Transport Questions House of Commons

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the House of Commons. In

one hour, an urgent question is being asked concerning the first

pub's attributed the macro educateds attributed. Then, a statement from a

minister for skills, Nick Bowles, on apprenticeships. MPs then move on to

debate more of the details on the Northern Ireland hell, and later MPs

return to the debate on keeping copies of legislation. The motion

regrets the Lord's decision to discontinue the use of Val, the

parchment made from calfskin. Don't forget to join me for a round-up of

the day at 11pm. First, questions to the Secretary of State for

Transport, Patrick MacLachlan and his ministerial team.

-- vellum. Questions to be Secretary of State for Transport. Highways

England's delivery plans set out how it would deliver the ?15 billion

road investment strategy. Work is underway on 19 major schemes,

several of which started this financial year as planned. Chronic

congestion causes delays to thousands of commuters on the 27 at

junctions nine and iron, and with Fareham set to C 6000 new homes at

Welbourne and thousands more at North Whiteley, what steps are you

taking to ensure vital upgrades to this piece of infrastructure are

carried out as a matter of priority? I know this particular scheme is of

interest to my honourable friend. The departments is working with

highways England and Hampshire County Council on a way forward is

to improvements to junction nine on the M25 in. I will ensure you are

kept informed of progress. A separate scheme to improve junction

ten of the M27 is being funded by private developer and the local

enterprise partnership, but I am more than happy to continue keeping

my honourable friend updated on this matter. Is the Minister will know,

junctions 12 to 14 of the M26 have seen accidents in recent years and

there is a need for some form of managed motorway so do you share

disappointment that a publication this week makes no mention of this?

When will his department to take action? I will look at the

individual points you have raised but I think the very fact that we

have a road investment strategy far superior to anything that existed

before 2010, I would have thought you would have welcomed that was not

will my right honourable friend except that my constituents are

warmly welcoming the investment being made in upgrading the A12 to

three lanes? -- accept. Can you advise me when you expect phase one

from the M25 to the southern border of Chelmsford to commence progress?

I am grateful for his point. In December 2014, the government

announced a scheme to widen the A12 from junction 20 82 Chelmsford. --

28th. The scheme will be developed until 2020 and we expect the next

period to be developed until March 20 25. What assessment he has the

departments made of the M66 and M6 is south of that, which is called

the busiest road? It is jam-packed from 6am until 10am every morning,

what is being done to resolve this situation? Investment on a far

greater scale than ever imagine by the party he supported in government

is the simple fact. The ?16 billion is greater investment than we have

seen in our road network for a number of years. One of the critical

parts of the road investment strategy is to improve safety and on

that note could I ask the secretary of state to look at safety

particularly over the last few months at the junction of the A303

and A34, and there have been a number of accidents there and I

believe safety can be improved. I am more than happy to ask officials to

look at that and I will report back to you. The road investment strategy

is really important but we know that every journey begins on a local road

and the vast majority of journeys are made on local roads and some are

in quite a state. Last November, two great fanfare, the pothole fund was

announced, and we hope it is permanent action on potholes. Can

you tell us how much is being drawn down by councils on that pothole

front? How many have been filled in so far? He wants devolution and then

he once the government to say exactly what is local authorities

should do in every circumstance. The simple fact is that between 2015 and

2020, allegations have been made to local authorities of ?6 billion.

Between 2010 and 2015, that was ?4 billion. Between 2005 and 2010, the

amount allocated to local authorities for road maintenance was

?3 billion. I think he will see from that a significant increase in what

this government is giving for road maintenance. I thought he would have

welcomed it. Will my right honourable friend recognise the

urgent need for clarity about the capacity of junction eight on the

M11 motorway and the possibility of there being a junction seven hey

because these have a bearing on decisions being made against a

deadline by local authorities on local plans? -- 7A. I am grateful he

raised the case and I will write to my honourable friend on what

progress is being made on the exact location. This department is

providing over ?7 billion to the devolved local road fund which will

fund over 500 local transit or projects by the end of this

Parliament. It includes ?475 million for transformational schemes that

are too large for the devolved allegations. We will provide further

details very soon. May I make a plea to the Minister, when will some of

the ?75 million be used to reduce noise pollution, identified by

Highways England on the A47 through Peterborough? It is part of the

strategic road network so it is not part of the money I just announced

but in November 2014, the Chancellor announced money for the A47,

including the section between the A1 and Peterborough. In terms of noise

pollution, the government has challenged Highways England to

mitigate noise in 1000 locations, and reductions could mean barriers

and new services. Transport North published a report this week which

looks at both local and regional links and act is to the national

network and it puts forward ambitious schemes for improvements

to rail transport between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, and better

