local economies across the country, improving access to jobs and education and boosting the wider region. Improving connections across the rail network is obviously an integral part of that.
The Secretary of State wrote to all England and Wales MPs outlining the process and inviting them to contact him by 28 February if they wished to bid for the first round of study funding for schemes in their constituencies. Outline proposals needed to be submitted by 16 March for initial assessment.
For those bids already put forward as part of the Beeching Ideas Fund – such as for the Derby to Manchester line – these are currently under consideration by the Panel of ministerial, local authority and rail industry representatives. We have adapted the process so it is consistent with the Government advice on COVID-19 and a virtual panel chaired by the Minister of State is examining bids on paper in the first instance. We are keeping applicants up-to-date on the timetable.
For those who have not yet applied to the Ideas Fund there will be another round in June and another in the autumn. We published a progress update on gov.uk on 27 April and my department has written to all MPs about future rounds.
For proposals for reopening or new stations that are sufficiently advanced the third round of the New Station Fund closes to applications on the 5 June.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) all disabilities are included in the Blue Badge eligibility criteria and (b) the application process is accessible.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme is not condition-based so people with a disability or a condition who meet the eligibility criteria will still be issued a badge. The Department has issued clear non-statutory guidance to local authorities in England on how to administer the scheme.
The Department is currently working on its blue badge business continuity plan to ensure our digital and badge production services are resilient enough to continue to produce badges throughout this unprecedented period. Local authorities are responsible for the day to day administration of the scheme and will therefore be making their own arrangements for business continuity to ensure those in need of a badge can still be issued one. This may include pragmatic measures such as assessing applicants over the telephone, rather than face to face.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his department's expected timescale is for work to (a) start and (b) be completed on restoration of the second platform at Dore & Totley station through National Rail’s Hope Valley Capacity Scheme.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Network Rail are part way through a procurement process to appoint a supplier to carry out detailed designs and deliver the scheme. They are working with the train operators to assess the best way to deliver the works during Control Period 6 (2019-2024) with the least disruption to customers. I am expecting Network Rail’s Final Business Case for the scheme over the course of the summer after which I will be able to say more about specific delivery dates of the scheme’s components in the Autumn.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to allocate funding to City Regions for the improvement of their (a) bus, (b) tram and (c) train services; and what level of funding will be allocated to the Sheffield City Region.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government is committed to investing in infrastructure and levelling up across the country and has developed the £2.5 billion Transforming Cities Fund to improve public transport with a focus on trains, trams and buses. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority has submitted a bid for a share of the £1.22 billion in the second round of the competitive element of the fund. The Department has supported the Combined Authority in developing their plans to ensure they have maximum benefit.
In addition, £4.2bn of funding is planned for improving transport infrastructure in major city regions. More detail on future funding levels for these areas will be announced later this year.