Transport Questions House of Commons

Good morning and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the

Commons. In an hour, and urgent question is being asked by the

conservative Bernard Jenkin concerning ministerial discussions

over the government's trade union Bill. After that, the leader of the

House Chris Grayling will be announcing the business of the House

running out of the state opening on Wednesday 18th of May, then he will

take questions from backbenchers. After that, two debates peddled by

the backbench committee, the first marking world autism awareness week,

and the second looking at report from HMRC, it looking at the reports

of closures of many tax offices. Do not forget to join me for a round-up

of the day in both houses of parliament at 11pm tonight. First,

questions to the Secretary of State of transport.

Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport.

Question one. Drones have great potential but it is important that

they are used to safely. There are already tough penalties in place for

negligent drone use. Including up to five years imprisonment for

endangering an aircraft. The Department NT News to work with

agencies to assess the safety risks of drones. Should the government not

heed the warning of Heathrow, and instead of the complacent position

taken, realise the potential of catastrophe by vandals or careless

people using drones, and the dreadful possibility of terrorists

using drones against stores of flammable material on nuclear power

stations? Already drones are being used to take mobile phones and drugs

into Wandsworth prison. Shouldn't the government wake up and realise

and realise this new menace is potential great threat and take

precautions in order to reduce the universal access to drones that

exists now? There is no complacency whatsoever. By the government by the

use of drones. There is a prison sentence which is available and I

will obviously keep the situation under review. It is also important

to find out the facts behind certain incidents, so the incident that was

reported on the 17th of April, it is now thought that that was not a

drone incident. I wonder if the Minister could update the House on

the state of investment in the roads in the north-east, in particular the

A1, and how that can make progress? Most interesting matter but little

distant for the matter of drones, save it for the long summer evenings

that lie ahead. There are growing concerns about incidents involving

drones threatening public safety. It is not very clear if there is a

problem to do with regulations themselves, or the enforcement of

those ready nations. Will the secretary of state look at those? I

certainly will. I met earlier this week, a planned meeting before the

incident on the 17th of April, with BALPA, to discuss this, and also

laser pen used, the is causing for civil aviation in this country. But

I certainly will keep these things very much under review, and do

further work along with BALPA and the industry, and the CAA, on drones

and drone use. Can my right honourable friend assure me that all

regulations and guidance with regard to drones and air safety will apply

and be communicated to appoint outside London -- to airports

outside London, so we have a consistent policy across the country

with air safety? My honourable friend gives a very good point, this

is not just a matter of London airports, it is any airport, also a

matter of airport outside London which serve important international

connections right across the country. I hear what the Transport

Secretary is saying with his engagement with airports, but it is

also an issue for stadiums, railway stations and other places where

public gather in huge numbers. Can he tell us what discussions he has

had with the widest possible range of stakeholders including local

authorities with the use of drones? The issue that I was addressing and

addressing in this country, this question, was related to aviation.

That is the point that I have updated the House on. Of course,

there are wider issues across the government and the government keeps

these matters consistently under review. I am grateful for that

response, even if it was not much of an answer. The Secretary of State

briefly touched upon another important issue surrounding laser

pens, and in particular the threat that they also pose to airports

across the United Kingdom. BALPA have called for all but the lowest

strength laser pens to be bound. What is his response to that? -- to

be banned. As I said a a few moments ago, I met BALPA this week, they

came forward with some issues with laser pens, there is evidence about

the way the are used, they fall under the category of being illegal

to shine into someone's eyes and there have been more prosecutions.

It is something I willing to take further action on wanted to get

agreement on what the best way forward is. You may recall that this

time last month, I ask the Secretary of State's honourable friend that

after three years of talk about working groups, when we would be

told what the government was actually going to do about the

drones to civil aircraft. His answer left us in lies. -- left us number

wiser. This week the minister said in the written answer that he will

not even consult on anything until the European aviation agency has

consulted. Other countries have already brought in recession schemes

and other initiatives so when are we going to see clear proposals from

the government, without having to wait for the US president to come to

town? Think the point that the honourable member made in his quest,

he said it might have Been a drone action. Government acts on what will

be the danger, not what might be. We are in discussion with the BALPA and

the CAA to develop this. If the honourable member is saying all

drones should be banned completely this is something they never thought

about when they were in office. Question two. The framework and the

amount of Schedule 8 compensation is set by the committee of rails. --

the rail regulator. She's welcome to raise concerns with them. I know the

Minister has concerns about Schedule 8 payments, as do I. It is

scandalous rail operators make millions from rail delays at the

expense of passengers are suffering from a poor standard of service. I

wonder what immediate steps the government might take to give power

to the regulator to insure any net profits made by train operators from

unplanned delays and cancellations caused by Network Rail go towards

improving rail passenger services across the country? Particularly in

light of the very low levels of passenger satisfaction? I thank her

for raising this issue very eloquently on several occasions, and

I know that these are part of the considerations of the current view.