access to the high-speed network, what kind of coordination will there

be to make sure it happens? Eight road and rail, particularly in terms

of freight and HS2 will open up new freight part which can be used to

take the pressure of the roads, so coordination on that is vital and

wee -- and we are working with Transport North, and I am unliveable

later on today. -- paths. It is easier to access the tens of

thousands of jobs travelling from the East End, what support can the

Minister give my residence on Canvey Island who have been campaigning for

a third road for many decades? New road infrastructure can warm the

economy and prove like macro -- and provide access to jobs and we will

announce further funding options is very soon. I hope the honourable

lady will continue to make the coast case for this project with the local

enterprise partnership and County Council. The port facilities are

superb and it is important we give them the infrastructure to back them

up. Large infrastructure projects have been the hallmark of the

Scottish Government since they came to power in 2007, too many to list

here. Issues such as the Borders rail link, the trunk Link road, and

the Pope to Inverness a nine Juli Inkster. Scotland is investing twice

as much on transport as England and this includes active travel projects

like cycling. -- A9. Last year, the government made an announcement of a

new access funds, up to 2021. Can the government clear up the

confusion by when this fund is going to go ahead? It is interesting you

did not mention the high-speed rail line between Edinburgh and Glasgow

which has been conveniently shelved. SNP control Perth and Kinross

Council and they have decided that potholes have to be 60 millimetres

deep before they fill them in. That indicates what their priorities

might be in some cases. The Minister and I may disagree on many things

but one of the things we agree on the benefits of cycling. The cycle

to work scheme has been a popular and progressive policy and credits

to the government for continuing with that. In the summer budget, the

treasurer said it was monitoring sacrifice arrangements because they

were becoming increasingly popular. Aggressive policies in Scotland are

something the government support there. Can the Minister confirm that

he is working to make sure the Chancellor protects cycling to work

schemes in the forthcoming budget? I think you may have to be patient and

wait for the budget but I feel the cycle to work scheme is a good

scheme and large numbers of people are using the cycle is to get to

work and it is a good way to reduce congestion on our roads.

The Government understands the importance of affordable transport,

and we have capped rail fares at the level of RPI for two years running,

and will do so for the life of this Parliament. Decisions regarding the

setting of fares are by merrily a decision for commercial operators.

Almost ?1 billion is provided each year to fund concessionary travel

including free bus travel for the elderly and disabled. More than 2500

people commute into Bradford, and 7000 commute out of Bradford by

rail. Fast, cheap and efficient connections with the rest of the

region are vital for jobs and the local economy. What is the minute --

what is the minister doing to make sure that this happens, considering

that rail fares across the country have gone up by 25%, while

punctuality has deteriorated? Well, I know the city of Bradford very

well, having got to school there and I lived just outside it for many

years. I would have thought the honourable gentleman would be

welcoming the investment we are seeing in rail. Apperley Bridge

railway station only just opened in his constituency. So we are seeing

investment right across the north, including in West Yorkshire,

including the ability to keep fares down for the Metro region. I will

repeat my point about how we have regulated and capped rail fares. One

of the problems for local bus passengers is congestion and delays.

People in Kettering always say that when the traffic lights stop

working, the traffic flows much better. Given that the minister is

responsible for local roads, will he consider undertaking a pilot where

we can switch traffic lights off and get traffic and buses flowing more

freely? That is a very ingenious link into the cost of public

transport, Mr Speaker. I hear it quite regularly in my own area as

well that traffic is said to flow more freely when traffic lights do

not work. I have major reservations on this argument, I have to say. At

the same time, we are seeing initiatives to keep traffic flowing.

I will have a look at what my honourable friend says, but traffic

lights are a key ingredient in road safety. People in Yorkshire would

not mind paying the fares on a good trans pen I link. Indeed ministers

have already said they will be using that kind of transport tomorrow. I

hope they will stop off in Huddersfield to celebrate the

centenary of Harold Wilsons's berth, which is tomorrow. We would not mind

paying the fares if the delivery of the service was fast, efficient and

comfortable. The honourable member has forgotten I think the investment

which is being made and the improvements which are coming

through the franchise. Both of those see significant improvements for

Huddersfield, including London connections. Would he agree that

thanks to the governments action to increases, wages are now rising

faster than rail fares for the first time since 2003? He makes as wise a

point as ever. We are trying to make sure that regulator rail fares are

affordable. We are seeing a wide range of tickets on offer, including

some very low-priced fares which can be bought in advance, allowing more

people to travel by rail. You only have to look at passenger number

grows to see how it is working. Figures for Northern Ireland show

that passenger numbers have fallen. Outside of London, numbers have

fallen. Can I ask the minister, what steps can he take to encourage more

people to cycle or walk to work where possible and encourage

healthier lifestyles? Well, we have an element in the road investment

strategy to promote cycling. We have our own cycling and walking

strategy, which the minister has already referred to.

