Transport Questions

:00:07. > :00:11.Hello and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the

:00:12. > :00:16.House of Commons. In one hour, the Leader of the House will announce

:00:17. > :00:19.the forthcoming business in the Chamber and take questions. That

:00:20. > :00:22.will be followed by a statement from the chair of the Women and

:00:23. > :00:26.Equalities Committee on its report on the representation of women in

:00:27. > :00:29.the House of Commons after the 2020 General Election. After that, the

:00:30. > :00:34.Backbench Business Committee has tabled to debate on foreign affairs,

:00:35. > :00:38.the first on the situation in Yemen and a second on Security and the

:00:39. > :00:43.political situation in the African Great Lakes region. Join me, Alicia

:00:44. > :00:52.McCarthy, for a round-up at 11:30pm but first, questions to the

:00:53. > :00:56.Transport Secretary. Questions to the Secretary of State for

:00:57. > :01:02.Transport. Mr Peter Grant. Paul Maynard. With permission, I will

:01:03. > :01:08.answer the question together with number five. I recently met with the

:01:09. > :01:12.Minister for transport and the islands in the Scottish Government,

:01:13. > :01:16.Humza Yousaf, in October last year. I welcome working together to

:01:17. > :01:23.improve services for rail passengers within the current devolution

:01:24. > :01:29.settlement. Thank you. I am grateful for the answer. Does the Minister,

:01:30. > :01:33.can he explain why at the same time the Government are happy to devolve

:01:34. > :01:36.responsibility for maintenance and tax operations on the such a

:01:37. > :01:39.Cambridge line, while the reluctant and above the same response that to

:01:40. > :01:45.the Scottish Government for Scotland? The point we have

:01:46. > :01:48.consistently made us there is no recommendation within the Smith

:01:49. > :01:53.Commission to devolve the whole of Network Rail to Scotland. The

:01:54. > :01:56.Scottish Government can specify, fund and procure both ScotRail and

:01:57. > :02:02.the Caledonian sleeper train it can specify and fund all major projects

:02:03. > :02:05.throughout devolving British Transport Police, that strikes me as

:02:06. > :02:13.a hefty menu for the Scottish Government to be engaged with. Thank

:02:14. > :02:17.you. The think tank, reform Scotland, published a report in

:02:18. > :02:21.November, calling for Network Rail to be devolved. I had the Secretary

:02:22. > :02:24.of State has read it. He will be aware there is a growing list of

:02:25. > :02:28.people advocating for the rail devolution, will he do the right

:02:29. > :02:33.thing and commit to a date to open discussions with the Scottish

:02:34. > :02:36.Government over this matter? I would make the point that devolution does

:02:37. > :02:42.not just occurred within Government and Whitehall. There is a

:02:43. > :02:47.significant amount of operational devolution occurring within Network

:02:48. > :02:51.Rail as we speak. A Scottish route is being set up within Network Rail

:02:52. > :02:54.and there will be much more independence and freedom of action

:02:55. > :02:58.and I would urge the Scottish Government and Scottish members here

:02:59. > :03:03.to engage in that particular devolution process, not least

:03:04. > :03:07.because right now, the Scottish Government is cooperating with the

:03:08. > :03:14.office for road and rail on the periodic review that will determine

:03:15. > :03:17.the outcome within Scotland. A report commissioned by transport

:03:18. > :03:20.Scotland shows Network Rail's original cost estimates for Scottish

:03:21. > :03:26.projects were unreliable. Does the Minister agree that especially when

:03:27. > :03:28.projects overrun by hundreds of millions of pounds, those who

:03:29. > :03:34.commissioned the work should have the power to hold Network Rail to

:03:35. > :03:39.account? I would very much reiterate the point that with the new

:03:40. > :03:43.devolution settlement within Network Rail, the growing independence of

:03:44. > :03:48.the Scottish route within Network Rail, there are ample levers

:03:49. > :03:52.available to members here and indeed the Scottish Government, to

:03:53. > :03:57.influence how the Scottish route director delivers those

:03:58. > :04:03.infrastructure projects. Can the Minister explain why he feels

:04:04. > :04:05.Scotland does not need a rail project based in Scotland that is

:04:06. > :04:12.accountable to the people of Scotland? I can easily return to how

:04:13. > :04:15.I started my answer by reminding him we had a lengthy discussion over

:04:16. > :04:19.what was contained within the Smith Commission and this was not

:04:20. > :04:29.something which emerged. Therefore, we're not it forward. Mr Speaker, we

:04:30. > :04:31.will be lodging a formal consultation on proposals for the

:04:32. > :04:38.new south eastern franchise in February. I hope people across the

:04:39. > :04:43.franchise area will participate in that, enabling my Department and the

:04:44. > :04:47.team to take informed decisions about the specification of the next

:04:48. > :04:53.franchise, particularly how we expand capacity of passengers. Not

:04:54. > :04:59.only are my constituents disgusted by the manner in which the Secretary

:05:00. > :05:03.of State has politicised this issue but they have no confidence in his

:05:04. > :05:13.proposal for the south-eastern franchise. A previous attempt to

:05:14. > :05:15.involve... Can the Secretary of State tell us why he thinks that

:05:16. > :05:21.repeating this failed approach would deliver much-needed improvements for

:05:22. > :05:28.south-eastern passengers? There has been no politicisation of this

:05:29. > :05:32.discussion. This decision was taken after the mayor's business plan was

:05:33. > :05:36.analysed across Government. After discussions with neighbouring

:05:37. > :05:41.authorities. After discussions with people who know the route. And the

:05:42. > :05:46.truth, Mr Speaker, is the mayor's proposals of no extra capacity for

:05:47. > :05:52.passengers and a whole lot of uncosted, unfunded promises. And it

:05:53. > :05:56.also involve a substantial top-down reorganisation. The approach we have

:05:57. > :06:01.chosen is the same one we have taken in northern and in the Midlands, to

:06:02. > :06:04.create a partnership to develop a franchise that works for all

:06:05. > :06:10.passengers in Kent, south-east London, to deliver the capacity they

:06:11. > :06:14.need. Can I support the Transport Secretary on that and said that my

:06:15. > :06:18.constituents in Kent are deeply concerned that London has acted as a

:06:19. > :06:23.selfish city for too long, seeking to benefit itself at the expense of

:06:24. > :06:30.the people of Kent and the other home Counties? It is not right for

:06:31. > :06:34.London to Act like this. We need fare rail services for Kent, Essex

:06:35. > :06:38.and the other counties and I urge the Secretary of State to carry on

:06:39. > :06:42.at uphold this decision. I can assure my honourable friend I have

:06:43. > :06:46.every intention of doing so. But the reality is, this is a partnership

:06:47. > :06:50.arrangement that brings together London, Kent County Council and my

:06:51. > :06:54.Department, to do the right thing for passengers. It is interesting

:06:55. > :06:57.that the mayor could offer no proposals to expand capacity on

:06:58. > :07:06.these routes. I intend to bring forward proposals that do offer

:07:07. > :07:10.expanding capacity. The Secretary of State's leaked letter reveals that

:07:11. > :07:15.he relate on the suburban rail agreement because of his obsession

:07:16. > :07:21.to keep services out of the clutches of a potential Labour mayor. His

:07:22. > :07:26.words, party politics ahead of passengers, clearly prefers to see

:07:27. > :07:29.trains run late than on time under Labour. Will he now agree to an

:07:30. > :07:34.independent assessment of the proposal by a respected figure out

:07:35. > :07:37.with his own departments, give any revelations yesterday, of

:07:38. > :07:40.conflicting commercial interests, and restore credibility to the

:07:41. > :07:47.process and ensure proper consideration of the of

:07:48. > :07:51.long-suffering passengers? Well, Mr Speaker, I cannot believe what I

:07:52. > :07:56.just heard from the honourable gentleman. Putting party politics

:07:57. > :08:03.before passengers? In the week when the Leader of the Opposition said he

:08:04. > :08:06.would join a picket line to perpetuate the unnecessary strikes

:08:07. > :08:12.on Southern Rail that have caused so much damage to passengers. I will

:08:13. > :08:18.not take him seriously until I heard him condemn those strikes and tell

:08:19. > :08:27.the workers to go back to work! Number three, Mr Speaker. Thank you.

