Live coverage of questions in the House of Commons to the transport secretary Chris Grayling and his team of ministers.
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and will be a debate remark were
pockmarked and stay. Don't forget to | 0:00:00 | 0:00:00 | |
join me for a round-up at 11p
tonight but first, questions to | 0:00:00 | 0:00:04 | |
Chris Grayling and his team of
ministers. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:07 | |
Order! Order! Questions to the
Secretary of State for transport. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:23 | |
Question number one. The Secretary
of State for transport, secretary | 0:00:23 | 0:00:28 | |
Chris Grayling. No, we don't
allocate funding on a per head of | 0:00:28 | 0:00:32 | |
population bases. We ensure spending
goes where it is most needed and | 0:00:32 | 0:00:36 | |
delivers greatest value for money.
You may be interested to know that | 0:00:36 | 0:00:42 | |
recent evaluations showed that
planned central government transport | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
investment over the next few years
is equally balanced with 1039 pounds | 0:00:45 | 0:00:49 | |
of planned spending per head in the
North compared with £1029 in the | 0:00:49 | 0:00:56 | |
South. May I take this opportunity
to thank all of those who are | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
involved in keeping our transport
system is going in this inclement | 0:00:59 | 0:01:04 | |
weather. I am sure fellow Yorkshire
MPs would share my surprise at the | 0:01:04 | 0:01:09 | |
Secretary of State's recent
Yorkshire post article saying | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
spending in the North was somehow
greater in the north than the South. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:17 | |
Does he agree with me that spinning
figures simply won't fix our archaic | 0:01:17 | 0:01:21 | |
Northern Rail way systems all get
Northern commuters to work on time? | 0:01:21 | 0:01:29 | |
Chibok I echo the comments about
those working hard to keep transport | 0:01:29 | 0:01:32 | |
system open today. We are very
grateful to all of them. What I | 0:01:32 | 0:01:36 | |
would say in a week when the Labour
Party has already had issues with | 0:01:36 | 0:01:39 | |
the use of statistics, she should
look at the official statistics from | 0:01:39 | 0:01:44 | |
the independent infrastructure
authority which show that government | 0:01:44 | 0:01:47 | |
spending is higher in the north van
in the South. I'm sure we could | 0:01:47 | 0:01:53 | |
spend more government money on
transport in the East Midlands, | 0:01:53 | 0:01:57 | |
particularly Northamptonshire and
especially Kettering. The Midland | 0:01:57 | 0:02:02 | |
mainline's new franchises being
negotiated at the moment. Would the | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
gentleman make sure that Kettering's
rail services are better after that | 0:02:05 | 0:02:09 | |
franchises ordered now? He is a
strong champion for Kettering. He | 0:02:09 | 0:02:16 | |
will be delighted that with the
expansion of capacity to Corby it | 0:02:16 | 0:02:19 | |
means there will be a much better
commuter service in the mornings and | 0:02:19 | 0:02:22 | |
evenings through Corby down to
Kettering and beyond. This is one of | 0:02:22 | 0:02:27 | |
the benefits that is coming from the
biggest investment in the Midland | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
mainline since the 1870s. Just to
give the Secretary of State example | 0:02:31 | 0:02:42 | |
of equal treatment, when they rail
franchise comes to the new franchise | 0:02:42 | 0:02:48 | |
in 2020, is it true that because the
current carriages on HST are | 0:02:48 | 0:02:52 | |
disability noncompliant they will be
scrapped, the power cars will be | 0:02:52 | 0:02:56 | |
kept and put together with
second-hand cast of characters from | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
the east Coast line? So instead of a
brand-new hybrid hype whoa train we | 0:03:00 | 0:03:06 | |
were promised we are going to get
hybrid trains with 30-year-old para | 0:03:06 | 0:03:12 | |
cars and 30-year-old discarded
carriages from another line? The | 0:03:12 | 0:03:17 | |
Midland mainline is going to have
brand-new trains delivered as soon | 0:03:17 | 0:03:21 | |
as we possibly can in the early 20
20s, years ahead of what would | 0:03:21 | 0:03:25 | |
otherwise have been the case on the
original scheme. Within the context | 0:03:25 | 0:03:32 | |
of the idea of equity spending, I
wonder if my right honourable | 0:03:32 | 0:03:37 | |
friend, after this snow event is
over, would ask some serious | 0:03:37 | 0:03:41 | |
questions or even review why it is
that when we have an event like this | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
we are still not in any way, in some
cases, prepared? I discovered in | 0:03:45 | 0:03:51 | |
some cases that Heathrow is busy
off-loading flights because they | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
can't cope with it, whereas... It is
regional flights. What I am saying | 0:03:55 | 0:04:03 | |
to my honourable friend is, given
all of that, places like Gatwick and | 0:04:03 | 0:04:07 | |
other airports are able to cope.