Telford has more than 1 million passengers each year. I was pleased

to negotiate services with virgin trains in 2014 from Shrewsbury to

London via Telford and Birmingham. We are currently running a public

consultation to help specify the next West Midlands franchise. We

will launch a consultation on the new west coast franchise in June. I

thank the minister for his reply. Telford is a rapidly growing new

town and it is 26 miles from Birmingham, and yet it takes 51

minutes to get there. Will the minister continue to work with me to

make sure we have a 21st century rail system for Telford? I most

certainly will. I recognise the growing importance of connectivity

between cities. The point which my honourable friend makes about

Telford and the relationship with Birmingham is very, very important

indeed. The Secretary of State knows Wolverhampton well because of his

youth and because he fought a Parliamentary seat there. He will

know that trains from Telford to Wolverhampton to Birmingham to

London are far slower than trains from Stafford to London because of

the bottleneck through the West Midlands. When will the government

get around to quad-tracking the commentary to Birmingham corridor? I

do know the area well, but we have seen major investment in the West

Midlands. The new service which I have just referred to, which is

re-establishing a service from Shrewsbury via Telford, was very

welcome. But he is right, there are always demands for extra investment,

and that has to be measured with the record investment we are putting

into our railways. Cannock Chase is also connected to Birmingham with a

local line via Telford. It is a service which my right honourable

friend knows incredibly well. Users of that line report multiple issues

including late, overcrowded and cancelled trains. Can my right

honourable friend confirm that the electrification project is on course

for completion by 2017? I am grateful. I was in her constituency

just a few weeks ago. I had noticed on that occasion how the line which

runs through Hednesford to Cannock has already had its work started on

electrification, not least in Stafford lane and down by Brinley

Heath. I do know the area very well. It is where I grew up. The

governments ambition is for the UK to have the facilities and

regulatory environment in place for commercial space in this Parliament.

There is the aim of announcing the process for spaceport selection

later this year. As the member for Argyll and be, I will continue to

champion the location in my constituency to be the UK spaceport.

It has considerable advantages, including a three kilometre runway

and the backing of the community. When will the next stage of this the

announced, and can hear sure all of those working so hard to bring this

project that the government is still 100% committed to the creation of a

UK spaceport? I can certainly confirm that. The Department of

Transport has made an initial allocation of ?5 million to fund it.

I think it is a great opportunity. We are already world leaders in

space technology. This is a further step in pushing forward the barriers

of Jewish involvement in the space race. -- of British involvement. Can

I thank the minister for his recent visit to Cornwall and Newquay

airport? Can he confirm that he went away with a clear message, that not

only can Cornwall accommodate the spaceport but is very ambitious to

be the English bid for the spaceport? Suddenly I got a clear

message and was taken up by the enthusiasm of the people at new K. I

know there are other airports interested in this. I did notice

when I was at Prestwick, it seemed quite quiet when I was there. We are

very aware of the importance of bus services to rural communities. We

were able to protect the bus service operators grant funding as part of

the spending review last year. The government paid out ?250 million

last year to support bus services, of which around ?40 million is paid

directly to local authorities. I think the minister for that

response. Will you agree to look into the provision of buses in rural

parts of my constituency for local students travelling to school,

compared with national averages, and advise on how we can improve this?

All children aged between five and 16 qualifying for free school

transport if they attend their nearest school and it is

sufficiently far from their home. The decision to provide further

services would be a matter for the local authority, and some do, such

as the Stafford Justine. But there is an issue which is concerning my

honourable friend and I would be happy to meet with him to explore it

further. One section of our population which is disadvantaged by

poor rural services is young people. What is the government doing on

this? There is a mixture of support coming through national government

and through local government. Individual local authorities decide

their funding priorities, but local authorities in England spent an

average of ?330 million per year over the last three years supporting

bus services. 42% of bus income comes from public funds. Could I

invite the minister to look at rural bus service provision in eddies

brief, where cuts have meant that apprenticeships cannot access

apprenticeships and college students cannot get to the local college

without having to change two buses? -- Eddisbury. I would be very happy

to meet with my honourable friend. Access to bus services is very

important to all. Government tax makes up 70% of the cost of fuel.