:08:28. > :08:31.My right honourable friend, the Secretary of State, recently met

:08:32. > :08:33.with the Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for economy and

:08:34. > :08:36.infrastructure, a positive discussion, which recognised the

:08:37. > :08:46.importance of cross-border transport and our commitment to deliver

:08:47. > :08:52.improvements. Thank you. ?43 million worth of Welsh Government investment

:08:53. > :08:56.in the Wrexham - Chester Lane, mainly in England, will lead to a

:08:57. > :09:01.partial dualling of the line between Wrexham and Chester, finishing in

:09:02. > :09:07.April this year. What more will it take for the UK Government, the

:09:08. > :09:13.Conservative Government, to invest in the unanswerable case for more

:09:14. > :09:19.transport infrastructure in this region? And to match the Welsh

:09:20. > :09:21.Government investment? The Government is investing

:09:22. > :09:29.significantly in our rail network. More than at any point since the

:09:30. > :09:34.Victorian era. The Mersey task force has produced a growth prospectus and

:09:35. > :09:37.are working with the rail minister and I understand it is prioritising

:09:38. > :09:48.objectives and we will continue to work closely with them. With the

:09:49. > :09:52.case for a new station at Stonehouse established and well argued, does

:09:53. > :09:57.the Minister agree that this sort of initiative is exactly the type we

:09:58. > :10:02.need to enhance links between Wales, Gloucestershire and the South West

:10:03. > :10:08.generally? This is a valuable point and I agree with my honourable

:10:09. > :10:15.friend. The Minister mentioned the halt in calf. It is important in

:10:16. > :10:18.terms of cross-border points, can I ask him to confirm that the project

:10:19. > :10:25.is on time and what date it will be completed? I will check the latest

:10:26. > :10:27.information and will write to the honourable gentleman but my

:10:28. > :10:38.understanding is that is exactly on time. A lorry park is vital for

:10:39. > :10:45.contacts between Kent and the continent. We have been meeting with

:10:46. > :10:51.the Department for the last six weeks. The Minister has agreed with

:10:52. > :10:55.highways England, in return, he will return his application for judicial

:10:56. > :11:02.review, can the Minister resolve this matter and get on with building

:11:03. > :11:09.the lorry park? Focus on Wales and cross-border, that would help. That

:11:10. > :11:16.was an entrepreneurial question. I can confirm that my right honourable

:11:17. > :11:19.friend will indeed meet with him. The Government could do something

:11:20. > :11:24.about the cross-border between the Rhondda Valley and the upper Avant

:11:25. > :11:29.Valley. Because the Government still owns the tunnel that used to be the

:11:30. > :11:33.train from Treherbert down to Swansea. Could the Government please

:11:34. > :11:37.make sure that I can have the meeting I have been asking for, for

:11:38. > :11:41.several weeks now, with the Secretary of State for Transport, to

:11:42. > :11:48.come up with ideas to make this a major new cycle track? I'm afraid my

:11:49. > :11:53.local knowledge of the tunnels has not kept pace with the honourable

:11:54. > :11:59.gentleman's. I have heard his point and I will take it forward with

:12:00. > :12:07.colleagues. Six lines radiate out from Chester, some of which our

:12:08. > :12:12.cross-border lines, hence the growth track 360, but Chester is recognised

:12:13. > :12:15.development. Could I invite the development. Could I invite the

:12:16. > :12:19.Minister to come to Chester and have his next meeting on cross-border

:12:20. > :12:21.transport with Ken skates their to see what preliminary work might be

:12:22. > :12:26.done before pressing ahead with the main work? It is always delightful

:12:27. > :12:37.to visit the City of Chester and I look forward to doing so. Thank you.

:12:38. > :12:46.The Tees Valley is benefiting from significant investment. Right across

:12:47. > :12:49.the country, we have agreed to work with the Tees Valley authorities to

:12:50. > :12:58.develop plans for a new Tees crossing. Thank you. Last week, we

:12:59. > :13:03.received welcome news that Tesco would base nonfood warehousing at

:13:04. > :13:06.their existing centre in Teesport. Given the economic boost for

:13:07. > :13:17.Teesside, will the Minister provide full backing and funding for the A60

:13:18. > :13:23.Six Rd? We have already committed to Julie a 66. That's part of the

:13:24. > :13:26.Autumn Statement. The new Tees crossing, we have provided funding

:13:27. > :13:29.to take the business case to the next stage and will happily work

:13:30. > :13:35.with the local authorities in the area. I recognise the importance of

:13:36. > :13:37.Teesport in the local authority to a Mac economy and the value it would

:13:38. > :13:44.provide. Keen to see that take shape.

:13:45. > :13:50.I am committed to managing the cost of HS2 Indic ensuring maximum value

:13:51. > :14:00.for the taxpayer. In the period 2009-10, up to 2015-16, one .4

:14:01. > :14:14.billion, investors and shirt HS2 is on for delivery.

:14:15. > :14:21.The cost is not just to the tax payable to visit effects. The House

:14:22. > :14:27.of Lords select committee has recommended amending the HS2 Bill to

:14:28. > :14:32.ensure HS2 does not have a blanket power to compulsorily purchase land

:14:33. > :14:35.for development and must not limit their land acquisitions to what is

:14:36. > :14:41.needed for the scheme, particularly in relation to close 48. Farmers,

:14:42. > :14:45.landowners and communities have been blighted for years by this scheme

:14:46. > :14:49.and the threat of further compulsory purchase orders is truly worrying.

:14:50. > :14:53.Can the Secretary of State reassure me that he will accept the committee

:14:54. > :14:56.was not important and welcome recommendation relating to close 48

:14:57. > :15:06.and alleviating anxiety of those affected? Can I express on behalf of

:15:07. > :15:10.the Government, thanks to the House of Lords committee? And indeed to

:15:11. > :15:17.those who served on the equivalent committee in this House? It was a

:15:18. > :15:19.long and arduous task. We are carefully considering the Lords

:15:20. > :15:24.recommendations at the moment and will publish a response shortly. If

:15:25. > :15:27.she will forgive me, I will save a detailed response for that

:15:28. > :15:30.publication but I would say that I am looking extremely carefully at

:15:31. > :15:37.the recommendation that she refers to. With regard to the option to

:15:38. > :15:43.have a station in central Sheffield, there currently is no money to get

:15:44. > :15:47.trains out of that station to Leeds or to increase the capacity at the

:15:48. > :15:52.southern end to connect better to Trans Pennine trains and there is no

:15:53. > :15:55.money to electrify the line between Sheffield station and the main HS2

:15:56. > :16:01.route. Does this not look like a cut-price option? Will he agree to

:16:02. > :16:06.meet local MPs and interested parties? I wish the honourable

:16:07. > :16:15.gentleman a happy birthday for tomorrow. And I would say to him of

:16:16. > :16:17.course that my honourable friend, the minister, has indeed been

:16:18. > :16:23.involved in such discussions. But I would remind him that the original

:16:24. > :16:26.proposal for a station at Meadowhall was opposed by the Council, who want

:16:27. > :16:29.to be rude to pass through the city centre and it is in response to

:16:30. > :16:33.pressure from within Sheffield that we have revisited the original

:16:34. > :16:41.plans. I can assure him discussions will continue. While the cost of the

:16:42. > :16:45.project needs to be kept under control, the economic benefits that