Does he not think it is ridiculous | 0:04:07 | 0:04:12 | |
that in some airports they are
simply unable to cope and others in | 0:04:12 | 0:04:15 | |
the UK can? Of course I know a
number of members are here today | 0:04:15 | 0:04:20 | |
because flights to regional airports
have been not able to go and I | 0:04:20 | 0:04:28 | |
expect us to be able to sort that
out today as quickly as possible, | 0:04:28 | 0:04:31 | |
though it is really important the
transport system is run safely. One | 0:04:31 | 0:04:34 | |
of the benefits of the expansion of
Heathrow airport is that that | 0:04:34 | 0:04:39 | |
airport will become more resilient
to difficult situations like that | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
whoa this week and connections will
be more reliable. I pay tribute to | 0:04:42 | 0:04:49 | |
transport workers giving the system
going. In his opening comments the | 0:04:49 | 0:04:53 | |
Secretary of State said allocation
of funding was a fair process so can | 0:04:53 | 0:04:57 | |
he explain why his Government has
ignored recommendations to fund | 0:04:57 | 0:05:04 | |
Scotland £6 million and yet since
then, there has been a £250 billion | 0:05:04 | 0:05:09 | |
loss of revenue for southern rail
and found a £250 million for HS2? | 0:05:09 | 0:05:17 | |
His Government has been ignoring the
Scottish Government since July this | 0:05:17 | 0:05:21 | |
year so will he meet the Scottish
government, as there needs to be | 0:05:21 | 0:05:25 | |
equity funding? Once again the SNP
is arguing against the use of the | 0:05:25 | 0:05:30 | |
Barnett Formula. They love the
Barnett Formula when it is | 0:05:30 | 0:05:32 | |
advantageous to them but when they
don't like it they want to get rid | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
of it. Eyes and they say to them,
this Government has followed the | 0:05:36 | 0:05:39 | |
principles of the Barnett Formula
but the Treasury has given Scotland | 0:05:39 | 0:05:42 | |
a bit more money above that so I
wish they would stop complaining. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:46 | |
The reality is that Scotland is now
better represented with a group of | 0:05:46 | 0:05:51 | |
Conservative MPs who are much more
effective than this MP ever was. Mr | 0:05:51 | 0:06:02 | |
Speaker, Secretary of State's
acceptance of the Hendy review 2016 | 0:06:02 | 0:06:06 | |
recognised necessary changes to the
Scoble great Western education and | 0:06:06 | 0:06:10 | |
following completion of the
feasibility assessment of the line | 0:06:10 | 0:06:13 | |
between Reading and Basingstoke that
has been identified that | 0:06:13 | 0:06:17 | |
electrification of that section is
not required to deliver improvements | 0:06:17 | 0:06:19 | |
to passengers. Given my honourable
friend's commendable plan to scrap | 0:06:19 | 0:06:24 | |
all diesel only trains from our
tracks by 2040, would he extend whoa | 0:06:24 | 0:06:31 | |
consider extending cross wail to
Reading and Basingstoke as an | 0:06:31 | 0:06:35 | |
alternative to improve capacity into
London from Northampton? The | 0:06:35 | 0:06:40 | |
department always welcomes
suggestions from my honourable | 0:06:40 | 0:06:43 | |
friend. There are no current plans
to extend the crossrail route and no | 0:06:43 | 0:06:46 | |
assessment has yet been made of the
amount or availability of any such | 0:06:46 | 0:06:49 | |
scheme. Question three. Thank you.