Does the minister agree there should be a continued freeze in fuel duty

to help improve costs for bus services in rural areas? Fuel duty

itself might be something which the Chancellor would wish to consider. I

can highlight the bus service operators grant, which used to be

caught the fuel duty rebate, which provides 34.5p subsidy per litre of

fuel used. So we are supporting local authorities and bus companies

through that mechanism. Subsidy for all 118 supported bus routes in

Oxfordshire is being withdrawn. Earlier this week I travelled on the

popular 215 service along with the excellent Labour and co-operative

councillors who are campaigning to protect their local bus networks.

Will the minister join me in welcoming the fact that some

additional funding has now been secured for local transport on a

cross-party basis? And does he agree that when the Buses Bill is

published, it must address the severe challenges facing rural bus

services, including in the Prime Minister's in situ and see? I would

just like to remind the honourable lady -- constituency -- that this

service has been protected. I am always lead to hear that local

authorities are supporting their bus services. We should be supporting

local authorities in deciding their funding priorities. Mr Speaker, I am

really proud that under Conservative-led governments since

2010, my department has made almost ?400 million available through

programmes like the national stage and improvement programme, the New

Stations Fund the Access For All scheme. In addition, we have

franchise commitments and substantial growth funding. What is

she doing to make sure that the rail franchise holders bear their fair

Chair to maintain the rail structure wallet but will show we should look

at how the project in Coventry is working out regarding the frequency

of train stops at the Ricoh Arena. Will she have a look at that?

Improvements to stations are part of the projects. The honourable

gentleman has benefited locally with Virgin West Coast installation of

automatic ticket machines in commentary. I was pleased to

participate in the opening of the Coventry Arena which the DFT

contributed ?5 million, the first stage of the vital knuckle scheme,

and that scheme was 14 years on paper under Labour, delivered under

this government, Angstrom the amazing efforts of the MP for

Nuneaton. -- thanks to. When we consider railway station

refurbishment is, we should prioritise disabled access. In my

constituency, there is not a single accessible rail station so in the

renewal of the South Western Route franchise, would the consider

prioritising disabled access at our train stations? I am glad you share

my excitement about improvements. We set up the the funds and I am happy

to meet with my honourable friend to discuss. I have nine train stations

in my agency and half of them are completely unacceptable or people in

wheelchairs -- for people in wheelchairs. The funding has been

cut in half, are we doing enough on this? I dispute that the funding has

been cut in half, the first phase, ?400 million, was delivered, and I

am keen to look at cost effective ways to improve access for disabled

people and young mothers with babies for whom a flight of stairs can be a

real drag. I am happy to discuss it further. Residents in Torbay have

welcomed investment at Torquay station but a station in Paignton

was an old good steads shed converted into a station. Will you

meet to decide how we can make it a terminus for the 21st centric? The

best way to deliver station improvements is to get together

local groups, businesses and communities. The government money is

best spent when it is called through to support local needs. -- century.

What assurance can the Minister give that on the refurbishment of railway

stations, the objective of gaining full accessibility for passengers

with disabilities is embedded within the process is a priority so where

there are stations without access provision or where the needs are

central to the refurbishment of the station? How can that be achieved

given the 40% cut to access for all funding? I sometimes wonder if we

are reading the same papers and this government is spending more on the

railways, ?38 billion, and has been spent at any time since the

Victorian era. You are right to point out that accessibility is

important, and all of the train fleet will be compliance within the

next few years. It is important to stop we have a limited amount of

money to spend, and upgrading the railway which was woefully neglected

under his last government. There is already legislation prohibiting the

use of lasers on aircraft. It is an offence to direct or shine any

lights at any aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot.