She and I are as one on the view that the rail industry has to do

more to improve the current compensation payments which are

rather generous in absolute terms but not well advertised Orwell

claimed, and I am personally looking forward to bringing forward the

policy to reduce the delay threshold to 15 minutes. Our goal should be to

get trains running on time so passengers do not have to claim

compensation and that is what is underpinning this government's

record investment in the railway. Constituent of mine wishing to get

back-to-back sale after 9pm on a Monday or Tuesday are having to

undertake an large portion of the journey by replacement bus service,

that will be going on for the rest of this year. -- getting back to

excel. I declare an interest, this affects me. My intentions are ultra

stick, will the Minister meets with meal -- Alcester, will she meet with

me to see if they can do this work overnight? I will of course meet

with him and look at what can be done to speed up the repair of that

piece of work. It is the case that passengers are completely

inadequately, they did for delays, and I welcome her supporting my

campaign to half the delay time. Will she also support my campaign to

sack Southern, who have proven completely incapable of running a

railway service and should hand it over to TEFL? It is good that he is

supporting my campaign, we have discussed the Southern franchise

many times, it is difficult, there are record levels of engineering

works going on on the slide and we are doing all we can to ensure

passengers suffered the least disruption and get the compensation

to which they are entitled if their trains do not work on time. Schedule

8 compensation is not making it's way to my travelling public, one

actively contact me from Acton Main line, where there is no stuff, no

way of buying a ticket and no indicating board, one stop from

Paddington, it should not be a case of taking your life into the own

hands and looking into the Unknown. I am not going to give a boring

lecture on Schedule 8, it is slightly different to the point of

compensation paid to passengers under delay to pay, and it is right

that we bring forward proposals because the compensation threshold

is not worth a lot, one that is at 15 minutes is better, but her

constituents have a far greater choice of transport than any other

parts of the country. That is why we are investing across the country.

80% of passengers and title to a refund when their train is cancelled

or delayed make no claim, largely because train operating companies

make claiming too difficult. To improve passenger compensation

arrangements, the office of rail and road recommended that the provisions

of the consumer rights act should apply to rail. But this month, the

government further delayed this interjection by another year. Why is

it that train operating companies should have such beneficial

compensation arrangements, while the government intervenes to delay

giving passengers their right to compensation? The question that

comes to mind is why the honourable gentleman's government did nothing

about this for 13 years. Delay repay compensation levels have increased

eightfold over the last five years. There is far more to do. The actual

amount of compensation that is available is more generous in this

country than in all most any other country in Europe, but if I can just

assure him on the CRA exemption, the industry had argued for a permanent

exemption, I found that completely unacceptable. We have given the

industry time to adjust and make sure they get it right. The road

investment strategy announced the upgradable remaining sections of the

8303 between the M3 and a 358 to June carriage way standard together

with the upgrading of the 8358 in Somerset to the M5 at Taunton to the

A303 at Ilminster. Three major screams -- schemes are planned to

turn to process by 2020. I thank our excellent road ministers for stating

quite clearly the improvements from Stonehenge through to Ilminster

through to Taunton. Very much welcome. But there is a stretch from

Ilminster to harm at, which actually needs a little more improvement.