:16:46. > :16:52.could be brought in areas like Long Eaton far outweigh some of the costs

:16:53. > :16:55.we are talking about today. This is a key point for the development of

:16:56. > :17:00.the project. My honourable friend makes an important point. The area

:17:01. > :17:05.around Long Eaton, the new development of stations and

:17:06. > :17:09.surrounding facilities will make a huge difference to the area. We have

:17:10. > :17:15.been discussing how best to make sure we get the right solution for

:17:16. > :17:20.Long Eaton that will work with constituents to reflect what works

:17:21. > :17:23.best for them. Given what will be the eye watering Lee huge final

:17:24. > :17:31.costs of HS2, it surely makes sense to maximise the asset. Therefore,

:17:32. > :17:36.can be Secretary of State tell us whether the line will be used 24

:17:37. > :17:38.hours a day, seven days a week? If not, will be otherwise wasted

:17:39. > :17:45.capacity be used for freight? If not, why not? The whole point about

:17:46. > :17:52.HS2 is it releases capacity on the existing west Coast Main line for

:17:53. > :17:54.freight and as a result, I see the potential of very significant

:17:55. > :17:59.increases in freight across the West Coast Main area. As the timetabling,

:18:00. > :18:02.that is a matter for those who decide what is the best commercial

:18:03. > :18:06.proposition for the group that we expect and are planning for a very

:18:07. > :18:12.intensive use of the route across a wide variety of destinations,

:18:13. > :18:14.including Stoke-on-Trent. My right honourable friend has worried me

:18:15. > :18:18.slightly by his last answer because I was going to say that Litchfield

:18:19. > :18:21.suffers all the disadvantages of having the line go through it, with

:18:22. > :18:26.no station, because we're too small. And I was hoping that he would say

:18:27. > :18:31.that the freeing up of capacity would mean the West Coast mainline

:18:32. > :18:35.would have more trains stopping in the Trent Valley. Will that now not

:18:36. > :18:40.be the case because it will be blocked up with freight? I think

:18:41. > :18:44.there will be room for both. It provides opportunity for commuter

:18:45. > :18:47.trains, more intermediate trains, services to places that do not

:18:48. > :18:54.currently receive services, by taking the fast trains away from the

:18:55. > :18:57.West Coast mainline and by that, I mean once they go straight up to

:18:58. > :19:00.places like Manchester and Liverpool. It provides better

:19:01. > :19:07.services for places like Litchfield on the Trent Valley. The Minister

:19:08. > :19:11.will remember that when I set the cost of HS2 would soar past ?60

:19:12. > :19:16.billion, I was mocked. It is passed that level now and rising. The Chief

:19:17. > :19:21.Executive has quit. And the people in my constituency would like this

:19:22. > :19:29.folly to be stopped now and the money put, ?60 billion and rising

:19:30. > :19:33.pile pretend to be health service and local Government that is going

:19:34. > :19:37.bankrupt! I hate to disappoint but the plans of HS2 have actually been

:19:38. > :19:40.widely welcomed across the North of England will make a significant

:19:41. > :19:44.difference to the economy of this region. The point I would make about

:19:45. > :19:48.cost is one of the reasons we are spending more money than on the

:19:49. > :19:51.equivalent lines in some countries, is because we're spending money on

:19:52. > :20:02.amelioration measures to minimise the impact on the environment.

:20:03. > :20:09.Could I remain to the economic benefits for communities such as

:20:10. > :20:14.Milton Keynes by the release of capacity on the West Coast line?

:20:15. > :20:18.Absolutely, we will continue to provide information about the

:20:19. > :20:22.benefits, but if you take place like Milton Keynes, one of the most

:20:23. > :20:27.important growth areas, which will need more commuter services, North,

:20:28. > :20:32.south, east and west, with the introduction of HS2 will mean we can

:20:33. > :20:36.provide a much better service for his constituents and others. The

:20:37. > :20:42.Adam Institute has warned that HS2 could end up costing ?80 billion,

:20:43. > :20:46.equating to nine times more per mile than comparable high-speed tracks in

:20:47. > :20:51.France. How can the government are sure the public that the already

:20:52. > :20:58.sky-high cost of this project will not expired or even further out of

:20:59. > :21:02.control? It is a choice, we wanted to deliver high quality into

:21:03. > :21:07.structure for the future but also in a way that is environmentally

:21:08. > :21:12.sensitive, so spending money on tunnels, cuttings, maybe watch other

:21:13. > :21:15.countries chose not to do. I want to retain a careful stewardship of

:21:16. > :21:22.Britain's green and pleasant land but also deliver what we need for

:21:23. > :21:30.future, which is what we are doing. Number seven. Since 2014, we have

:21:31. > :21:35.accessible routes at 25 stations, with 12 more currently in

:21:36. > :21:40.construction and 52 in edible stages of design and development. The

:21:41. > :21:43.Minister will understandably will anger at the further delays in

:21:44. > :21:50.Alfreton with the accessible programme and that station, many not

:21:51. > :21:57.able to use the southbound platform. Will you prioritise that station for

:21:58. > :22:02.the next block of funding? As you have pointed out, we had to delete

:22:03. > :22:07.26 accessible projects into control period six, of which unfortunately

:22:08. > :22:10.Alfreton was one of them. Unfortunately, the product was less

:22:11. > :22:15.developed than others we considered but I can reassure him we are making

:22:16. > :22:20.clear to net will -- to Network Rail that we want these delivered early

:22:21. > :22:24.after 2019. Does the Minister recognised the importance of the

:22:25. > :22:32.maximum number of people being able to use rail services and why schemes

:22:33. > :22:43.are seen as expendable? We have reached the point where roughly 70%

:22:44. > :22:47.of passenger journeys occur at step-free access stations. You wrote

:22:48. > :22:50.to me regarding one in your own constituency, I am asking officials

:22:51. > :22:54.to look more closely at that understand what happened at that

:22:55. > :22:58.particular station and I hope to reply soon. The McNulty reports said

:22:59. > :23:03.the rail industry had to do more to operate efficiency and bring down

:23:04. > :23:06.costs. What is the Minister doing to persuade the real industry to do

:23:07. > :23:11.this in relation to step-free access to extend it to more station such as

:23:12. > :23:16.new barn that? She makes an important point. When we are looking

:23:17. > :23:20.at improvement services across the network we need to make sure the

:23:21. > :23:26.solutions we come up with a cost-effective and not gold-plated.

:23:27. > :23:30.When you were in my role, as I find no, there are sometimes projects

:23:31. > :23:37.which come before us we are the cost can skill is -- can scarcely be

:23:38. > :23:45.justified and maybe cheaper costs can be fined. In my constituency,

:23:46. > :23:49.there is talk of step-free access and other disability improvements.

:23:50. > :23:53.Local people have been frustrated by the works and there are rumours that

:23:54. > :23:57.the works will be cancelled, postponed just stopped. Will the

:23:58. > :24:01.Minister agree to meet with me and visit the station and top but local

:24:02. > :24:06.residents about the situation and preferably cleared the matter up

:24:07. > :24:09.right now? I am not familiar with exact details but I'm happy to make

:24:10. > :24:15.the how to discover more is happening.