We have ambitious plans to | 0:06:49 | 0:07:03 | |
transport emissions, including
ending the sale of new conventional | 0:07:03 | 0:07:06 | |
petrol diesel cars and vans on the
use of diesel only trains. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:13 | |
Greenhouse gas emissions will be
reduced. Action to tackle hotspots | 0:07:13 | 0:07:21 | |
is being taken. We will be launching
a zero emissions transport paper and | 0:07:21 | 0:07:27 | |
the House can view that. Can I thank
the Minister for that reply? He will | 0:07:27 | 0:07:34 | |
know that 24% of emissions are
transport related. You will know | 0:07:34 | 0:07:39 | |
there are hotspots across the
country, including in my own | 0:07:39 | 0:07:43 | |
constituency, and thousands of
people die prematurely as a result | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
of poor air quality, including 61 in
my own constituency in Gedling. How | 0:07:46 | 0:07:52 | |
does he intend to accelerate the
progress he has outlined to us and | 0:07:52 | 0:07:55 | |
the policy development in
Parliament? We absolutely recognise | 0:07:55 | 0:08:01 | |
the issues he raises and I think he
will know that we will work very | 0:08:01 | 0:08:10 | |
closely with the department for
environment and rural affairs on | 0:08:10 | 0:08:12 | |
this issue. Our specific plans on
transport emissions will be released | 0:08:12 | 0:08:15 | |
in our report this month. Can the
Minister assure the House that | 0:08:15 | 0:08:27 | |
emissions, as far as the department
is concerned, refers to both carbon | 0:08:27 | 0:08:34 | |
and air quality emissions in terms
of nitrogen dioxide and small | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
particulate matter and that that is
fully addressed together in the | 0:08:37 | 0:08:42 | |
department? Yes, I can absolutely
give him that assurance. Defra is | 0:08:42 | 0:08:47 | |
the lead agency within government on
this but the work... Only on Monday, | 0:08:47 | 0:08:52 | |
in fact, we put on the statute book
the renewable transport fuel | 0:08:52 | 0:08:57 | |
obligation which specifically
balances the two sides of that | 0:08:57 | 0:08:59 | |
equation. Oxford is proud to call
itself a cycling city, yet last week | 0:08:59 | 0:09:07 | |
it was identified in the High Court
ruling on air pollution as one of | 0:09:07 | 0:09:11 | |
the 45 cities the Government needs
to do more to help. Will pay more | 0:09:11 | 0:09:15 | |
money be to Oxford to help us make
that modal shift? I'm sure she will | 0:09:15 | 0:09:20 | |
be aware that substantial amounts of
money have been put aside already to | 0:09:20 | 0:09:24 | |
help local authorities affected by
air quality problems and it is up to | 0:09:24 | 0:09:29 | |
Oxford to apply for that money when
it becomes available. I do drive an | 0:09:29 | 0:09:34 | |
electric car but many people do not.
A northern powerhouse rail would | 0:09:34 | 0:09:39 | |
take many cars off the road. The
all-party group on the northern | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
powerhouses calling for the project
for northern powerhouse rail to be | 0:09:43 | 0:09:47 | |
brought forward to coincide with the
completion of HS2 in 2032. With the | 0:09:47 | 0:09:51 | |
Minister support that proposal? Two
is what I am always grateful for | 0:09:51 | 0:09:57 | |
invitations to support proposals. I
will leave that to the specific | 0:09:57 | 0:09:59 | |
ministers concerned but he will be
aware it is a manifesto commitment. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:10 | |
I am not sure I see any merits in
the early termination of the Virgin | 0:10:10 | 0:10:14 | |
Trains East Coast franchise and it
is not something I would like to | 0:10:14 | 0:10:18 | |
happen but you have to deal with the
world that is, not as you would like | 0:10:18 | 0:10:22 | |
be. My priority is to ensure the
continued smooth running of the East | 0:10:22 | 0:10:26 | |
Coast franchise first partners and
employees to make sure the trains | 0:10:26 | 0:10:30 | |
run and deliver the services people
need. A new arrangement to operate | 0:10:30 | 0:10:33 | |
this railway prior to the east coast
partnership in 2020 needs to be put | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
in place. We are currently
conducting a full appraisal of the | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
options I will return to the House
in due course. Illuminating | 0:10:40 | 0:10:44 | |
information but I think the
secretary's first priority before | 0:10:44 | 0:10:50 | |
that is to seek to group the
question with others. I am very | 0:10:50 | 0:10:58 | |
grateful. I am afraid to say that
server standards have deteriorated | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
on virgin stagecoach East coach. I
am a regular customer on that line | 0:11:01 | 0:11:09 | |
and that is despite the best efforts
of the excellent staff on board | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
trains and its stations. But those
staff are now facing their sixth | 0:11:12 | 0:11:19 | |
employer in a decade and a half.