Therefore we have the cooperation of the Blackdown Hills society to give

a 60 mph Rd through onto Exeter to make sure we have that second

arterial route into Devon and on into Cornwall, so I would like an

update from our excellent minister. Detailed disposition from a

minister? I fear he probably won't be disappointed! LAUGHTER

Obviously I thank my honourable friend for that question. The first

road investment strategy did include some smaller scale improvements to

that section of the roads to improve safety and Jenny quality but it is a

very challenging area to make improvements, it is protected

landscape and a very dutiful area, as my honourable friend showed me

when he drove me along the route last summer time when I heard first

time the opportunity that was presented by investment. We have

started the process of the second road investment strategy, and they

are developing route strategies to improve that process. I will be

taking my honourable friend's contribution into that process and

make sure he is raised with on a constant basis. I would like to

welcome the upgrade of the A303, but particularly where it joins the

A358, and links from the 830. But a recent parish meeting I went to, it

was suggested the preferred options would come together by 2018, and

there was a certain bit of my drink from the audience about whether the

government would actually go ahead and build the road. So could the

Minister confirm that this will take place by 2020, as it is so crucial

for the wider south-west? I can understand there are some sinners is

on a local basis because the scheme has I think been cancelled by former

governments. However, let me just provides reassurance there. We are

looking at consultation starting next year, and the start of work in

early 2020, so I am happy to provide the assurance my honourable friend

once. The airports commission assessed the surface access

requirements of each short listed airport proposal as part of its work

published in July 20 15th, and estimated the cost of up to ?5

billion for surface access works in relation to Heathrow Northwest

runway. Thank you, Mr Speaker, there are clearly widely differing

estimates as to the capital cost of building an additional runway at

Heathrow. But what is not in dispute is that building an additional

runway at Heathrow will cost significantly more than building an

additional runway at Gatwick. So my question, Mr Speaker, is if the

government does decide to go ahead with expanding Heathrow, who will

pay the difference? The airline passenger or the taxpayer? The

honourable lady is absolutely right that some of the estimates that have

been forecast for surface access to differ widely, even by the standards

of some economists, but one must bear in mind that these three sets

of figures includes different things over different time scales. The main

difference being the work is required exclusively for airport

capacity where the airport would be expected to make a major

contribution. Projects that support airport capacity but have wider

benefits and those in the TfL figures, which are needed for

economic growth over the next 20 or 30 years. Does the government have a

view on this, the airport commission figure just 5 billion, 2 billion

from Heathrow, the 18 billion from TfL? Is this not just 30 years of

disinformation we get out of Heathrow? When is the government

going to come to a decision on this and make its nuclear and stop

delaying it because of elections? If the honourable gentleman had been

paying attention, I did explain that these figures related from things

over different time scales. In relation to the decision, perhaps a

could wait until my honourable friend for Twickenham poses her

question to the Secretary of State. Mr Speaker, can the government give

us any indication of a construction time period from a decision taken

until a runway either at Gatwick or Heathrow is completed? It is

important to note that the additional time we are taking to

look at a number of economic and environmental factors will not delay

the delivery of a runway at whatever location is decided upon.

The government has committed ?600 million in this Parliament for the

uptake of electric vehicles. The UK has the largest network of rapid

charging point in Europe, with a total of 11,000 public charge

points. We will be announcing further details of the next phase of

plans to expand the UK's charging next work later this year. --

network. I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Nissan, one of the

manufacturers here in the UK. They clearly put forward the significant

changes there has been in electric cars, better acceleration, better

power, longer battery life. I just want to ask this question, if we are

going to have better charging points, we need to have them on the

high Street, in the shopping centre. Those other ways forward, make them

accessible to whether people are and where the electric cars are. The

honourable gentleman is absolutely right, there are a much wider range

of vehicles to be chosen and many tilt in the United Kingdom. We have

seen a big increase last year, than in the last four years combined. I

am very pleased that Ulster was one of the UK's eight plug-in places,

which received ?19 million of funding from the office of lower

emissions vehicles. As the Minister will know, work has finally started

on the new Ilkeston train station, where I'm sure there will be at

least one charging point for electric cars. Despite this major

new -- this major new investment brings -- with this in mind can we

establish a new electric bus route to link the station at the town

centre? I tell my honourable friend that not only the great advantage of

electric cars, but electric buses. I was in Ulster lately at the right

bus factory where they have buses now that will go all day on a

charge, which would be perfect vehicles for the sort of project my

honourable friend suggests. It is not just physical but intellectual

infrastructure that is required to support the electric vehicle

industry, not least because of the extreme voltage is that I've truly

dangerous to people who don't know what they are doing, and because the

engines are entirely different from petrol and diesel. As the industry

for that -- the Ministry for the motor industry on sporting knowledge

of electric vehicles, and it is it something his department might be of

support? It is important that people who work in these vehicles are

adequately trained but I would caution him to suggest that electric

vehicles are more dangerous than the alternatives. Anyone who has seen a

petrol tank catch fire would realise that electric vehicles are actually

intrinsically safe. A number of important decisions on airport

capacity were taken by the government in December, including to

accept the case for expansion in the south-east. However, we must take

time to get the decision right on the preferred scheme. The government

is further considering the environment impacts, and the best

possible measures to mitigate the impacts of expansion. Thank you, Mr

Speaker. On March 24, as chair of the APPG on Heathrow, I wrote to

Secretary of State with 64 questions about his department was network in

this area. Unfortunately I have received answers to none. We'll be

Secretary of State except that important questions on noise, air

quality, deliverability are essential before he makes this

decision, in order to give confidence to the decision-making

process? When the decision is made, I will be accountable to the house,

to the reasons behind why certain decisions were taken, but what I

pointed out to my honourable friend in the letter I did reply to her on,

it would not be appropriate for me to provide a running commentary

until such time that the government has come to a final decision, and

that we will do. When we do that, we will be fully accountable for the

decisions and the recommendations that we make. Mr Speaker, isn't the

Minister at least a little ashamed at the fact that there has been a

major enquiry, it made its recommendations under Howard Davies,

nothing has happened? At the same time, we are putting all of our

national treasure into HS2, and by the time that comes in 2032, we will

find the driverless car has made it totally redundant. Mr Speaker, I

will take no lectures from a man who supported the government that saw

our position in the infrastructure league tables move from seven when

they entered government in 1997 down to 33rd by the time they left

government in 2010. The honourable gentleman says it was all his fault.