:24:16. > :24:21.Question eight, Mr Speaker. Mr Maynard. We are committed to

:24:22. > :24:32.improving accessibility on the rail network. We want to improve access

:24:33. > :24:37.ability standards. That is completion due for 2020. I was

:24:38. > :24:41.engrossed listening to the answer for my friend and neighbour, the MP

:24:42. > :24:45.for Bristol West, so I did much hope that we make progress on the

:24:46. > :24:54.Lawrence Hill and other stations but wanted to ask about excelled at --

:24:55. > :24:58.accessibility on trains. There was a strike recently, and it was brave

:24:59. > :25:03.for one member of staff to come forward and speak about Asher

:25:04. > :25:06.relating experience, when there was not a disabled access toilet on the

:25:07. > :25:10.train for a constituent, what is the Minister doing to ensure situations

:25:11. > :25:16.like that did not happen and disabled people treated with

:25:17. > :25:20.respect? I am sure you issue of the same sense, and I am sure other

:25:21. > :25:23.members felt, upon reading that story that it was simply

:25:24. > :25:27.unacceptable. We have made it clear to cross-country through officials

:25:28. > :25:31.this is not good enough. When I speak to the company, I will

:25:32. > :25:37.reiterate that, but I want to ensure that we meet targets in 2020 of

:25:38. > :25:41.every single rail carriage being fully accessible, including the

:25:42. > :25:45.toilets, and where there are situations where accessible toilets

:25:46. > :25:51.is out of order, for whatever reason, either the carriages taken

:25:52. > :25:55.out of or that has an acceptable service consequences, that any

:25:56. > :25:58.individual on that train who would be that accessible toilet is made

:25:59. > :26:06.aware of the situation before boarding and has a chance to make

:26:07. > :26:10.alternative arrangements. Mr Speaker, I wanted to secure

:26:11. > :26:14.step-free access, not just for disabled people, but for all people

:26:15. > :26:20.at a local station, Network Rail have stopped this, I want a poster

:26:21. > :26:25.to show that work will happen in me, but can the work happen as soon as

:26:26. > :26:30.possible? The money has been in place for three years, delays are

:26:31. > :26:35.not necessary. I am happy to discuss the matter further. My understanding

:26:36. > :26:38.is those works, as with many on the trans-Pennine routes, have

:26:39. > :26:42.interlinked with the land improvement of the network. I am

:26:43. > :26:50.happy to have further discussion with him. Last Friday, disabled

:26:51. > :26:53.wheelchair user, on Southern, was left stranded on the train platform

:26:54. > :26:58.in the freezing cold for two hours because there was the one to help

:26:59. > :27:03.her onto the train, despite booking assistance 40 hours in advance. She

:27:04. > :27:08.was at an unmanned station and trains passing her by word driver

:27:09. > :27:12.only with no on-board supervisor. The law is absolutely clear, train

:27:13. > :27:19.operating companies must operate with reasonable access for disabled

:27:20. > :27:28.passengers. Do you believe failure to do so will strip those passengers

:27:29. > :27:32.of their dignity? And it reaches the disability act? When I read about

:27:33. > :27:37.it, my interpretation was Southern had not applied the policy that he

:27:38. > :27:41.had said were in place for all disabled passengers. And the issue

:27:42. > :27:45.in particular with that is it is far worse because the lady in question

:27:46. > :27:49.booked through passenger assist, so there was plenty of notice that she

:27:50. > :27:55.was on their way. But I would make this point to her, that if it had

:27:56. > :28:00.been for the unions, that train would have been cancelled in the

:28:01. > :28:03.first place not able to depart. Access for so many disabled and in

:28:04. > :28:09.particular elderly passengers is dependent on advice that can be

:28:10. > :28:12.found in ticket offices. So can the Minister give reassurance of

:28:13. > :28:20.proposals to close the ticket office in new Milton? I am not specifically

:28:21. > :28:24.familiar with proposals in new Milton but I would make the point

:28:25. > :28:31.that over the coming years I did not see any reason to have fewer people

:28:32. > :28:35.are employed within stations, but that roles need to be broadened out

:28:36. > :28:44.to help more passengers, not fewer. Question number nine.

:28:45. > :28:52.Train operators are permitted to using commute of fear schemes to

:28:53. > :28:55.fight the vision of migratory. In December 2016, the department

:28:56. > :29:00.announced planned improvements to the regime by including a new third

:29:01. > :29:05.stage of independent appeals panel and this and all appeals bodies will

:29:06. > :29:09.be independent of train operators and groups? I thank you for your

:29:10. > :29:13.response and do you agree that train operating companies should not put

:29:14. > :29:18.staff under undue pressure to issue penalty fares and will you commit to

:29:19. > :29:29.looking at the rules to ensure that discretion is always an option? I

:29:30. > :29:33.understand the point and whilst discretion is important, it is not

:29:34. > :29:38.just the changes I have moved to appeals, but also the ticketing and

:29:39. > :29:42.action plan, and for example people forgetting their real cards, have

:29:43. > :29:46.more options to ensure they are not unfairly penalised. I am happy to

:29:47. > :29:52.meet him and discuss his concerns further. Ticketless travel and fare

:29:53. > :29:56.dodging is one of many things on a local line and I experienced this

:29:57. > :30:00.first hand when I joined the London Midlands revenue protection scheme

:30:01. > :30:04.last month. The ?20 penalty is not sufficient to deter this fare

:30:05. > :30:12.dodging. Would you agree to review penalty fares so they can become an

:30:13. > :30:18.effective deterrent? I more than glad with the sterling work she has

:30:19. > :30:22.done on this issue. She is quite right that there are concerns within

:30:23. > :30:26.the industry is that the penalty fares are set too low. I am focusing

:30:27. > :30:29.on reviewing the appeal system to make sure it is fair and

:30:30. > :30:34.proportionate and description has a role to play but I will keep the

:30:35. > :30:41.level of penalty appears under review. Number 10.

:30:42. > :30:44.It has been agreed in principle that the Welsh government ministers will

:30:45. > :30:48.procure and manage the next wheels and Borders rail franchise, my

:30:49. > :30:51.department is working closely with them to ensure the appropriate

:30:52. > :30:57.transfer of necessary powers, but I want to make it clear that we are

:30:58. > :31:02.ensuring as spot of those arrangements that the train services

:31:03. > :31:04.used by passengers in England are protected and particularly

:31:05. > :31:08.importantly treated consistently with those in Wales, both during

:31:09. > :31:14.this requirement and across the whole life of the franchise. I very

:31:15. > :31:24.much welcome an answer from the Secretary of State. In the summer

:31:25. > :31:28.months, with windows sealed, and with a lot of people coming into the

:31:29. > :31:33.carriages, it has not been tolerable. William Shaw the next

:31:34. > :31:38.franchise accommodates levels required for passengers to travel

:31:39. > :31:42.safely and with more services from Shrewsbury to Birmingham Airport? --

:31:43. > :31:50.will he ensure. I am aware of capacity issues on the Wales and

:31:51. > :31:53.Borders franchise and the cross-country franchise, but there

:31:54. > :31:58.are not enough diesel trains to go around at the moment. I was in

:31:59. > :32:04.County Durham for the launch of the new hybrid trains to be Manufacturer

:32:05. > :32:07.there, opening up opportunities to significant change to rolling stock

:32:08. > :32:13.across the network. I think it will enable us to address those

:32:14. > :32:15.challenges. The Secretary of State will be aware that he made estimate

:32:16. > :32:23.last October to devolve the and Borders franchise to Welsh

:32:24. > :32:26.Government, but legislation does not allow public sector company to bid

:32:27. > :32:31.for the new franchise. Will you allow public sector organisers to

:32:32. > :32:36.bid for the best franchise and offer the best possible service for the

:32:37. > :32:40.franchise? I know the party opposite are very keen on read nationalising

:32:41. > :32:47.railways and I would remind them that... I would remind them that, if

:32:48. > :32:51.their policies are implemented, we will lose the ability to deliver the

:32:52. > :32:55.nutrients that have been delivered right across this country, paid for

:32:56. > :32:58.by private sector investment, so what they are calling for is to turn

:32:59. > :33:07.back the clock and have older trains on the network and I'm afraid that

:33:08. > :33:14.is not my view. Number 11. Franchising has been instrumental in

:33:15. > :33:17.improving the services for passengers. And as well as the

:33:18. > :33:22.growth of real usage since privatisation 20 years ago, this is

:33:23. > :33:27.about improving services for passengers to be better team worked

:33:28. > :33:30.through Network Rail and franchises. And also making them more customer

:33:31. > :33:36.focused to give them off power to local managers.