Anybody found guilty of the offence could be liable for a fine of a

maximum of ?2500. Anybody found guilty of endangering an aircraft

could also be liable for five years in prison but we will keep this

under review of course. I welcome the previous changes that I backed

but the fact is that more needs to be done. Half of pilots over the

last year have reported a laser pen attack. Perhaps licensing or

classification should be considered to put a stop to these dangerous

practices. A number of measures are being considered across government

departments, it is something I take very seriously, particularly in

light of recent events reported. Following my conversation with the

secretary of state for just this, I put forward a Bill to make sure

high-powered laser pens are prohibited item. Will the secretary

of State speak with him to see if the Bill can be taken forward? The

member opposite makes the point that it is about the accessibility of

certain types of laser pens which should be controlled. I'm aware of

the Bill and I can assure him that not only will I talk to the

Secretary of State for Justice but we are talking to other departments

as well. This issue is something which is taken very seriously

indeed, and I will also listen to representations made to the

Department by the CAA. This issue has had coverage in the media over

the last few months, the number of incidents has rocketed and no more

so than in my neighbouring Glasgow where there were more are aircraft

targeted in the first two months of this year than the whole of last

year. Have you made any representations to the Scottish

Government and can you show it to the House? I am more than happy to

ensure the Scottish Government is consulted if further measures are

taken. This is something that is taken seriously by all sides of the

House, and I welcome the point the honourable lady has made. I have no

plans. The secretary of state will be aware that Treasury backed sure

reports, the final version published next week about the financing of

railways has made it clear that full privatisation of Network Rail is on

the table. -- Shaw. I am sure the Minister will agree that we do not

want to go back the dark chaotic days of the private management of

our rail system under Railtrack and will he commits himself to reject

any new recommendations that leads to the privatisation of Network

Rail? I would like to congratulate the honourable member of seeing a

report which has not been published yet X macro how he knows what the

content is is beyond me! I am proud with what we have achieved with the

rail industry in this country, it has been a fantastic success with

the franchising that takes place, I am very sorry that the only people

putting it at danger are not the government that the opposition. Does

my right honourable friend agree that evidence from other sectors

shows that privatisation has the potential to increase efficiency and

improve performance? Ie Do agree but I also think there is obviously

responsibility the four a system of railway maintenance and improvements

that is very important, and we have seen through the private sector,

vast improvements. At the time of radicalisation of our railways,

there were 700 and million people using trains and last year there

were 1.6 billion and that figure is growing year on year so I do not

have to be convinced about the advantages of the system which has

evolved over a number of years of using the private sector, and I will

look at other ways we can involve the private sector in providing a

better railways nervous for our constituents. Network Rail has

confirmed it has considered selling up to 18 major stations and a number

of other asset as it struggles to plug the 2.5 billion budget black

hole, would you like to comment on that? The way you talk about the

black hole, we are investing over this way away period some ?38

billion in Network Rail. -- railways. I don't see anything wrong

with that and indeed there were a number of asset sales which took

place under the last government as well. When the secretary of state

reads the Shaw report, I hope he recognises the words of the great

railway manager who said that when you reorganise you bleed, and for

many months, the few top people who keep their momentum up are

distracted from their proper job, punctuality goes to hell, said he

slips, don't reorganise, don't, don't, don't. There is broad

cross-party support for investment in railways, maintaining the safety

record and delivering projects like HS2, so will he give me reassurance

that the progress that has been made will not be jeopardised by pursuing

a needed, unneeded, and unwonted plans to privatise Network Rail? I

can tell you with absolute certainty there are no plans to continue a

disastrous policy of nationalising the railways, which is one she puts

forward and her party leader puts forward. She talks about all the

investment going on and she has seen quite a bit of it in her own

constituency, not least at Nottingham station and which she

welcomed that investment, of course she did, I welcome investment in our

railways, but it is also worthwhile asking how we carry on that level of

investment, an investment at a level which she would only have dreamt of

when she was in government. Mr Speaker, in the north-west, the

first ever electric trains are running between Liverpool and

Manchester and between Liverpool and Wigan, and the tunnel is now open,

further proof that this government's commitments to electrification, part

of the biggest investment since Victorian times. Network Rail last

month marked a milestone with the introduction of brand-new trains

which completed 1377 foundations needed for the overhead line

electrification towards Didcot. Thank you for the answer. I have to

note that in the Transport for the North document, the focus is on

large cities. If the fast-growing regions of Cheshire should not be

squeezed out, would you look again at the possibility of better

electrification programme that includes areas not mentioned? I

thought I mention quite a few. The truth is that the investment which

is taking place in the northern hub, the redevelopment of Manchester

Victoria station, does do a lot to increase connectivity across the

North West and that links up a number of the towns which the

honourable member refers to directly into our northern cities. Rail

commuters in my constituency have put up with severe overcrowding or

many years. Because of the delay, can the government examine whether

there is any rolling stock available to alleviate overcrowding? We are

looking at all problems relating to rolling stock as a result of any

delays in the finalisation of electrification. There is a large

amount of new rolling stock coming onto our railways over the next five

years, not used the new trains but also the new trains on Thames Link,

the Siemens contract which is being developed at the moment and coming

into operation later this year. There was an awful lot of

engineering work to be carried on in Manchester and that will almost

certainly require the re-routing of trains through to big Tory while

that work takes place. When that happens and we consider using the

line through reddish South and Denton stations which are currently

served by one train a week in one direction only? If it can be

re-routed can they please stop at the stations so we can assess the

passionate Amant there is there? -- passenger demand. If it is such a

bad experience, I am sorry that you have not got better services in the

past. I am always willing to look at any suggestions but can I make the

point that the first point you made was a serious point, about the

problems... LAUGHTER The point that he makes

about the problems as far as work being carried out on the railways,

engineering work, which does lead to inconvenience while the work is

carried out, and that is something we do address, and is something I

readily talk to the chief Executive and chairman of network rail about.