Well, that was his words and not mine. LAUGHTER

Mr Speaker, in Buckinghamshire, over 700 businesses have chosen to locate

their headquarters not least because of the proximity of that excellent

local airport, Heathrow. And far from building on the previous

question, I think it is fair to point out to the Secretary of State,

whereas HS2 brings absolutely no net economic benefit to Bucks, Heathrow

does, and it is a long time since Howard Davies reported. Could the

Secretary of State therefore get a wig along? LAUGHTER

-- get a wiggle on? Mr Speaker, you have chastised a few people this

morning for links with airports and HS2. While my right honourable

friend refers to Heathrow as her local airport, which I fully accept

I have not heard it described before as a local airport but it is a good

discretion in particular case, and indeed her constituents are well

connected to that particular airport. I also want to see other

parts of the country get the same opportunities that London is getting

in its transport connections as well. Mr Alan Brown. This decision

can impact Scottish airports. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of

State's earlier comments, I think the government should provide a

running commentary about this important decision, so can the

Secretary of State state clearly as to what additional work is doing

about air quality, noise considerations, when the work will

be completed and what else the government needs to do to come to a

decision? I am afraid I disagree about providing a running

commentary, for the reasons which I pointed out in my earlier answers,

but that work is being done. I hope very soon to be able to come to a

house and informed the house and the house of the recommendations the

government is making. Thank you, Mr Speaker, the government is committed

to delivering the emissions reductions needed to meet our

climate change targets, including the uptake of low emission vehicles,

reducing emissions from the road freight sector and encouraging

sustainable choices such as walking and cycling. A quarter of the UK's

greenhouse gas emissions come from transport emissions, which the

government has pledged to cut. Will the minister follow the example of

the Scottish Government, who are committed to investing ?62.5 million

to create low-carbon infrastructure? I will certainly take no lessons

from the Scottish Government, in terms of low-carbon infrastructure

for stop one only has to look at the electrification programme on RL

ways. The fact is we have some very tough targets we are determined to

meet and we will set our fifth carbon budget later this year, and

we will publish our emissions reduction plan shortly afterwards.

Electric cars are a form of low-carbon transport. Given the

disaster in Normandy and in Finland by EDF with a nuclear power station

there, can the government explain whence the electricity for all these

electric cars? Certainly electric cars can benefit from electricity

overnight, and use that off-peak electricity very effectively. I for

one believe that nuclear generation will be part of our future energy

strategy. Too few companies in East Lancashire

offer the cycle to work scheme, what can the government do to extend the

scheme to areas like mine? We support it enthusiastically, I know

many companies can make sure that their employees get information

about picking up that scheme which is a great scheme, get a lot of

people onto two wheels, and reduces other carbon dioxide emissions and

other pollutants. The most low carb on forms of transport are cycling

and walking. Extraordinary, the government showed Easter Sunday to

release the long-awaited cycling and walking investment strategy, I can

understand why they did not want people to notice it because it is

long on aspiration but short on investment. Cycle UK have concluded

that by 2021, the amount of money spent on cycling outside London will

be 72p per head. How far does the Minister think that they can go on

72p? We should hang on a minute here. When we came to power in 2015,

we were spending ?2 per head, and at the end of the coalition, we were

spending ?6 per head. That is a very good record of investment in cycling

and in a spending review, the Chancellor confirmed over ?300

million for cycling over five years in that spending review. Many of the

decisions have been made by local authorities which are still at least

some of them run by the Labour Party. I think that is an admissions

-- admission of Joe Mattock cut in cycling. Let us move on to walking,

as we approach walked to work week, the strategy has no measurable

targets were walking at all. When the minister was pressed in written

questions, he sidestepped. Why do we have to wait until 2025 to have

measurable targets? We are determined to increase levels of

walking, both children walking to school and people walking as part of

their everyday lives, many people see the importance of walking not

only in terms of improving transport infrastructure but also contributing

to clean area in our cities. Question ten. As my right honourable

friend knows Dorrell travel in this country is booming and a vital part

of the grid is ensuring that rail is accessible to all, including

passengers of disabilities, at every stage of the journey. The numbers

suggest that disabled people are using the railway in ever greater

numbers, the disabled Persons Railcard insect nation went up 12%

year-on-year, -- in circulation, a growth rate above those without

disabilities. The concourse at Birmingham International is going to

be improved to provide better access for the disabled, but could the

minister put pressure on the Chiltern line, where the gap between

the carriages and the platform is very high indeed, and would it not

be possible to replicate what TEFL do, I think at Westminster station

there is a raised platform in one section? We need a joined up

approach, we need the operators and Network Rail to work together. She

should be aware that any improvement works carried on the station have

two comply with UK disability standards. I am grateful to the

reply that she gave earlier. Given that we know that Network Rail have

financial issues, and ?50 million is being taken out of the access for

all skin, can the minister explained what pressure she can put on Network

Rail to make sure that stations like once in my constituency which are

not accidental to disabled people are upgraded to everyone can have

access to a good rail service? Many of the stations in country date from

Victorian times when this was not even an issue. I would like to point

out to him that access for all is a scheme of which we offer a proud,

almost half ?1 billion has been spent, money will be spent

continually, and stations were prioritised based on football. I

would be more than happy to look at the station to see if anything could

be done. We have to make sure the money is spent where people are

travelling. This to me is absolutely part of the railway for the future,

vital for people with disabilities to be able to access trains and

rolling stock will be fully to civility compliant by 2020. --

Philippe disability compliant. I recognise the important role that

regional airports play in providing domestic and international

connections and admire the contribution they make to the growth

of rival contribution they make to the growth

of local economies. They operate within the local -- the private

sector and it is up to them to get people into them. Inward tourism is

very important in my area, my local at Port has no connection to London.