Will he meet me and some of those | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
staff so they can express their
concerns about the way in which the | 0:11:24 | 0:11:29 | |
franchise has been conducted, and
will he give the House an | 0:11:29 | 0:11:31 | |
undertaking that there is a genuine
public sector operator ready to take | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
over should it be required, or has
Directly Operated Railways And been | 0:11:34 | 0:11:40 | |
outsourced already? | 0:11:40 | 0:11:44 | |
I can give a guarantee that has been
the case, we have been making | 0:11:44 | 0:11:48 | |
preparations for some considerable
time, there is a genuine alternative | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
Fitbit is deemed best for the
passenger and best value for the | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
taxpayer. I and my colleagues are
happy to talk to staff but I would | 0:11:55 | 0:12:01 | |
correct one point, the reality is
that the independent assessments of | 0:12:01 | 0:12:04 | |
passenger satisfaction that would
have shown a higher level of | 0:12:04 | 0:12:08 | |
passenger satisfaction since the
change of franchise, not a lower | 0:12:08 | 0:12:11 | |
one. I would like to say a huge
thank you to the staff involved in | 0:12:11 | 0:12:19 | |
keeping the trains running. As has
been said, the current Virgin Trains | 0:12:19 | 0:12:24 | |
East Coast mainline franchise
agreement will end three years early | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
making it the third franchise
failure in around a decade, and I | 0:12:27 | 0:12:31 | |
wonder, as well as the people who
use the line, I don't agree with | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
your assessment, but will the
Secretary of State recognise that | 0:12:34 | 0:12:38 | |
there is a problem and see this as
the perfect opportunity to bring | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
those contracts back in-house? As I
have said in his house before, I | 0:12:42 | 0:12:47 | |
need to do what is best for
passengers and the taxpayer. The | 0:12:47 | 0:12:51 | |
reality is that since the
transition, regardless of the fact | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
that Stagecoach got their numbers
wrong, passenger satisfaction has | 0:12:55 | 0:12:59 | |
risen, more people are employed by
the railway and it delivers more | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
body to the taxpayer. That is the
reality, they can say it is not | 0:13:02 | 0:13:06 | |
true, it is true and it is a fact
they have to deal with. I can assure | 0:13:06 | 0:13:16 | |
the Minister and Secretary of State
that my constituency, after three | 0:13:16 | 0:13:20 | |
failed franchisees and the
experience of a directly operated | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
railway, or would much prefer the
directly operated railway. With the | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
Minister commit to eight directly
operated railway service? I have | 0:13:26 | 0:13:35 | |
said I will do what is best for the
passenger and the taxpayer. Their | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
party do not seem to get this. The
reality is that passenger | 0:13:38 | 0:13:42 | |
satisfaction levels are higher today
than three years ago, that is what | 0:13:42 | 0:13:46 | |
independent research shows. They may
not like it but it is true. Next | 0:13:46 | 0:13:52 | |
year Bradford will have seen a
marked increase in the number of | 0:13:52 | 0:13:56 | |
much-needed direct intercity trains
serving the city but the chaos with | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
the East Coast line has put this in
trouble. Connection to the rest of | 0:13:59 | 0:14:06 | |
the country is vital so will the
Minister ensure that whatever | 0:14:06 | 0:14:10 | |
happens to the east Coast franchise,
Bradford will see an increase in the | 0:14:10 | 0:14:14 | |
number of direct trains? It is an
important point. Let's be clear, it | 0:14:14 | 0:14:18 | |
is my contention that whatever
arrangements are put in place for | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
the next three years, the service
improvements that have been promised | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