No progress has been made on the electrification in Northern

Lincolnshire which is probably one of the reasons why the recent

railway magazine had headlines saying railways truly bad for

Grimsby. The transport for the North publication this week does not even

include northern Lincolnshire routes on its map. Can you assure me that

more will be done to improve services to my constituency? Indeed.

After a successful campaign, we did manage when we renegotiated the

franchises or his area, to protect the services in his area, and I know

he has always pressed for greater services to his constituency. It is

something I will look up, particularly when the new franchise

starts operating later in the year. A great deal of work has already be

completed. Actual construction will start next year. Tempted as I am to

propose that the government build HS2 some time in the Parliament

after next, when it will be seen for the white elephant that it is, then

he just reassure me that there is time enough to deal with all the

environment of impacts of HS2, for example the construction impact, in

the historic village of West Wycombe in my constituency? He did promise

me an impatient supplementary question and I was not disappointed.

We will have no net environmental loss during the construction.

Indeed, 2 million trees will be planted as part of the phase one

construction. This is a project that we can be proud of and which people

up and down the country will value as part of our economic plans. I

rather like elephants, white or otherwise. Let's look at the

building of phase two of HS2. Secretary of State has said in the

past that serious consideration would be given to the possibility of

beginning construction on the northern part of HS2 phase two

between Sheffield and Leeds in parallel with work on the southern

part? How far has that serious consideration now got, and is there

a real positivity that work between Sheffield and Leeds could begin

before the very end of the project? It is important that we prioritise

the Birmingham bit because that is where the congestion is and that is

where the real benefits are. Those trains will run through two stations

in the north, and to Scotland, from day one. It is important that we

look at how we can deliver this. Indeed, some of the investment at

the station locations in the north can go ahead even before the trains

reach those locations. Demand for driving tests has increased, and

with it, waiting times. The driver and vehicle standards agency is

recruiting more examiners, improving its forecasting model to match

resources with demand, and redeploying examiners appropriately.

We have a particular local problem in the driving centre in my

constituency for motorcyclists, where the motorcycle area is

regularly covered in moss. Can the minister look into, make sure every

effort is taking to ensure that motorcyclists are not disadvantaged?

I will look into it and I will respond to the honourable gentleman.