From the discussion in this chamber, no sign of a connection to London.

But the minister consider a strategy to connect local airports to bring

in inward tourists? The honourable lady talks about connections and

conductivity into London, that is one of the reasons why the Davis

commission was support. -- was commissioned to report. We need to

bear in mind regional conductivity and give reassurance to people who

want further service from regional airport into London, they will get

that opportunity. I am reliably informed that Cornwall Newquay

airport is the fastest-growing regional airport in the country, and

can I thank the aviation Minister for his support in helping us to

open a new route from Newquay to Leeds Bradford. Going forward it

will be essential that original air connectivity is in place to make

sure that as our economy grows, the benefit of felt across the country.

Can he confirm the regional connectivity fund will continue to

be available to help small and regional airport open up their

roots? Where they are qualifying, I am grateful that the roots do

qualify, it is available. It has made an important difference, it is

a route that I have used in a number of occasions to go down to his

constituency and others in Cornwall. The Minister will know that London

Luton Airport is undergoing a substantial and welcome expansion,

but there is spare capacity at Birmingham Airport. It could make a

significant contribution to the journey if there was an upgrade of

the railway line linking Birmingham Airport Crossrail and therefore to

Heathrow. I figure the honourable gentleman that he is always making

-- I say to the honourable gentleman that he is with making the case for

traditional local links and he is not so keen on high-speed links. I

commend what is happening at Luiten airport, I was there to see the

start of the work a few months ago and the regeneration going on there,

it is rain poured and it is proving very important for the area as well.

Number 12. This department is providing over ?7 billion to the

local growth fund which will fund over 500 local transport projects by

the end of the parliament. As part of that fund, we have launched a new

?425 million fund for transformational local transport

schemes which are too large for the main allocations and we have invited

local enterprise partnerships to bid by July. The construction of the 20

year weighted by past here will open up employment land and support the

regional economy by creating jobs. Will the Minister meet with me and

Cheshire East council representatives to discuss the

merits of a funding application for this project? I am happy to have

that meeting particularly if she involves the local enterprise

partnership, who are central to putting together these bits and

ensuring that where we do have these types of investments, they are

important for the economy to the local region, and some of the

Council representatives. With the Minister look carefully at the plans

being forwarded by the Mersey the Alliance for a strategic rail link

direct to Manchester Airport, which had a dual benefit of speeding up

traffic to Manchester Airport but also taking cars of the motorway?

