Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to regional airports for the costs of installing infrastructure to allow a transition to green fuel sources.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As a predominately private sector investment in infrastructure is a matter for individual airports. The Government is however supporting R&D activity to enable the sector to prepare for the adoption of new zero emission aviation fuels such as hydrogen.
As part of the Tees-Valley Transport Hydrogen Hub DfT is supporting the establishment of re-fuelling stations at Teesside International Airport which can be used by hydrogen airside vehicles.
In October 2023 DfT launched a Transport Research and Innovation Grant competition. Through this we are offering funding for up to 10 projects which can facilitate the development of infrastructure for zero emission airport operations and the handling of zero emission aircraft. The competition has closed and applications are currently being assessed.
In addition, the Jet Zero Council has a dedicated sub-group on Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure. This group convenes representatives of government, industry and academia with an interest in developing zero emission flight in the UK.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what capital funding his Department is making available to support the development of infrastructure at regional airports.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Most airport operators are either in the commercial private sector or are public/private partnerships which operate commercially. As such, it is for airport owners to develop and fund proposals on the future development of airports. Airports may consider engaging with local authorities who are best placed to consider local transport priorities using the funding courses at their disposal.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A previous Government made an initial assessment of the possibility of introducing trials of 80 mph limits.
The safety of road users is our priority, and any change to speed limits would be evidence-led, looking at the impact on safety, air quality and carbon emissions as well as road conditions.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of levels of public support for 20mph zones (a) nationally and (b) in local areas where zones have been created.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of 20mph zones on the number of road fatalities; and what the evidential basis is for this estimate.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of 20mph zones on the level of CO2 emissions.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average cost of erecting the signage required for a 20mph zone.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of 20mph zones on levels of traffic congestion.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of 20mph zones on the safety of pedestrians.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not undertaken any recent assessments on 20mph roads or the impact on road users and has no current plans to do so.
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The headline findings were:
Local traffic authorities are responsible for their procurement procedures, and the Department for Transport would not be able to estimate the average cost of erecting signage.
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. It is for traffic authorities to decide what systems to put in place to help them manage their road networks as efficiently as possible.
The Department is fully committed to reducing emissions from road transport. We recently published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which identified policy measures to decarbonise road traffic and all other forms of transport, in order to ensure the transport sector delivers its contribution to upcoming carbon budgets, and put us on a pathway to net zero.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional funding his Department provided to (a) Blackpool Council and (b) Blackpool Transport to support the provision of (i) bus and (ii) tram services in Blackpool during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Katherine Fletcher
The total funding provided to Blackpool Council and Blackpool Transport for Bus and Light Rail services for March 2020 to October 2022 is £9.5m, broken down below.
The additional funding provided to Blackpool Council for Bus Services since March 2020 is £216,052.
The additional funding provided to Blackpool Council for Light Rail Services since March 2020 is £3,520,190.
The additional funding provided to Blackpool Transport for Bus Services since March 2020 is £5,779,425.