What assessment has the minister made of cancellations? I have been

made aware of a number of cases where people have received them just

minutes before a test has been due. I would be interested to know what

assessment he has made of that and the impact it is having on waiting

times? I will not enter the points my honourable friend is making. The

challenge faced by the devious a is really one of increasing demand. --

by the DVSA. The DVSA is responding with more people, but they also need

to respond in a customer friendly way. It is an important point and I

will look into it. Mr Speaker, we have continued to make progress on

transport infrastructure schemes across the country. In the north,

the northern transport strategy Spring report has set out more

details on how we are building the northern powerhouse. In the east, we

are evaluating bids for the East Anglia franchise, which will start

in October this year. In the south-west, highways England has

started community engagement on the work for the A303 and the A358

improvement plans. The select committee has published its final

report after 17 months of hard work. I would like to thank all members

who were involved in that work for their significant time and effort

over the course of those hearings. The businesses and residents in my

area have longed for a new road linking the town to the A30. A new

road would provide relief for the villages on that route. Can I ask

the Secretary of State if he would confirm the governments continued

support for this new road and if his department will continue to work

with me to make sure it is delivered as soon as possible averaged my

honourable friend has made the case for this road to me on many

occasions, not least when I was in Cornwall, when he took me around the

area that we are talking about. The government is making funds available

through the local growth fund for such schemes. It will be up to

Cornwall council to prepare and submit the bid for funding in the

normal way. But Cornwall has had a very successful history of obtaining

funds through this grant and I wish you well on this scheme. Mr Speaker,

the board investigated 23 near misses between aircraft and drones

in six months last year. Of those, 12 were deemed to involve a serious

risk of collision. BALPA wants the government to run tests on what

would happen if there was a collision. The government has had a

working grip on this since 2013. So why is it only this summer that

ministers will say anything? Should we note know already what tests have

been done, what options are being considered, regulatory and

otherwise, and when would any agreed option we put into practice? We take

this matter very seriously indeed, the risk of a collision with a drone

is one which we are aware of you. Yesterday I met with representatives

of the British airline pilots Association and this was one topic

which came up. There are very severe penalties in place for people who do

get involved with this. And there are technologies such as geo-

fencing which would prevent these aircraft entering sensitive

airspace. We are considering what action to take. On a different but

also topical subject, I was in Kent yesterday speaking to businesses who

had felt first-hand the traffic chaos surrounding 33 days of

operation started last year. -- Operation Stag. What is the

government going to do to prevent a repeat of last year's seems?

Operation Stack is a critical part of controlling access to the ports,

and trying to make the ports flowed more smoothly. We had exceptional

circumstances last summer, with strikes and challenges with migrants

closing the tunnel. The proposal, which is effectively to create an of

the highway holding area, is a significant investment, it is a ?250

million project. The closure of the consultation is only a few days away

I think. I have met with highways England and with local providers of

highways, doing all we can do in the short-term. I will keep local

members informed of progress. On the 4th of February this year, hundreds

of my constituents were gridlocked on the M6 and M42 for an entire day

following and accident. Will he examine proposals to open the M6

toll road when such circumstances occur? Certainly there is an

agreement in place where M6 tolls can be lifted in such an

extraordinary circumstance. The government is looking at options

over this agreement but there are substantial cost, policy and value

for money indications involved with removing the tolls. As part of the

process I am more than happy to meet with my honourable friend to discuss

it. With an estimated skills gap of some 50,000 HGV drivers predicted by

the end of this Parliament, would the minister agree that it makes

sense for the government to contribute towards the ?3500

training fee required for licences? It would mean more people working,

and reducing welfare? Mr Speaker, I am looking at various options to

help as far as this issue is concerned, along with other

departments. But it is also for the industry to step up to the mark in

its training programme. Will the minister join me in welcoming the

report published earlier in the week by the independent transport

commission, which set up way the mental impact of expansion at

Heathrow can be mitigated? Given the weight of opinion included in the

Davies report, when can we look forward to a statement of progress

on this issue? I have noted the publication of the report by the

independent transport commission. That obviously feed into the

considerations we are making. As far as the wider issue of airport

capacity and making a decision on the location, as I have said before,

I hope to be able to do that later this year. I have been contacted by

one of my constituents, who has described the impact of late running

trains on her job and her income. She says, please understand that I

am so employed and I cannot call in sick if I am late for work. This

means that the job worth ?5,000 to me personally would be affected.

Turning up 30 minutes late would cost me my work. Does the rail

minister accept that late running trains and lamentable performance of

southern rail, is having an impact on the productivity of the South of

England? The gentleman knows I absolutely accept that. Over the

country, rail passenger satisfaction is actually up three percentage

points. But I think the challenge we have got is that there are some

lines, like the one he mentions, where customers are not getting the

punctuality and the service they deserve. That's why we are so

committed to getting Network Rail and the franchise holder working

together. There is no blame but we want them to work together. Does the

rail Minister agree that improvements to the north junction

are crucial to securing improved services on the King's Cross-

Kingsley line and thus unlocking more economic growth? Will she and

her colleagues work with me to help secure this crucial investment? The

honourable gentleman and others have left me in no doubt as to the value

of this Ely north junction work and I am disappointed that this work

will not be completed until after 2019. But as a result of the

discussions which he and others have organised, I am now confident that

the preparatory work can go ahead sooner, with funding coming from a

variety of sources. Can I ask what progress there has been with the top

three projects recommended by the northern electrification task force,

which was chaired by the honourable member for Harrogate and Nesbitt? Mr

Speaker that was a cross-party report, chaired by my honourable

friend. A lot has been learned about since then. That report will form

part of the foundation for how we move forward with further

electrification and how we prioritise those schemes. I know the

government keeps under review the status of trust ports. Poole has

that status. It has the support of the local community. I hope the

shipping minister understands that. Can I first of all put on record our

gratitude for the very hard work that my honourable friend has

carried out as part of the HS2 committee. We do ask trust ports

occasionally to review their status. But certainly all the feedback I

have had is that the trust board model is working well in his case

and we would not wish to interfere. Whilst it is clearly in the public

interest that a person reporting somebody as being unfit to drive has

anonymity, does the minister agree that where it appears that the

abrogation is malicious, anonymity should be rescinded, and the

reporting form should clearly state that if false Accies Asians are made

about an individual, the accuser would be liable to prosecution? --

false accusations. I think that is a matter for the Secretary of State

for Justice but I will reflect on the question. Could my right

honourable friend update the House on the reinstatement of the Holton

Curve, which is so important for my part of the country. That's right.