That is the kind of project that transport for North will be looking

at, and I understand the importance of good surface connectivity so

airports can continue to grow. Manchester Airport is an example for

others to follow. The government has given considerable amounts of money

to the Labour dominated west Yorkshire combined authority who

spend most of their money in the Labour heartlands, ignoring the

needs of areas such as mine. Things like the Shipley Eastern bypass

which is vital for my local economy. What can the Minister do to make

sure that the government's money is spent in areas like Shipley as one

of the Labour heartlands, or if he cannot persuade them to do that,

will heed directly fund a Shipley Eastern I pass that my -- bypass

that my constituents need? One of the important changes that has

happened since we have moved from the RDA to having local enterprise

partnerships is that it is the business and economic considerations

that are considered more than maybe some local political objectives,

that is a great change we have brought in and far less pork barrel

politics going on in Yorkshire, I hope. There are number of major

transport projects in the northern powerhouse but they seem to omit

West Cumbria. Will the government do to look at how we can prove our

transport inks, particularly looking at the nuclear developers we have

locally? We understand that all parts of the country including the

peripheral parts benefit from transport investment which is why it

is good news that this government does understand that, unlike the

previous government that did not see it as a priority. Question 13. My

noble friend the Parliamentary undersecretary of state has been in

discussion with the driver and vehicle standards agency about

trialling changes to the practical driving test to make it more

effective in modern driving traditions. We have also been in

discussion about future provision of the UK driving theory test. I have

received a number of concerns from driving instructors and pupils about

significant delays in obtaining dates for tests at the Bletchley

Centre in my constituency. DVSA said they are investing more resources

but it remains an issue. May he take this up urgently with the new Chief

Executive? Demand for driving tests have been increasing rapidly, it has

gone up by over 50% since 2013 and we expect that to continue. We have

seen the same pattern in HGV tests. The DVSA has responded by bringing

in more examiners, and improving forecasting, redeploying examiners

to those centres of higher waiting times. I would be happy to take up

the Bletchley Centre with the new chief executive. We are also getting

complaints in Kettering about delays for driving tests and cancellations

of appointment, can our excellent road Minister gets on top of this

before it gets out of control? I am happy to take forward these issues

wherever we have local problems, for any colleague in these houses, with

the DVSA. Under 14. On the 27th of March, during the Easter break when

people had plenty of time to read it, we publish the draft cycling and

walking strategy. We want everyone in the country including those in

rural areas to have access to safe and attractive cycling routes. Local

authorities have a detailed understanding of their roots and

have the best knowledge of where cyclists could be placed on local

roads. Safe and attractive cycling routes are important but a number of

cyclists have written to me about the problem of potholes and cycling,

something of which I have personal experience and the scars to prove

it, I do not intend to show my honourable friend where it is. Will

he join me in welcoming the 28.4 million that Lincolnshire County

Council are receiving in this year for highways maintenance in terms of

financial assistance? Will he also encourage highways officers in

Lincolnshire to keep doing what they can to reduce the risks to cyclists

from the dangerous potholes? Lincolnshire is a wonderful county

to cycle in not least because it is relatively flat. The government has

allocated substantial funds for the repair of potholes. I would

encourage local authorities to concentrate on how effectively they

are using that money, there is some good new technology which will mean

that not only potholes can be repaired but they will stay

repaired. We often hear stories about temporary repairs opened up

quickly. Mr Speaker, in the last six years we

have electrified five times as many miles of track than the previous

Labour government did in 13 years, and almost all of this work has been

in the North of England. I call that good progress. Perhaps the Minister

can explain to me why the hundred million pound or to Selby privately

financed rail electrification scheme has been stuck in the Department for

Transport for nearly two years now? Her department is announcing schemes

like the 27 billion is the Crossrail two between Hertfordshire and

Surbiton but if she is really serious about the Northern

Powerhouse, why can she not get a break alarm and get this privately

financed scheme actually happening? I think that is Humberside for a

wiggle, but I completely share the lady's enthusiasm for faster rail

for her constituents, which is why the new franchise that we let last

year will give her constituents brand new trains, more services,

more direct connections, and Hull is getting 1.4 million for its new

station in time for it to take its pride of place in time for the UK

city of culture 2017. She should be pleased that. We may be losing our

direct link to South Manchester and the airport through Piccadilly. Why

is this happening and how is it progress? Mr Speaker, the honourable

gentleman is raising a service question to me that I am not a cross

but I will get back to him. Topical questions. We continue to do that on

issues that affect the motorist. Following the findings last year

to ensure that similar devices were not present on other models. The

test confirmed that they were not, but the tests did confirm that

existing lab tests designed to ensure emission limits were met are

inadequate, and this is why we have been at the forefront of securing a

tough new European wide real driving test emissions tests. We also have

announced further funding to help with the problem of potholes based

across the country. Mr Speaker, I recently completed a blindfolded

walk with that excellent charity, guide dogs, to try to understand the

challenges faced by visually impaired people. I am greatly

supportive of their campaign to improve access for guide dog owners

with the dogs. It is not right that they can often be refused access to

businesses and services because the dogs with them. What steps is the

Secretary of State taking to ensure that taxi and private vehicle

drivers receive adequate disability awareness training, because there

are still a large number of guide dog owners that are being turned

away from these vital transport services? Mr Speaker, I am grateful

for the point my honourable friend makes and entirely agree with the

point she makes. Taxi and private trading higher vehicles are

essential for many disabled people. Drivers are required to make

reasonable adjustments for disabled passengers, and it is a criminal

offence to refuse and assistance dog. Failure to comply with this

requirement cameras in prosecution and a fine on conviction up to

?1000. A driver was recently fined ?1546 for refusing access to a guide

dog, which includes a legal costs, Inc ordering -- in addition to the

