Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, over which motorway service areas his Department holds the freehold interest.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government, via its shareholding of National Highways, owns the freehold of 35 following motorway service areas:
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the brightness of LED headlights on local communities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare on a broad range of roads and environments. However, the Government is aware of concerns raised by members of the public and we intend to commission independent research shortly.
While there are clear safety, security and economic benefits associated with the use of LED lighting, the scientific evidence base on its adverse effects is less advanced. The government is committed to improving the evidence base to ensure we understand the effects more fully before making further policy interventions.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve safety at the A5 Shotatton Crossroads.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A5 Shotatton Crossroads is already subject to a 40 mile per hour speed limit to reduce accident risk, and this is enforced by fixed cameras. Accidents still do occur, most recently on 27 March. National Highways is currently undertaking a route safety study of the A5, from the A5/A458 Churncote roundabout, west of Shrewsbury as far as the Welsh Border near Chirk. This study will examine collision data and recorded safety issues along the route, with a view to providing a consistent safety approach for users of this route. National Highways expects the work to include improved traffic signage, edge markers/bollards, and road markings. At present, this study has not identified further safety measures, at the Shotatton crossroads junction but this may change as the study develops.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that ragwort is removed from (a) roadside and (b) other land for which the Highways Agency is responsible.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways recognises that ragwort poisoning can have a devastating effect on horses, as well as being damaging to cattle and other animals. However, in the right place, and where there is no risk to animal welfare, ragwort contributes to the biodiversity of the flora and fauna of the countryside.
On the strategic road network, where ragwort presents a high risk of poisoning horses and livestock or spreading to fields used for the production of forage, National Highways prevents ragwort spreading. National Highways policy for Common Ragwort control applies Defra’s ‘Code of Practice on how to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort’.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's strategy on rolling stock procurement.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I wrote to train manufacturers in January 2024 to provide an overview of current and expected rolling stock opportunities, which include upcoming competitions being run by Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine and Chiltern. This is published on-line here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-and-expected-rolling-stock-procurement-opportunities. These contracts are worth an estimated £3.6 billion alongside significant maintenance and refurbishment opportunities. I have asked my officials to consider what additional information we could provide to the market in the coming months.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he can take if National Highways fail to clear litter from (a) roads and (b) verges; and what discussions he has had with that agency on such clearance.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport regularly engages with National Highways on the issue of litter clearance, and its performance is monitored against a litter performance indicator which helps to ensure National Highways are carrying out its legislative duty. National Highways strategy is to simultaneously reduce the need for litter picking and collection by encouraging behavioural change whilst also providing an effective litter clearing service. In 2023-24, National Highways collected over 50,000 bags of litter from roads under its supervision.
The Office for Road and Rail, as Highways Monitor, also plays an important role in monitoring National Highways’ litter clearance on behalf of the Secretary of State and holding National Highways to account for its licence commitments. The ORR report annually to Parliament and the public on National Highways performance, including litter. If the Office for Road and Rail deem that National Highways is not complying with its statutory directions or complying with the requirements of the Road Investment Strategy, they may determine enforcement action to be appropriate.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the (a) Avanti and (b) South Western train contracts.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
For Avanti West Coast (AWC), no assessment has been made as the operator has a contract with a core term until 15 October 2026, after which the Department can terminate the contract at any point with three months' notice.
The National Rail Contract for South Western Railway ends in May 2025 having been extended by the maximum two-year period to a maximum term of four years. A Prior Information Notice was issued on 2 April 2024 setting out the Department’s intention to seek to obtain a Direct Award with SWR at the end of the current contract. The proposed Direct Award is expected to have a core term of three years and a potential maximum term of up to eight years.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Highways England has used the community payback scheme in the last three years.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways has collaborated with the National Probation Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, to provide opportunities for community service order candidates. In 2021 and 2022, National Highways was invited to make arrangements for litter picking trials and light maintenance at several motorways service areas including trial sites at Gloucester, Hartshead Moor, Chester and Leicester Forest East. In August 2023, National Highways also launched a project where candidates serving community service orders are assisting with graffiti removal and general maintenance in subways.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the terminology of road traffic accidents to crashes or collisions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Where possible, the Department no longer uses the word ‘accidents’. The appropriate terms to use are ‘crashes’, ‘collisions’ and ‘incidents’. We encourage others to do so, too.
However, the word ‘accident’ continues to be used in certain circumstances, for example where that is the term previously used in legislation.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what payments (a) have been made and (b) he plans to make to Avanti West Coast under the terms of the service quality regime agreed with that company.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
To date, no fees have been paid to Avanti West Coast under the Service Quality Regime (SQR). This is because the first period to be assessed to determine the Performance Fee under SQR relates to the scores achieved between April and October 2023, and the evaluation process for this period is still underway.