Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of (a) Thameslink and (b) East Midlands Railway on the use of coaches with Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations exemption certificates as part of rail replacement contracts in Bedfordshire.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
No specific conversations have taken place on this with either Thameslink or East Midlands Railway. We remain disappointed that fully accessible services cannot always be provided for rail replacement. As Rail Minister, I have set clear expectations on the train operating companies to source and use PSVAR compliant vehicles wherever possible in the first instance, and only use a non-compliant vehicle that has been granted a special authorisation when all other compliant options have been exhausted.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to publish an aviation recovery plan alongside the Global Taskforce’s report on 12 April.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As announced on 22nd February as part of the roadmap for the phased lifting of restrictions in England, the Secretary of State for Transport will also now lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a framework that can facilitate greater international travel when the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.
The government is also developing a forward looking strategic framework on the recovery of the sector, which will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, which will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues. We will also consider climate change and decarbonisation. We aim to publish this framework later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria the Global Taskforce plans to use to make its decision on the plans to open up international travel during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As announced by the Prime Minister on 22 February, The Global Travel Taskforce is an important step in exploring how we can safely reopen international travel. It will develop a framework that can facilitate greater travel when the time is right, while managing the risk from imported cases and variants.
It will look to take a risk-based approach, making use of the suite of measures the Government already has in place such as testing (pre-departure testing and Test to Release) and self-isolation, as well as the recommendations from the first Global Travel Taskforce last year.
The Government will engage with stakeholders across the international travel sector to develop this work, in a similar way to the first Global Travel Taskforce last November, and will work at pace to report to the Prime Minister by 12 April. Further detail on the Taskforce and its plans will be shared shortly.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to support jobs in the aviation sector in response to the hotel quarantine policy.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector due to COVID-19. The sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry can draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which supports companies cover the wage costs of their employees, has been extended until the end of April 2021, during which time it will contribute up to 80% of employees’ wages (up to £2,500 per month). The government has also support the aviation industry through the Covid Corporate Financing Facility and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Schemes.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme announced on 24 November will provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. This is intended to help reduce cash burn and could unlock shareholder and lender support.
We continue to monitor the financial health of the sector and review the support provided to it in light of evolving restrictions on domestic and international travel.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Written Statement of 12 March 2020 on Strategic roads update: smart motorways evidence stocktake, HCWS155, what progress he has made on the implementation of that review's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Further to my answer of 11 January 2021, on 25 January 2021 the Secretary of State held a meeting with Highways England to discuss progress. He has asked for a report setting out progress in delivering the 18-point smart motorway action plan and which identifies actions that can be delivered early by 12 March 2021, so any accelerated works can be rapidly put in place.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Govia Thameslink on the safety of (a) train drivers and (b) railway staff during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Department for Transport officials liaise with Govia Thameslink Railway on a frequent and regular basis to understand the measures they are putting in place regarding the safety of their staff.
In line with the January COVID-19 lockdown announcement, and guidance from Public Health England, Govia Thameslink Railway has implemented COVID-secure arrangements at all work places across their network. Measures include:
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on Access for All funding for Leagrave Train Station.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Leagrave was nominated for Access for All funding in 2019, but was not selected as other stations in the region better met the selection criteria. The Department looks forward to receiving a further bid for Leagrave when we open a new round of Access for All in the future.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of Luton Airport on the ban on international travel during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department for Transport has not had any bespoke discussions with representatives of Luton Airport specifically on the ban on international travel during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021. The Department’s Airports Team however held its regular monthly meeting with representatives of Luton Airport on 7th January 2021 and representatives of Luton Airport attended a pre-departure testing airports round table hosted by the Aviation Minister on 8th January 2021.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with Luton Council on funding for road repairs.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Department for Transport officials have regular meetings with Luton Borough Council on a variety of transport related matters, including on local road maintenance issues. The Department is providing Luton with over £2.3 million towards highway maintenance this financial year. It is for each Council to decide on how this funding is utilised based on their highway asset management strategy, needs, and priorities.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the roll-out of SMART motorways.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Highways England’s Delivery Plan 2020-25 sets out the activities and projects Highways England will deliver over the current road investment strategy period. In addition to ongoing work to upgrade sections of the motorway, a priority for Highways England is the delivery of the Secretary of State’s 18 point action plan to raise the bar on safety and increase public confidence in the motorway network.
Highways England will implement the action plan in full and has already completed work, including the provision of 10 additional emergency areas on the M25 and making all emergency areas more visible by introducing a bright orange surface and better, more frequent signs. A nationally-targeted safety campaign to increase road user confidence, including what to do in the event of a breakdown in a live lane, will launch during January 2021.
Highways England will deliver all the remaining actions including the provision of stopped vehicle detection on ALR motorways and conversion of dynamic hard shoulder to ALR.