fine, and I think that message needs to go out right across the whole

industry and we will draw it to the attention of the licensing

authorities. On Monday, the Ministry of state said Volkswagen Arena fixed

any cars yet in this country. Mr Speaker, Knox emissions pose a

serious health risk to drivers, and everyone, and as he acknowledged, we

now know that all manufacturers produce diesel models that pollute

above approved limits. How is he going to affect nox emissions, and

will he take further action that when it comes to Volkswagen the UK

is not left at the back of the queue? The Ministry of state and

myself have been dealing with this matter but before I get to being

attacked for not doing sufficient, I think the honourable lady needs to

remind who started the - the diesel. He reduced diesel cars to 20% of the

UK fleet. Of course those decisions were based on the science at the

time. But as he knows, American owners may be entitled up to $5,000

in compensation while the owners of 1.2 million VW vehicles in this

country are not receiving a penny. Last week, the number ten press

machine was assuring us that the Transport Secretary has pressed VW

on the specific issue of this discrepancy of compensation. But on

Monday the ministry of state said compensation was a matter for the

courts and not ministers. Mr Speaker, this is a matter of basic

fairness. So when is the Transport Secretary going to step up a gear

and fight for a decent compensation deal for UK Volkswagen drivers? We

have made it perfectly clear, I have made it clear in meetings I have

had, my honourable friend the Minister of State has made it clear

not just with box wagon but other manufacturers as well, that this is

a subject we take very seriously. We want to see action taking place, but

I am glad the honourable lady said that was based when she responded to

the huge increase in diesel cars in this country. It was based on

evidence at the time. It just shows not the proper research was done at

the time. The Minister will be aware the House of Lords has recently

completed a review into the impact into the equality act on disabled

people, a large part of which focused on accessible at it to taxes

and private hire vehicles. Can the house be updated on this? I can

indeed update the house. The government is committed to ensuring

that disabled people have the same access to transport services and

opportunities to travel as everybody is within our society. We plan to

comment sections 165 and 167 of the equality act 2010 by the end of this

year. I was pleased to see this raised in the Lords report. I had

been working on it for some time in this section will require drivers to

provide assistance to wheelchair users and a friend from charging

extra. Will the Minister take the trouble to come to the north-east

and take the train from Lumb for Middlesbrough to Newcastle, an

ancient place of train that takes almost 90 minutes, you could almost

do the journey quicker by bicycle. If we had a new train every time

they had been an announcement that they would be replaced, we would

have a whole fleet. But if a minister came and got a wiggle on,

it might... LAUGHTER I think I need a bit of mentoring in

some dialect that is being used this morning. What I would say is that in

the 13 years that the last government were in operation, they

did nothing to improve the system. I am very glad to say that by 2020

there will be new trains operating on the lines he is talking about, as

a result of a decision I took which to override the advice and to

instruct the permanent secretary that we would have new trains on

that particular line and it is a decision I am very proud. Network

Rail, every time I come across it, seems to have a great deal of power

but to be utterly unaccountable to central government. As we are seeing

in Lincolnshire, that power that Network Rail has can be used to

frustrate growth infrastructure schemes which have the support of

local authorities. What can be done by my right honourable friend to

ensure that Network Rail does not surrender schemes in the best

interests of local people and are supported by local authorities? Mr

Speaker, the best schemes are those that are strongly supported by local

authorities and local businesses, and Network Rail is in a new phase

where the root responsibility will be devolved, and they will be

working to a set of investment plans agreed based on a very important

bottom-up analysis. Over the last ten years, the destination and

routes from Scotland have doubled, flights to London have fallen by

more than a third. Not only do we need starter routes, but up the

frequency in these routes and guarantee them, which would allow

them to bed in and be fully established. Will the Minister

establish a point-to-point public service obligation, including

specific regional hub airports, and do all he can to create BSOs for

airports such as in sky in my constituency. We understand that

importance. I am very pleased we have seen such a successful uptake

of these, and a number of routes have been studied which have not

acquired subsidies. The slogan of cross-country trains is going that

bit further, and my constituents would be delighted if they did

exactly that and instruct did more than three out of 63 trains on the

InterCity service between Birmingham and Bristol to stop at the city of

Gloucester. Would my honourable friend confirm whether the

department would require cross-country to restore decent

services on that line is part of their franchise extension? Nobody

could be more assiduous in calling for those service requirements, but

of course what we must not have his services to cities like Cheltenham

lost as a change he is requiring. I can confirm discussions are ongoing.

We have asked cross-country to report on the best way to deliver

the services he is talking about. I am looking forward to discussing

that with him shortly. Despite the Secretary of State's pride, the

North remains hugely underinvested in transport terms in comparison

with London especially by a ratio of 24 to one. Now ministers are saying

they are going to cut the subsidy to the Northern franchise by up to 85%.

Does he really think it adds to the credibility of the Northern

powerhouse that it takes half a day to cross it didn't trains better

suited to a railway museum? What I would like to offer politicians is

another briefing about what these new franchises are going to deliver.

It sounds a bit like the generation game, Mr Speaker, but her

constituents, thanks to my government, are going to get rid of

those outdated trains, get many more services and much better quality,

and that will be delivered at less cost to the taxpayer. Only a Labour

politician could argue for worse services and less subsidy, Mr

Speaker. We have been very positive about the new Northern rain --

Northern Rail franchise but there are throngs of people who want to

get from Leeds to Google, but are incapable of doing that at the

moment, and there may even be some who want to get from Google to

Leeds. They are unable to the moment. It is the same on the break

to Sheffield line. Very underutilised lines. What

opportunities and -- are there to get those improved services and will

the Minister come and ride the train with us? I think the Honourable

Speaker wanted the rail minister, rather than him. LAUGHTER

I think he is lumbered with the Secretary of State! What he wants

and what he gets, Mr Speaker, our two entirely different points.

