Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 6 March (HL2701), whether they have received any representations from Chiltern Railways about ending the direct access services between Northolt Junction and Paddington.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no plans to reinstate direct access services from Northolt Junction to Paddington.
Chiltern Railways used to run a twice-daily service from Northolt Junction (i.e. South Ruislip Station) to London Paddington. In December 2018, this route was cancelled with the closure of the Acton to Northolt line to enable High Speed 2 works. Chiltern Railways made representations to alternatively run to West Ealing via the Greenford branch line, however this was not possible due to Crossrail capacity constraints.
Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the level of funding his Department will provide to the rail industry in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Central Government Supply Estimates 2023-24, presented to the House of Commons and published on 27 February 2024 (see link below), details the funding provided to the Department for Transport across a large number of different areas. The value associated with all rail and rail related lines is £33.029 billion, across both Departmental Expenditure Limit and Annually Managed Expenditure. More than half of the total value is associated with Network Rail, with other areas including but not limited to High Speed 2, Crossrail and support for passenger rail services. The numbers in the Central Government Supply Estimates take account of technical accounting adjustments and are not necessarily reflective of cash that will be required.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the budget for rail enhancements in England and Wales between 2024 and 2029 is.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The rail enhancement budget has been separated from the overall Network Rail Operations Maintenance and Renewals budget, known as the Statement of Funds Available, since 2018. The government published its approach to rail enhancements across England and Wales in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline[1] (RNEP) in 2018.
Since Spending Review 2021 we have spent around £2bn a year on rail enhancements on the conventional network. Major projects, including HS2, Crossrail and East West Rail, are funded separately. As previously, the RNEP budget beyond the current Spending Review period (ending in 24/25) will be set at future fiscal events.
[1] Rail network enhancements pipeline - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that the cross Whitehall task force to bring in mitigations against redundancies will also consider bringing forward existing refurbishment contracts for (a) Southeastern Rail and (b) Crossrail trains.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The cross-Whitehall group established by the Department for Transport is working to ensure that UK rolling stock manufacturing has a strong and sustainable future. As part of this work, my officials are exploring a wide range of options, including whether the timetable for certain procurements can be brought forward for both new and refurbished rolling stock.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Crossrail International spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Nothing.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Cardiff Crossrail project; and what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, (b) the Welsh Government and (c) Cardiff Council on that project.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The UK Government announced in January 2023 its commitment to providing £50m of Levelling Up Funding to Cardiff Council for the Cardiff Crossrail project, subject to approval of business case. DfT officials have met with Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales on a number of occasions to discuss the progression of the scheme and will continue to do so. The UK Government remains firmly committed to supporting the development of this project and levelling up all parts of the country.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister in his Department last made an official visit to Cardiff Central constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Cardiff Central. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 218,000 payments delivered in Cardiff Central through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 14,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £22 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £102 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans. The UK Government has also provided a £22.2 million boost for the media cymru project in Cardiff Central - creating 2,000 new jobs and adding £236 million to the Welsh economy.
In addition, Cardiff City Council, the local authority for the Cardiff Central constituency, is receiving over £41 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cardiff is also receiving £50 million from the Levelling Up Fund for Cardiff Crossrail which will deliver a new rail line between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central Station. Cardiff Central also benefits from the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, including a £3 million investment in the Cyber Innovation Hub at Cardiff University.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Cardiff South and Penarth constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Cardiff South and Penarth. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 303,000 payments delivered in Cardiff South and Penarth through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 19,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £37 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and over £127 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Cardiff South and Penarth with around £22 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Cardiff South and Penarth has also received around £185,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities. Cardiff South and Penarth will also benefit from UK Government funding to refurbish public tennis courts across the UK.
In addition, Cardiff City Council, the local authority for the Cardiff South and Penarth constituency, is receiving over £41 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cardiff is also receiving £50 million from the Levelling Up Fund for Cardiff Crossrail which will deliver a new rail line between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central Station. The constituency also benefits from the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, including an investment of £40 million in the Metro Central project.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of (a) when the Transpennine Route Upgrade will be completed and (b) the total cost of that project.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Transpennine Route Upgrade is the biggest upgrade project on the conventional railway in the country. The current estimated cost range for the programme is £9.0bn to £11.5bn, a central government commitment that surpasses what was spent on Crossrail in London. The Government has authorised just under £3billion so far. The cost range will be refined later in the year and further announcements will be made in due course.
The programme is being completed in stages, with the first tangible benefits for passengers expected during 2025 with electrification from central Manchester to Stalybridge. We aim to conclude the last elements of the TRU upgrade between 2036-41 but are developing plans to accelerate this to earlier in the 2030s.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Written Answer of the 28 October 2022 to Question 67099 on Department of Health and Social Care: Public Expenditure, what the expected annual expenditure will be on the Major Projects Portfolio projects for the (a) Rapid Charging Fund, (b) Midlands Rail Hub, (c) East Coast Mainline Programme, (d) East Coast Digital Programme, (e) A417 Air Balloon, (f) Lower Thames Crossing, (g) HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg, (h) A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down, (i) Further Electrification of Midland Main Line, (j) East West Rail Configuration State 1, (k) A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet, (l) HS2 Phase 2a, (m) A12 Chelmsford to A120 Widening, (n) Transpennine Route Upgrade, (o) A66 Northern Trans-Pennine, (p) HS2 Phase 1, (q) Rail Passenger Services, (r) Crossrail Programme, (s) East West Rail Connection Stage 2 and 3, (t) Midland Main Line Programme, (u) 2nd Generation UK Search and Rescue Aviation and (v) Rail Transformation Programme; and if he will place that information in the House of Commons Library.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The annual expenditures of these 22 major projects for 2021-22 were published on 20 July 2022 with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Annual Report 2021-2022. This data can be found in the accompanying ‘GMPP Government Major Projects Portfolio AR Data March 2022’ document as ‘Financial Year Forecast (£m) (including Non-Government Costs)'. As set out in PQ 68561 it is not currently possible to provide the expected annual expenditures for 2022-23 but these will be published at the appropriate time.