Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of guidance issued by his Department to (a) Network Rail, (b) National Highways and (c) the Great British Railways transition team on potential conflicts of interest.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Arm’s Length Bodies have a duty to manage public money responsibly and effectively and in a transparent way. This includes managing any potential conflicts of interest effectively through the implementation of an effective and appropriate Conflicts of Interest (CoI) policy, in line with the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note: Applying Exclusions in Public Procurement, Managing Conflicts of Interest and Whistleblowing (PPN 04/21).
As the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) employs people from across the rail industry, DfT’s Rail Reform team has been working closely with them to maintain and improve current information sharing processes, including ensuring NDAs have adequate provisions to protect all parties where potential conflicts of interest exist. This includes ensuring GBRTT have adequate provisions in place when working with Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and contractors.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether offenders under the Ministry of Justice’s community payback project scheme have been used to remove litter from (a) A roads, (b) B roads and (c) motorways.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways worked with the National Probation Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, on the Community Payback Project and provided opportunities for litter picking at motorway service areas. Trial sites included Gloucester, Hartshead Moor, Chester and Leicester Forest East.
For health and safety reasons, National Highways is unable to facilitate offenders removing litter from Motorways or All-Purpose Trunk Roads.
B roads are a matter for each individual local authority and so this data is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce key performance indicators for Highways England in the elimination of rubbish on the strategic roads network.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways are monitored against a performance indicator in the performance specification for the current Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2). This measures the percentage of the Strategic Road Network where litter cleansing is managed by National Highways which is either free of litter, refuse and detritus, or predominately free apart from some small items, in line with the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As part of developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), the Department for Transport is continuing to explore potential metrics for inclusion in the RIS3 performance specification, as was well as considering improvements to existing metrics, such as litter.
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: 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: 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: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure National Highways keeps (a) roads and (b) verges clear of litter.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways survey and grade the Strategic Road Network in accordance with The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Code of Practice for Litter and Refuse. National Highways teams patrol the Strategic Road Network and collect litter daily where it is safe to do so. National Highways carries out weekly inspections on its network, ensuring that it prioritises the clearance of the worst affected areas. National Highways also takes advantage of planned closures for other works to undertake additional litter picks.
National Highways’ grading activities are reported and monitored via its corporate Performance Indicator of the percentage of the Strategic Road Network where litter is graded at A or B as defined in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.
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. National Highways takes a data-led approach to litter clearing activities to ensure that litter hotspots are quickly identified and that resources are targeted effectively. 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 in areas such as litter on behalf of the Secretary of State, ensuring National Highways deliver its commitments as set out in the Roads Investment Strategy and holding National Highways to account for its licence commitments.
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: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a Special Order under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an abnormal load, or loads, at a gross weight exceeding 150 tonnes in the most recent 12-month period for which the figures are available.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, between April 2023 and March 2024 issued 20 hauliers with a Special-Order permit for vehicles with a S.O. weight exceeding 150,000kgs. Data for roads managed by local authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.