LAUGHTER I am very grateful to my honourable

friend for talking about the need to improve capacity on the networks,

and I am very interested here of all the people that wish to travel,

lying, I think the new rail franchise given for the North will

give a tremendous increase in capacity, and a lot of new routes,

and we will see whether his arguments stand up. With the 400th

anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers, can we get a helping hand to do up

Retford railway station, including the car parking, so that people can

see the best of British when they visit my area? Mr Speaker, I think

the honourable member is far more familiar with Retford station than I

am afraid I am, but it is certainly something that would be considered

in the local growth fund, and I would suggest that he goes through

the necessary procedures to encourage his Citroen two to apply

for it. The road master velocity patch can fill 300 potholes in a

day, and Lincolnshire has got one! But we would like more. What can the

Minister offer my county council by way of help to either get more, and

would he consider incentivising councils to work together so that we

can increase the nationwide fleet of these fantastic machines? I am aware

of the road master velocity patch. The government certainly supports

the use of innovative and efficient methods. -- Roadmaster Velocity

Patcher. Valli it includes an element of collaboration, so I would

like to see local authorities working with their neighbours right

across the country in exactly the same way as my honourable friend

describes. The Minister clearly enjoys a life of undiluted

excitement! LAUGHTER Mr Carmichael. What is the

government doing to stem the flow of job losses amongst British qualified

seafarers? And particular, will be shipping minister have a look at how

some of our own regulation is operating here? My constituents tell

me that the operation of the certificates of the equivalent in

confidence for example putting them at a disadvantage, compared to

seafarers from other parts of the world.

Thank you. We certainly have the best qualified seafarers in the

world, not due in no small part to the schemes and funding of ?15

million per year. It is of concern if people less qualified are taking

jobs and I know of particular problems in the North Sea and this

is something I would be very pleased to talk about with the honourable

gentleman in more detail. Can my honourable friend reassure me that

the Department is investing in in apprentice training programmes so

that the country has the skills to carry on without world leading

transport programme and improvements? I can indeed give my

honourable friend that insurance -- assurance. The strategy sets targets

for ensuring apprenticeship throughout the scheme and will

deliver them within contracts. One apprenticeship will be created for

everyone with ?5 million worth of scheme and they are at the heart of

our agenda. I will freely admit I want the Secretary of State and I

hope I am going to get him, because he has visited my constituency and

he knows it is being used as a slip road off the M25 through a

residential area with a very serious accident area -- accident record and

a lot of freight coming into North London using it as a wheat to

central London. Can I ask him in good faith to meet with me and two

of the leading resident representatives to discuss this

very, very serious issue and find a satisfactory way forward? Sometimes

you get what you want, Mr Speaker. I'm more than happy to meet the

honourable member on this. There does seem to be some confusion as to

whether it is a matter for transport for London or highways England, but

that is no answer to the people suffering the problems. It is a very

difficult area to deal with because of all the residential implications

but we will have that meeting. I don't really care who answers the

question, but from the minister's description earlier, the local major

transports fund could have been made for the Southern Link project in

Worcester that I understand a bit with the tinfoil and can I say to

the Secretary of State and his team that they should be no wiggle room

for them in approving this project? I visited almost a year ago to the

day the site which my honourable friend refers to. I viewed

Carrington Bridge from a site which was previously opened by his father

some 30 years before that. I think the point that my honourable friend

makes about this being a suitable scheme for the local major 's fund

is one that should be considered and I urge the local authority to put an

application in for it to be considered. Will the Secretary of

State work with the new Labour, obviously, man of London to ensure

the effective development of the HS2 Crossrail interchange? Will he

revisit the deal that he did with the current Mayor of London in 2014

which means that no development can take place on the site unless there

is a very expensive movement of the lines almost as soon as they open?

Unlike the honourable member, I take no elections for granted but I very

much hope the London mayor will be the honourable member for Richmond

who will work better with the Government banned the honourable

member for teaching. As far as the comment goes, it is important when

we talk about the infrastructure where that site is concerned, it is

going to be a major transport hub in the United Kingdom and getting it

right is very important. The Department has responsibilities to a

lumber of local and national transport infrastructure projects

and will the member of state right into contracts that we will put you

at British Steel for these projects? I am very happy to say that we have

made a number of changes to our procurement process to exactly

reflect the point is that my honourable friend makes and where

ever we can, we should be supporting our own industry. It has to be on a

fair basis. There are special cases around British Steel and 98% of the

bridge -ish -- this deal we purchase is British Steel. Urgent question,

Mr Bernard Jenkin. I am most grateful to ask the Prime Minister

if he will ask for an enquiry to be launched on whether discussions

between the trade unions and the Labour Party on amendments of the

trade union Beale -- trade union bill constitute a breach of the

conduct. The Cabinet Office has advised me that there is no breach

and nothing for the priming is to's adviser on ministerial interest to

investigate. As is customary at such