:33:37. > :33:41.We now know the Secretary of State is putting politics before the

:33:42. > :33:46.interests of passengers. It is a dogmatic approach and ignores what

:33:47. > :33:50.could improve our railway system. He has refused to allow the Neverland

:33:51. > :33:55.and take over suburban services, despite the fact his predecessor

:33:56. > :34:00.thought that was a good idea. The public are in favour of public

:34:01. > :34:05.ownership. 58% of people polled by TF Hell are in favour of the mayor

:34:06. > :34:22.having greater control over suburban services. -- TFL. It is hardly a

:34:23. > :34:26.surprise that there are doubts about a Labour mayor in London running

:34:27. > :34:29.services, particularly when he delivered a business plan that did

:34:30. > :34:34.not offer to improve capacity and was founded on a lot of uncosted

:34:35. > :34:38.promises. What we have seen so far from this mayor is a fair freeze

:34:39. > :34:48.that was not a fair freeze. A London with rail strikes, I don't take the

:34:49. > :34:52.mayor's promises at face value. We have taken a partnership approach

:34:53. > :34:55.that listens to the people of Kent, who are equally important in this

:34:56. > :35:03.franchise and should be equal partners with the people of London

:35:04. > :35:05.who are designing it. In 1993, the public-sector British rail withdrew

:35:06. > :35:14.services from Cleethorpes- Sheffield. Making it a Saturday only

:35:15. > :35:17.service, meaning people in Gainsborough and towns like that

:35:18. > :35:22.cannot get to Cleethorpes to enjoy all that it has two offer. As yet,

:35:23. > :35:28.the private sector has not seen fit to restore that service to six days

:35:29. > :35:34.a week. Could he meet with me and neighbouring MPs to discuss the

:35:35. > :35:39.issue? We're always happy to talk to my honourable friend, who remains a

:35:40. > :35:43.doughty champion of his constituency. If we turn back the

:35:44. > :35:48.clock 40 years, to the days of British rail, the debate would be

:35:49. > :35:51.about line closures, station closers and reduction of services. Today,

:35:52. > :35:56.the issue is about overcrowding because the numbers are rising so

:35:57. > :35:59.fast. It is about new stations, improved facilities, new trains.

:36:00. > :36:05.That is the difference between the policies we have followed in the

:36:06. > :36:07.policies they want to follow. The franchising policy of the Government

:36:08. > :36:13.lies in tatters, with desperate attempts to retrofit contracts to

:36:14. > :36:17.protect operator profits and, as revealed yesterday, National Express

:36:18. > :36:28.taking the money and running and selling C2C franchise to the Italian

:36:29. > :36:33.state. It is disastrous. The country has had enough of these sleazy

:36:34. > :36:36.deals. Is it not past time for franchising to be scrapped and the

:36:37. > :36:44.UK rail industry revitalised through public ownership? And the clock

:36:45. > :36:49.ticks ever backwards. They don't want inward investment. They don't

:36:50. > :36:56.want private sector investment. And we still don't hear from that part

:36:57. > :37:00.of this House, from the benches opposite, is any word on behalf of

:37:01. > :37:04.passengers, about the strikes. This is a party that takes money from the

:37:05. > :37:09.rail unions and defends them when they are on strike, no matter what

:37:10. > :37:12.the inconvenience to passengers. They are a disgrace. They should

:37:13. > :37:20.stand up and say, these strikes should stop. The Mayor of London has

:37:21. > :37:37.at least had the wit and wisdom to say the strikes are on.

:37:38. > :37:46.I wanted to build some anticipation. The UK is a world leader in

:37:47. > :37:49.manufacturing and last year more ultralow emissions from vehicles

:37:50. > :37:59.were sold in the UK than any other country in Europe. The British built

:38:00. > :38:03.Nissan continues to be one of the most popular electric cars in the

:38:04. > :38:10.world. But what is the Government doing to support the uptake of other

:38:11. > :38:13.types of vehicles? Like Cicero, we believe the good of the people is

:38:14. > :38:18.the chief law. It is for public well-being that we want to see low

:38:19. > :38:24.emissions from all types of vehicles. Yesterday, just yesterday,

:38:25. > :38:32.I announced the results of the lower emission trial, which will see the

:38:33. > :38:35.Government provide no less than 24 million to help place around 300

:38:36. > :38:43.loan and zero emission vehicles into commercial fleets across the UK. One

:38:44. > :38:50.rather wonders whether the results of this trial were communicated to

:38:51. > :38:54.his hero, Cicero? The minister wants to see emissions reduced in all

:38:55. > :39:00.types of vehicles. Can he explain why just 160,000 of the polluting

:39:01. > :39:06.cheap devices in Foxfire and cars have been remediated out of the 1.2

:39:07. > :39:18.million cheap devices that are currently on vehicles in the UK? --

:39:19. > :39:23.Volkswagen. Volkswagen need to do more. Which is why I will be telling

:39:24. > :39:28.the next week exactly that and why I insist that they pay the 1.1 million

:39:29. > :39:32.which I received on Christmas Eve. I demanded it as a Christmas present.

:39:33. > :39:41.Because that was the money that taxpayers have to spend as a result

:39:42. > :39:45.of their emissions scandal. I am sorry to say that since transport

:39:46. > :39:50.questions began, news broke on my constituency that another person has

:39:51. > :39:55.lost their life as a result of a fatal car accident. I hope the

:39:56. > :40:01.Minister and the whole House will join me and offer condolences to the

:40:02. > :40:08.family affected. The use of ultralow emissions is welcomed but councils

:40:09. > :40:11.like mine want to introduce the low emission zone and will struggle

:40:12. > :40:15.without planning and regulatory changes. Can my honourable friend

:40:16. > :40:21.confirm these issues will be at the top of his agenda? To start with,

:40:22. > :40:25.road safety is a concern of the whole of this House. The honourable

:40:26. > :40:33.gentleman is right to raise the tragedy that he has. Charging points

:40:34. > :40:35.are vital. One of the great challenges for industry and

:40:36. > :40:39.Government is making sure there are adequate numbers of charging points

:40:40. > :40:44.across the whole of the country. That particularly applies in rural

:40:45. > :40:49.areas, like mine. There may be a need for legislative change to that

:40:50. > :40:52.effect. We're considering that. We are introducing a modern transport

:40:53. > :41:01.Bill. We will address the issue of charging point in that Bill. Will

:41:02. > :41:09.any Volkswagen executive face criminal damage is here for their

:41:10. > :41:15.diesel emissions scandal? I hold no candle for those businesses that

:41:16. > :41:23.don't do right by consumers or workers. And I consider that the

:41:24. > :41:28.actions that have taken place in the US, which I guess is what the

:41:29. > :41:32.honourable gentleman refers to, and the actions being considered by

:41:33. > :41:36.Volkswagen customers, oblige the Government to think again about what

:41:37. > :41:40.further steps we can take and we are doing so. I have not ruled out

:41:41. > :41:43.further investigation and will discuss this with the Secretary of

:41:44. > :41:50.State and raising it with Volkswagen at this meeting.

:41:51. > :41:58.One of the barriers to people buying electric vehicles is having to carry

:41:59. > :42:02.numerous different types of card and different forms of payment. Does the

:42:03. > :42:06.Minister have some plans to sympathisers market and make it more

:42:07. > :42:11.accessible and encourage more people to purchase a electric cars? Indeed,

:42:12. > :42:16.wasn't it Ronald Reagan who said the future doesn't belong to the

:42:17. > :42:19.faint-hearted, and we must be both a hearted and far-sighted in respect

:42:20. > :42:24.of electric vehicles, and that does mean more charging points, and we

:42:25. > :42:26.will create a regulatory regime sufficient to provide those charging

:42:27. > :42:33.points and therefore to assuage the public doubts to which he has drawn

:42:34. > :42:41.the house's attention. Only 3% of new car sales are actually electric.

