Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to announce the seed funding to establish the Great South West initiative.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Following the announcement of the Western Gateway we have asked local partners to consider options for geography across the South West and South Wales. These discussions are still ongoing and once they report back we will look to make decisions of how to support pan-regional geography options.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 252654, if he will list all Port Connectivity Study case study projects that are being progressed through the (a) Road Investment Strategies 1 and 2, (b) Control Period 6, (c) the Major Roads Network and (d) other funding route processes; and what the stage of development is for each scheme.
Answered by Andrew Jones
(a) The schemes listed below, mentioned in the “A Study of England’s Port Connectivity” report and “9 Regional case studies” report are being progressed through the current Road Investment Strategy:
Scheme Name | Stage of Development |
A1 North of Ellingham | Under construction |
A19/A1058 Coast Road | Opened March 2019 |
A19 Testos | Under Construction |
A19 Down Hill Lane Junction Improvement | In Development |
A19 Norton to Wynyard | In development |
M62 J20-25 | In development |
A1 Leeming Bar and Barton | Opened to traffic in March 2018 |
A63: Castle Street Hull | In development |
A160/A180 Improvements to Immingham | Opened to Traffic in March 2017 |
A47 Wansford to Sutton | In Development |
A47 North Tuddenham to Easton | In Development |
A47 Blofield to North Burlingham | In Development |
A47 Acle Straight | Completed |
A14 Cambridge to Huntington | Under Construction |
A12 Chelmsford to A120 | In development |
M25 Junction 30 (A13) | Opened for traffic December 2016 |
M2 Junction 5 (A249) | In development |
A20 access at Dover | Completed |
A27 Worthing and Lancing | In development |
A31 widening at Ringwood | In development |
M271/A35 Redbridge roundabout upgrade | In development |
M27 Southampton Junctions | In development |
M3 Junction 9 Improvements | In development |
A34 Oxford Junctions | Options Development |
M49 Avonmouth junction | Under Construction |
A30 Temple to Carblake | Opened for Traffic July 2017 |
A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross | In development |
M6, M60 and M62 smart motorway | Opened for traffic July 2018 |
M6 Junctions 10a-13 | Opened to traffic February 2016 |
M6 Junctions 16-19 | Opened to traffic March 2019 |
M6 Junctions 21A-26 | In Development |
M60 Junctions 24-27 and Junction 1-4 | In Development |
M6 Junctions 2-4 | Under Construction |
M62 Junctions 10-12 | Under Construction |
M62 Junction 20-25 | In Development |
M6 Junction 22 Upgrade | Options Development |
A5 Dodwells to Longshoot widening | In Development |
A5036 Princess Way – Access to Port of Liverpool | In development |
Lower Thames Crossing | In development |
In addition, the following two schemes are being funded through Highway England’s congestion relief fund:
A63: Garrison Road
A69 Junction improvements
The A120 improvement scheme has been developed by Essex County Council to be considered for potential inclusion in the second Road Investment Strategy.
The Government intends to announce its decisions on further enhancement schemes in the second Road Investment Strategy later this year.
The table below details schemes progressed through Control Period 6:
Scheme | Region | Status |
Diversionary access for Teesport | North East Ports | Teesport – Northallerton Gauge: in development |
Gauge clearance schemes to W12, connections to Immingham Port | Humber Ports | In delivery |
A range of capacity and gauge options identified along the Felixstowe to West Midlands corridor | Haven Ports | Ely Area Capacity Scheme, Haughley Junction, Ely – Soham redoubling and Leicester area capacity are all in development |
Felixstowe branch line | Haven Ports | In delivery |
Thames Haven level crossing improvements | London and Medway Ports | Mucking level crossing: in delivery. Other interventions are in development |
Improved connections to Southampton maritime terminal | Solent area Ports | In delivery |
Gauge clearance to W10 Bristol/Birmingham | Bristol and south west ports | In development (to Bristol / Cardiff – not Birmingham) |
Gauge clearance infill to W12 | Bristol and South West Ports | Some sections completed in CP5 in conjunction with GWEP electrification works. Further locations in development in CP6. |
Bootle branch line improvements | Mersey and North West Ports | In delivery |
(c) No Major Road Network schemes are included in the Port Connectivity Study.