It is a vital link. I understand that the business case will be

considered by the combined authorities in April. If approved,

and I hope it is, it should be completed by 2018. It would be a

pleasure to meet with the honourable gentleman. I would be very grateful

to feed him some buns to keep up his weight during his marathon training!

It is always useful to have some additional information! May I thank

the minister of State for transport for his visit to Northern Ireland.

He visited Belfast international airport as well as the air sea

rescue. But will he help influence various projects which we saw at the

time of road, rail, air passenger duty, enterprise zone, and of

course, one day, a new runway here to help the links to Northern

Ireland? It was certainly great to visit Ulster and to see some of the

good news in terms of the 300 new jobs at Belfast international

airport. And indeed the fact that Ryanair are now based at that

airport, with flights to Gatwick and new routes including Milan and

Berlin in the pipeline. I will look forward to coming to Northern

Ireland again. In my constituency we have a link

road going to he should import that is going to be open in the next six

months. This is a strategic route. Is there any plan to open a trunk

road? I visited the site with my honourable friend not long ago and

it is a major piece of new infrastructure that will serve his

area well. It has not been raised before but I will consider it. I'm

very pleased that my honourable friend and his constituents will see

the benefit of our massive road investment scheme in the near

future. When I raised some time ago the need for a road tunnel between

Sheffield and Manchester, many thought I was kite flying. Some

thought this was going to be a desk top study. Will the Secretary of

State confirm that this proposed tunnel might become a reality. I'm

not sure whether the honourable member is asking me to comment on

his demise at this particular stage but I will resist from doing so. He

may be right that, past governments have raised this issue and been a

desktop job, this is a proper serious of work that is going on.

This infrastructure isn't just for 30 years, it is the kind of

infrastructure that will be around for 100 years and very important to

the area and therefore will certainly see the demise of both

others. The government is making welcome investment in rail in the

North with electrification bringing huge benefits to constituencies like

mine. What is the government doing to improve disabled access at

stations like Morley and Will the Secretary of State meet with me to

discuss improvements at Morley station? It is right to raise this

but there are many other stations ahead of it in the queue in terms of

passenger fought for. We are catching up after decades of

neglect. It would be a pleasure to meet with her and discuss disabled

access in particular. The re-routing of services that is necessary in

Piccadilly and Oxford Road which will utilise the line in my

constituency so can I have a meeting with them so I can explain to him

the importance of being able to assess whether Denton and Reddish

South stations can make a business case for future investment? Topical

questions seem to have given him the chance to raise a question again for

which he wasn't happy with the first answer. I understand that he is

meeting my honourable friend the Parliamentary under Secretary of

State in 30 minutes and no doubt he might want to add this to the

discussing. I recently visited a company that are refurbishing trains

for mainline use. These would make an excellent replacement for the

decrypted rolling stock on the line to Boston. There are fantastic

innovations with rolling stock made from aluminium. In future successful

bidders will be required to be innovative regarding rolling stock.

We want to improve the rolling stock in his region. The proposed

trans-Pennine tunnel that has just been mentioned would be

transformative, not just for congestion in my constituency but

for the local economy. It is an ambitious project but the North is

worthy of that level of ambition. Will the Secretary of State urge the

Chancellor to support it as well. I don't need to encourage the

Chancellor at all in infrastructure spending. I have been incredibly

successful in securing funding for infrastructure from the Chancellor

who gets the importance of investment, not least in the north.

His policy has been pursuing the whole question of the Northern

powerhouse and taking forward transferred for the North which will

have a transformative effect on transport between northern cities

and it is something that other parts of the country are looking to

follow. The minister will recall the Shaw show crash which tragically

claimed the lives of 11 men in my constituency last August. I have

been asked by the media for my comments on the report on the air

crash which apparently is being published today. Why was I not aware

of that and what plans do the governments have two respond to it?

I am not sure that we do preview notification of the Branch report

before they are published. It is part of the reported that is being

published today but by no means is it the full report, a parliament

investigation will be updated and they are notifying people where they

have got to so far. Demand today has heavily outstripped supply and we

must now move on. Urgent question. Mr Greg Mulholland. Will the

Minister of State make a comment on the appointment