:42:42. > :42:45.Should we be doing more to encourage LPG switching or hydrogen cell

:42:46. > :42:50.fuelled cars? The honourable gentleman will know about our goal

:42:51. > :42:53.ultralow campaign, that is a campaign which is match funded by

:42:54. > :42:57.industry, which is designed to encourage the kind of learning that

:42:58. > :43:03.the honourable gentleman describes. We need to persuade people that

:43:04. > :43:06.switching is desirable. That is partly about charging points,

:43:07. > :43:11.battery reliability, and partly about simply people knowing that

:43:12. > :43:15.electric vehicles can be good for them. So we continue that campaign

:43:16. > :43:25.exactly in the spirit the honourable gentleman recommends. The VW

:43:26. > :43:28.emissions deceit device cynically deceived 1.2 million vehicle owners

:43:29. > :43:36.in the UK. I declare that I am one of them. And I am delighted that the

:43:37. > :43:40.Minister is going to have VW in next three because at the moment the

:43:41. > :43:47.situation is that tribe in the UK are being treated unfairly compared

:43:48. > :43:54.to VW drivers in the US. -- VW drivers in the UK. UK motorists are

:43:55. > :43:59.having to pursue private group litigation against VW themselves. I

:44:00. > :44:03.want the Minister to understand how badly VW UK drivers feel that it

:44:04. > :44:07.appears the government is letting BW off the hook, and I hope that is not

:44:08. > :44:11.the case. And will he, even at this late stage, offer support to those

:44:12. > :44:17.motorists in the UK pursuing their own action? Yes, I'm actually on the

:44:18. > :44:21.same page as the honourable lady. I'm glad we have moved on from the

:44:22. > :44:24.belligerent bombast of earlier by the way, Mr Speaker, then think it

:44:25. > :44:31.did the opposition any favours, and the honourable lady makes her case

:44:32. > :44:34.reasonably. I think there is a case for further steps. That is partly

:44:35. > :44:38.about the retrofit that was described earlier by the honourable

:44:39. > :44:40.lady, it is partly about the payment of taxpayer money, which I

:44:41. > :44:46.described, and partly about the consumer. I think we should consider

:44:47. > :44:51.further steps, and having considered them as necessary and when necessary

:44:52. > :45:00.take them. So I think she's right. Number 14, Mr Speaker.

:45:01. > :45:05.The government recently published three strategic studies of the

:45:06. > :45:07.long-standing transport challenges of the Northwest and is committed to

:45:08. > :45:12.major investment based on its findings. Highways England, which by

:45:13. > :45:17.the way I set up on my last visit to the department, rude strategies had

:45:18. > :45:21.assessed the performance of the strategic roads network and the

:45:22. > :45:27.pressures it faces. Three strategic studies referred to the north-west,

:45:28. > :45:30.drawing on the evidence has been published, and will be published

:45:31. > :45:38.soon. Deselected make it march, we will publish them in March. In 2014,

:45:39. > :45:42.the roads investment strategy proposed nine new projects in the

:45:43. > :45:45.north-west, but to date the plans for just one of these has been

:45:46. > :45:48.announced, while his government spends six times more on transport

:45:49. > :45:53.infrastructure in London than the north. How does he think the whole

:45:54. > :45:57.northern powerhouse thing is going, because when it comes to transport,

:45:58. > :46:04.like much of the traffic in St Helens, it seems to be going

:46:05. > :46:09.nowhere, not very fast. I do think this is typical at least I hope it

:46:10. > :46:15.is not, because I think he is being both and, might I say, to some

:46:16. > :46:22.degree, not admitting all he knows, because he will now of the day 570

:46:23. > :46:26.link way valued at ?3.2 million, and this is in St Helens by the way, he

:46:27. > :46:30.will know of the Windle island junction improvements, value ?3.2

:46:31. > :46:35.million, again in St Helens, and he will know of the Newton Willows

:46:36. > :46:38.interchange of ?4.2 million was doubly not only acting in the

:46:39. > :46:43.north-west, we are acting in his constituency and he doesn't want to

:46:44. > :46:47.tell us about it. This question is about the Northwest of England, not

:46:48. > :46:51.myself a job offer, but last time I looked it seems to me that Taunton

:46:52. > :46:57.Deane was rather a long way from the Northwest of England. It is the

:46:58. > :47:00.surface of the roads in the north-west on the existing

:47:01. > :47:04.infrastructure that worries me. That is a bit like driving on the surface

:47:05. > :47:08.of the moon at times. Where county councils failed to tackle the

:47:09. > :47:11.problem of the plague of potholes that beset motorists in the

:47:12. > :47:14.north-west, could he be imaginative and look at ways whereby district

:47:15. > :47:16.councils could bid for the money that the government makes available

:47:17. > :47:22.so that they can tackle this problem? The honourable gentleman is

:47:23. > :47:30.right that the noise from poor road surfaces, the effect that has on

:47:31. > :47:36.journeys, and those who use both cars and trucks is significant. And

:47:37. > :47:41.indeed he also knows that I have been in the Northwest in a vehicle

:47:42. > :47:47.with him, and opened topped vehicle I hasten to add by the way, waving

:47:48. > :47:51.to his constituents, and I know how poor the road surfaces are, so I

:47:52. > :47:53.will certainly good luck, not only in the Northwest but across the

:47:54. > :48:04.whole nation at the suggestions he has made. Number one, Mr Speaker. Mr

:48:05. > :48:07.Speaker, you will be aware I have said that this house and elsewhere

:48:08. > :48:10.that I am very committed to improving the transport situation in

:48:11. > :48:15.the Northwest and I am very pleased to announce a new phase in our ?7

:48:16. > :48:18.billion plan to that region. We are launching the next stage, the formal

:48:19. > :48:23.consultation on a major upgrade to the aid to the aid 203, the main a

:48:24. > :48:27.road in the Devon and Cornwall. It involves the developer does the 1.8

:48:28. > :48:31.mile tunnel past Stonehenge, which will prevent -- protect the world

:48:32. > :48:34.Heritage site from traffic, reduce local congestion and speed up

:48:35. > :48:38.journeys to and from the region. We will now be talking about Sisley to

:48:39. > :48:45.the west of that tunnel which route it should take, to local people. In

:48:46. > :48:49.addition, I consider that we are committed to upgrading the remaining

:48:50. > :48:53.sections of the A303 between the M3 and the M5, the jewel carriage way.