(d) The following schemes are being progressed or have been progressed through other funding route processes:
Funding Route | Project Name | Port | Status |
Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund | Wirral Dock Bridges | Birkenhead | Completed June 2018 |
Large Local Majors | Lake Lothing Third Crossing | Lowestoft | DCO in preparation |
Large Local Majors | Great Yarmouth Third Crossing | Great Yarmouth | DCO in preparation |
Local Growth Fund | Port of Workington Road Access | Workington | In Preparation |
Local Growth Fund | A185/A194/A19 Traffic Movements (A194/A185 The Arches Junction) | Port of Tyne | Completed |
Local Growth Fund | A19/A194/A1300 Lindisfarne Roundabout | Port of Tyne | Completed Summer 2017 |
Local Growth Fund | A19 to North Bank of Tyne Improvements | Port of Tyne | Expected to be in construction in 2020 |
Local Growth Fund | Rail Gauge Enhancements - Port of Immingham to ECML at Doncaster | Immingham | In progress, expected completion date of 2021 |
Local Growth Fund | South Bank Wharf roundabout and access improvements | Teesport | Business Case being prepared |
Local Growth Fund | A565 North Liverpool Key Corridor | Liverpool | Start of Construction Spring 2017 and expected completion in 2019 |
Local Growth Fund | Port of Poole Infrastructure – Poole Bridge Approach Spans | Poole | Work completed and bridge reopened January 2018 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT ‘tail’ major scheme | A180/A18 Link | Immingham | Completed June 2016 |
DfT ‘tail’ major scheme | Heysham-M6 Link Road | Heysham | Completed October 2016 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (Low Carbon Zone to City Centre to Port) – New Wear Bridge to City Centre | Sunderland | Construction due to begin spring 2019, Estimated completion 2021 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor - New Wear Crossing | Sunderland | Opened 28 August 2018 |
Regional Growth Fund | Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme | Port Salford | Completed December 2017 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | Newhaven Port Access Road, Parker Pen & East Side | Newhaven | Under construction |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (Low Carbon Zone to City Centre to Port) – New Wear Bridge to City Centre |
| Construction due to begin spring 2019, estimated completion 2021 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor - New Wear Crossing | Sunderland | Opened 28 August 2018 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | A13 Widening | London Gateway | Advance works commenced. Estimated completion Winter 2020/21. |
Regional Growth Fund | Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme | Port Salford | Completed December 2017 |
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect (1) funding to be approved, and (2) an application for a Development Consent Order to be made, for a Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government fully supports the development of a Western Rail Link to Heathrow.
The development of a five case business case for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow is nearing completion. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline sets out the process and principles underpinning funding of enhancements to the railway.
Subject a satisfactory business case, and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry, funding would be made available to take the project forward to the ‘Design’ gateway. On that basis, Network Rail expects to submit its Development Consent Order later in the Autumn.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to announce any further successful bids to the latest competition round of the Local Majors Fund in addition to those announced in the Autumn Statement 2016 transport projects policy paper.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Secretary of State has today announced the remaining successful bids from the current round of the Large Local Majors Fund. The full list of successful schemes, including those announced in the Autumn Statement is as follows:-
Asked by: Lord Evans of Rainow (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created in (a) Cheshire and (b) the North West as a result of High Speed 2.
Answered by Andrew Jones
High Speed 2 Limited estimate that HS2 will support up to 100,000 jobs around HS2 stations. The western leg of Phase 2b is estimated to support 30,000 to 43,600 of these jobs. The government has not made an estimate of jobs created in Cheshire. Other organisations have produced their own estimates and ambitions for jobs supported by HS2. For example, the Northern Gateway Development Zone in Cheshire and Staffordshire have plans to help create 120,000 new jobs by 2040. They are currently preparing an HS2 Growth Strategy on how HS2 will contribute to supporting this number of new jobs in the area.
High Speed 2 Limited also estimate that around 25,000 private sector employment opportunities are expected to be generated in the process of building the HS2 railway, with a further 3,000 jobs to operate it once finished.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to address the root causes of the migrant situation in the Mediterranean.
Answered by David Lidington
The government believes that the root causes of migration must be addressed, and not just the symptoms. A comprehensive solution is needed that will reduce the pull and push factors causing people to leave their countries of origin. We must also address the transit routes being used, as well as disrupting the criminal elements who are smuggling and trafficking humans. We are working closely with EU and international partners to find such a solution.
Because it is the gateway to western Mediterranean irregular migration, the government is also working with other countries to bring about a functioning government in Libya.
The government has provided substantial development and humanitarian assistance to help refugees from the civil war in Syria. The Unted Kingdom has now committed more than £1 billion of aid to help people displaced by the conflict there, both within Syria and in neighbouring countries, and to encourage stability. This makes the UK the EU’s largest donor, and second largest donor (after the USA) overall.
United Kingdom support has helped to provide more than 20 million food rations, 2.5 million medical consultations, and given 1.6 million people access to clean water . The UK is providing education to a quarter of a million children in the area.
Additionally, the Prime Minister announced on 7 September that the UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees from the region over the course of this parliament.
An EU/Africa Summit in Valletta in November offers the opportunity to develop a robust and comprehensive set of proposals to deal with the upstream cause of irregular migration. We are fully engaged in the preparations.
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the member for Putney (Ms Greening) and I have all discussed preparations for Valetta with other European governments and the European Commission.