:48:54. > :48:59.The next up will be public concentrations -- consultations

:49:00. > :49:05.Taunton to Southfields consultations on schemes that will come very

:49:06. > :49:10.shortly. One of my 17 Europe -- 79-year-old constituents has been

:49:11. > :49:14.repeatedly refused car hire contract by leading rental companies. What

:49:15. > :49:19.assessment has the Minister made of any restrictions that are being

:49:20. > :49:27.placed on OAPs by these rental companies? This is a very difficult

:49:28. > :49:32.issue. The quality axed 2010 provides general protection against

:49:33. > :49:35.age discrimination foot people of all ages but there is an exemption

:49:36. > :49:41.for people providing an assessment of risk. My department has not made

:49:42. > :49:46.the assessment he describes but what I would encourage his constituent do

:49:47. > :49:51.is to contact the British rental and leasing Association who should be

:49:52. > :49:55.able to help in identifying a suitable provider. There is an icy

:49:56. > :50:01.chill about to descend upon parts of the country. That is not an

:50:02. > :50:05.impending DFT ministerial visit I hasten to add, it is the impending

:50:06. > :50:11.weather front. Can the Secretary of State tell us about the state of

:50:12. > :50:15.preparations for quitting our roads in the coming days and tell us what

:50:16. > :50:18.discussions he has had with his colleagues -- for quitting our

:50:19. > :50:23.roads. To ensure that our roads run more smoothly than our railways. I

:50:24. > :50:26.can ensure him there was no ice each other last time I visited Cambridge,

:50:27. > :50:30.as he and I both know, we were there for the first bit of work, albeit a

:50:31. > :50:36.rather small but of work, with a spade on the 14th project and I that

:50:37. > :50:41.will make a big difference to Cambridge. We have had detailed

:50:42. > :50:45.discussions in recent weeks, the Minister has been in local contact

:50:46. > :50:48.with local authorities. We do not have perhaps a sold mountain in this

:50:49. > :50:53.country but we have plenty of salt and great, and our estimate is that

:50:54. > :50:57.we have what is necessary to cope with the winter ahead but we will

:50:58. > :51:00.obviously keep that under review. I thank the Secretary of State for

:51:01. > :51:04.that, I take him back to the time just before Christmas soon after his

:51:05. > :51:08.visit to Cambridge, he spoke to the Evening Standard, and he told the

:51:09. > :51:13.Evening Standard that cycle lanes cause problems for road users. I was

:51:14. > :51:16.wondering if you could clarify for the house exactly who he thinks road

:51:17. > :51:20.users are, and while he is thinking about cyclists, as a helpful clue,

:51:21. > :51:25.could he explain why he is taking such an extraordinarily long time to

:51:26. > :51:29.good use a cycling and walking investment strategy? What I would

:51:30. > :51:32.say to him of course is where you have cycle lanes, cyclists are the

:51:33. > :51:36.users of cycle lanes and there is a road alongside, and the motorists

:51:37. > :51:41.are the uses of the road. It is fairly straightforward. What I would

:51:42. > :51:45.say to him is that if he is waiting with eager anticipation for our

:51:46. > :51:50.cycling and walking strategy he really doesn't have very long to

:51:51. > :51:55.wait. Will the ministers's inspirational words about beauty be

:51:56. > :52:06.matched by deeds from highways England? It is unsurprising that the

:52:07. > :52:08.right honourable gentleman draws attention to my beautifully

:52:09. > :52:14.articulated speech on duty but he is right too. He needs -- Binny to move

:52:15. > :52:19.the action. We have established a design panel at Highways England and

:52:20. > :52:28.we will be producing just in a few weeks' time a new design guide. It

:52:29. > :52:32.will dismay all of those crass modernists and harsh brutalist, but

:52:33. > :52:39.it will delight all of their super leave that our public infrastructure

:52:40. > :52:43.-- all of those who believe that our public in literature can be elegant

:52:44. > :52:47.as well as delivering utility. My role is only this: to rediscover the

:52:48. > :52:55.age old golden thread from which all of this will be woven. LAUGHTER

:52:56. > :52:59.Almost as stylish and elegant as the right honourable gentleman, I don't

:53:00. > :53:04.doubt. I know the Minister is as frustrated as I am by the constant

:53:05. > :53:07.delays to the tram train project between Sheffield and Rotherham.

:53:08. > :53:11.Will he now confirmed that passenger services are going to start next

:53:12. > :53:14.year, will he also give a date by which lessons can be learned from

:53:15. > :53:18.that project, which can be rolled out across the country, and will he

:53:19. > :53:22.give particular consideration to the available at the of hybrid tram

:53:23. > :53:28.trains which means the vehicles can now run on non-electrified heavy

:53:29. > :53:32.rail routes? An important point about the hybrid tram trains, as far

:53:33. > :53:35.as I am aware, it is on track, on schedule, but I am particularly keen

:53:36. > :53:39.to understand the lessons that can be learned from this particular

:53:40. > :53:42.project to make sure that if we try any other project elsewhere, they

:53:43. > :53:51.are done properly and the time first time round. The excellent report,

:53:52. > :53:54.the free ports authority, written by my colleague, the honourable member

:53:55. > :53:58.for Richmond, sets out the possibilities the UK ports post

:53:59. > :54:02.Brexit to become free ports. It is estimated in that report it could

:54:03. > :54:06.create 86,000 jobs in the UK. Could the Minister outline what the

:54:07. > :54:11.possible at either ports like New Haven in my constituency have for

:54:12. > :54:15.becoming free ports post Brexit. I have the report with me to which the

:54:16. > :54:19.Honourable Lady refers. It is an excellent piece of work. I have

:54:20. > :54:23.already arranged to meet its author. As you will know, I initiated the

:54:24. > :54:26.maritime growth study when last in the department but it is time to

:54:27. > :54:31.refresh that. It must be a living document, and as part of that

:54:32. > :54:34.exercise we will consider the role of ports now that we offer lead --

:54:35. > :54:40.freed from the clutches of the European Union. My ambitions are, as

:54:41. > :54:47.ever, Mr Speaker, measured and modest. I see nothing more -- seek

:54:48. > :54:55.nothing more than four Britannia to rule the waves. LAUGHTER

:54:56. > :54:58.Ministers will be aware of the comments in Public Health England's

:54:59. > :55:02.recent alcohol evidence review that drinking alcohol up to the

:55:03. > :55:07.drink-drive limit increases the risk of accidents by 13 times. We have a

:55:08. > :55:12.highest drink-drive limit of any country in Europe except for Malta,

:55:13. > :55:15.so will we look to reducing that in line with the views of the Police

:55:16. > :55:23.Federation, the RAC, the House of Lords, the Fire Brigades union and

:55:24. > :55:28.77% of the public? We have no plans to review the drink-drive limit. The

:55:29. > :55:32.80 mg per 100 millilitres of blood is one of the higher levels but no

:55:33. > :55:35.country has a better record on road safety and improving the performance

:55:36. > :55:41.in tackling drink-driving than we have. It is a combination of the

:55:42. > :55:44.right limit and enforcement and cultural belief that ring driving is

:55:45. > :55:52.wrong. All of that together makes the progress. Before Christmas, a

:55:53. > :55:56.parent at Morley primary school in my constituency was badly injured

:55:57. > :55:59.when driving in another vicinity of the school because another driver

:56:00. > :56:04.was going too fast, a regular occurrence. I have consistently

:56:05. > :56:07.requested that the county council change the speed limit, move the

:56:08. > :56:12.signs, but they consistently refused to do so because they say nobody has

:56:13. > :56:16.been killed yet. I don't want a child or a parent or anybody to be

:56:17. > :56:24.killed. Is there anyway that the Minister can change the criteria by

:56:25. > :56:27.which councils the site? Local authorities already have the powers

:56:28. > :56:30.to introduce lower speed limits where they think it is appropriate,

:56:31. > :56:34.and I think it should especially apply around schools. This decision

:56:35. > :56:39.does not have to be a reactive one, waiting for something to happen, it

:56:40. > :56:43.is inappropriate to act in such a way, so I will perhaps suggest that

:56:44. > :56:47.I write to the authority in Derbyshire just to highlight the

:56:48. > :56:51.powers they already have. But my right honourable friend the roads

:56:52. > :56:53.minister is visiting the constituency in a fortnight or so

:56:54. > :57:00.and perhaps you could also pick this up with him then. Brexit will cause

:57:01. > :57:04.a dangerous free for all in cabotage, will the Minister agree to

:57:05. > :57:11.meet with the Scottish Government to avoid this? I think we are some way

:57:12. > :57:14.away from that. Discussions have to take place between our government

:57:15. > :57:17.and the European Union on arrangements, post Brexit. They will

:57:18. > :57:23.take place and we will inform the house of progress on that in due

:57:24. > :57:28.cause. A start has been made in the first road improvement strategy in

:57:29. > :57:32.upgrading the a 47 from Lowestoft to the A-1. I would be grateful if the

:57:33. > :57:36.Minister could confirm that he will work with myself and other East

:57:37. > :57:36.Anglian colleagues on the second roads improvement strategy to ensure

:57:37. > :57:47.this could work continues. We have managed to achieve what he

:57:48. > :57:56.wants respect to the bridge but is right and we need to do more in

:57:57. > :58:03.respect of the second phase. This morning, I am writing to all

:58:04. > :58:13.colleagues that he describes, to invite them to participate in the

:58:14. > :58:18.process to help represent this. The A75 on my constituency benefits from

:58:19. > :58:22.Google route designation. Can we be assured he will support the

:58:23. > :58:28.continued designation of the euro route after the UK leads the

:58:29. > :58:36.European Union. I have never heard anyone in this country refers to an

:58:37. > :58:47.ARoad in the United Kingdom as a Euro route. I declare an interest as

:58:48. > :58:53.a daily commuter on the East Coast Main Line, which is a well-run and

:58:54. > :58:57.strategic route, but service outages, infrequent as they are, can

:58:58. > :59:00.be very disruptive. Can I ask the Minister to prevail on operating

:59:01. > :59:04.companies and Network Rail to improved medication with passengers

:59:05. > :59:08.in real time so that they are made aware of these problems and can make

:59:09. > :59:16.alternative arrangements as necessary. Passengers disruption is

:59:17. > :59:23.an area that all operating companies need to improve on. A single source

:59:24. > :59:26.of information which is consistent is required and it needs to be the

:59:27. > :59:30.most up-to-date information. It is not acceptable for people to check

:59:31. > :59:34.their phones on leaving home, checking their changes on time, only

:59:35. > :59:43.to find that by the time they get to the station, it has been cancelled.

:59:44. > :59:49.Not good enough. Will the Secretary of State reject the new proposal of

:59:50. > :59:56.a line from HS2 in the constituency of Bolsover, between Hill coat and

:59:57. > :00:04.Morton, because not only will it cut the council in two, it will destroy

:00:05. > :00:09.scores of Houses in the village of Newton. Will he have a look at the

:00:10. > :00:17.letter I have sent him in order to pacify the people of Blackpool with

:00:18. > :00:22.this mad idea? Of course I will. I have taken a close interest in this

:00:23. > :00:26.and have been up and down the route and I am keen we deliver economic

:00:27. > :00:29.benefits in a way that works the best for local communities. I am

:00:30. > :00:35.happy to take a look at these issues. It has been yet another week

:00:36. > :00:39.of misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Southern Rail.

:00:40. > :00:45.Given the unions have received guarantees of jobs, pay, and by the

:00:46. > :00:49.Independent safety Rail Regulator on safety, with the Government now

:00:50. > :00:55.support proposals from this side of the bench to limit strikes by

:00:56. > :01:03.legislation? Or at least the impact of strikes? I know there is a lot of

:01:04. > :01:13.interest and calls for such measures to be taken. We're considering how

:01:14. > :01:18.we approach is future issues. I think he will join me in expressing

:01:19. > :01:21.disappointment on this side of the House, that we have not heard today

:01:22. > :01:29.one word from the other side of the House of regret, condemnation, or a

:01:30. > :01:37.call for unions to go back to work. Mr Speaker, they just don't care.

:01:38. > :01:39.The RAC estimates drivers are being overcharged by hundreds of millions

:01:40. > :01:44.of pounds due to the over-zealous endorsement of private car parks.

:01:45. > :01:48.Requiring operators to sign up to a credited trade association would

:01:49. > :01:50.stop this. Does the Secretary of State agree that having all

:01:51. > :01:57.companies sign up would ensure their business model is based on fair

:01:58. > :02:01.treatment of the motorist? I will happily look into this matter. It is

:02:02. > :02:09.the responsibility of TCL cheap that I will pick it up the ministerial

:02:10. > :02:12.colleague. Increasing passengers and employees at Stansted Airport, the

:02:13. > :02:16.growth of the Cambridge biomedical campus, the prospect of Crossrail 2,

:02:17. > :02:22.the announcement of major housing developments and the welcome

:02:23. > :02:26.prospect of new accelerated high-performance trains, what plans

:02:27. > :02:30.does my right honourable friend have for increasing the track capacity on

:02:31. > :02:36.the West Anglia line to take advantage of these factors? He's

:02:37. > :02:42.right to raise these factors, he will know of the important work the

:02:43. > :02:45.task force has done. Timetabling issues, where I hope you can also

:02:46. > :02:52.make a contribution, he is right to raise it and we are looking closely

:02:53. > :02:57.at it. Announcement on the way I hope his constituents will be

:02:58. > :02:59.reflected in that. When the Blackpool North electrification

:03:00. > :03:03.scheme faced delays two years ago and the rail minister was a

:03:04. > :03:06.backbencher, he rightly demanded answers from ministers. There is no

:03:07. > :03:09.real concern that the election location of the Midland Main line

:03:10. > :03:14.will be further postponed or even cancelled north of coffee and

:03:15. > :03:17.Kettering. Will the Minister provide the House with the same clarity that

:03:18. > :03:24.he sought for his own constituency and give unequivocal assurance that

:03:25. > :03:30.this manifesto promise will not be broken? We're continuing to work

:03:31. > :03:33.towards the key outputs that matter most on the part of passengers. I

:03:34. > :03:40.recognise the importance of this network. My right honourable friend

:03:41. > :03:43.will work on a cross-party basis to identify the key regional priorities

:03:44. > :03:48.we want to see reflected in the new franchise and I look forward to

:03:49. > :03:53.working with her. There is widespread and cross-party support

:03:54. > :03:56.for ages to in my constituency. We get the East Midlands harbour at

:03:57. > :04:02.Kempton. There is still concern about the route. Can my right

:04:03. > :04:06.honourable friend assure constituents that their voices will

:04:07. > :04:11.be heard on the changes to the route will be made without affecting the

:04:12. > :04:16.timetable for delivery? I can give that commitment, as a gift to the

:04:17. > :04:19.honourable gentleman. This will bring huge benefits to the East

:04:20. > :04:28.Midlands and Yorkshire and the areas around Sheffield. But I want to be

:04:29. > :04:32.clear, we will be thoughtful and careful in the detail of the route

:04:33. > :04:37.and the reason of the consultation is it gives us a chance to listen to

:04:38. > :04:41.those views. You will be aware of the Vauxhall car fire scandal and

:04:42. > :04:50.last month, 25 people in the House of Commons were affected, they are

:04:51. > :04:56.aware of traumatised children leading to increased insurance. Will

:04:57. > :05:06.the ministers agreed to meet with the families of those affected? I am

:05:07. > :05:12.most aware of this issue. The D B S A is taking action with foxhole to

:05:13. > :05:19.remedy the situation. I will be happy to meet with the honourable

:05:20. > :05:26.gentleman and families affected. Can my right honourable friend provide

:05:27. > :05:36.information as to plans for a new cross Pennine Road link? We have

:05:37. > :05:41.recently announced plans to deal with the A66. We're awaiting work on

:05:42. > :05:46.a trans-Pennine tunnel. I give commitment that whether that work is

:05:47. > :05:49.recommended to go ahead or not, our commitment to delivering

:05:50. > :05:56.trans-Pennine improvements will not in any way be affected by the

:05:57. > :06:04.outcome of that study. Order! Business question, Valerie vows.

:06:05. > :06:13.Could the Leader of the House please give us the forthcoming business?

:06:14. > :06:17.The business for next week will be as follows, Monday 16th of January,

:06:18. > :06:22.second reading of the National citizens service Bill, Lordes.

:06:23. > :06:24.Cheesecake 17th of