will be delivered. There is an issue
in relation to infrastructure and | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
additional capacities of the
northern part of the route which | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
will have to be resolved and then
maybe amendments to the timetables | 0:14:32 | 0:14:36 | |
but it will not stop is delivering
the services. In the case of | 0:14:36 | 0:14:40 | |
Bradford I expect to fulfil the
commitments made. I would agree that | 0:14:40 | 0:14:46 | |
there are no merits from the early
termination of the franchise but | 0:14:46 | 0:14:50 | |
there are opportunities from the new
partnership. By constituency has ten | 0:14:50 | 0:14:55 | |
railway stations, none of which have
a direct rail service to London. | 0:14:55 | 0:14:59 | |
Would my right honourable friend
agree this is an opportunity to look | 0:14:59 | 0:15:02 | |
at providing services to those towns
not presently served? My honourable | 0:15:02 | 0:15:09 | |
friend has been a regular advocate
for direct services, I would like to | 0:15:09 | 0:15:13 | |
see those services happen, I am
looking to see if we can maximise | 0:15:13 | 0:15:17 | |
capacity of the East Coast to make
additional services possible but the | 0:15:17 | 0:15:21 | |
arrival of HS2 will allow many of
those services that cannot be run | 0:15:21 | 0:15:26 | |
now because of capacity constraints
to happen because of the additional | 0:15:26 | 0:15:30 | |
capacity HS2 will create routes to
the north Scotland. I am not | 0:15:30 | 0:15:34 | |
entirely sure what the impact of the
Virgin Trains East coast franchise | 0:15:34 | 0:15:39 | |
is a portion but that was the
honourable gentleman -- doubtless | 0:15:39 | 0:15:44 | |
the honourable gentleman is about to
explain to us. I am absolutely going | 0:15:44 | 0:15:49 | |
to! Given the alternatives being
proposed I wonder if the Secretary | 0:15:49 | 0:15:54 | |
of State has seen the remarks by
President Obama about the | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
nationalised French Railways and if
he has remarks upon the? Wisdom | 0:15:57 | 0:16:03 | |
sometimes come from our allies
across the Channel and I have to say | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
I did see those remarks and it is a
timely reminder that in nationalised | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
railway is not the panacea that some
think it is. Not the warship | 0:16:11 | 0:16:17 | |
perspective but the international
perspective, why would I expect | 0:16:17 | 0:16:19 | |
anything less from someone so
illustrious as a man who served as | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
my constituency chairman for three
years for which he deserved a medal! | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
Jack Brereton. Number five, Mr
Speaker. I beg pardon, we have | 0:16:27 | 0:16:34 | |
missed frontbenchers, let's them.
Thank you, the Secretary of State | 0:16:34 | 0:16:41 | |
says Stagecoach got their sums wrong
but clearly the Department got their | 0:16:41 | 0:16:44 | |
sums wrong as well when they awarded
the contract to them. Franchise | 0:16:44 | 0:16:48 | |
holders should not be allowed to bid
for future franchises, does he agree | 0:16:48 | 0:16:53 | |
this is an opportunity to put this
franchise into the public sector and | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
allow further public sector
involvement across all franchises to | 0:16:57 | 0:17:02 | |
improve and review the franchise
tender process? We certainly keep | 0:17:02 | 0:17:07 | |
the franchise process under
continual review to work to improve | 0:17:07 | 0:17:09 | |
it but as I said a moment ago,
public railway is not the panacea | 0:17:09 | 0:17:14 | |
everyone claims it is bad side. What
I would say also, I intend to take | 0:17:14 | 0:17:20 | |
the right decisions for the taxpayer
and travelling public root, that is | 0:17:20 | 0:17:25 | |
imported, and I intend to act within
the law, which is also important. On | 0:17:25 | 0:17:32 | |
Monday the chief executive of
Stagecoach said that he knew there | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
was a problem with the East Coast
franchise finances weeks after | 0:17:35 | 0:17:39 | |
taking over the contract in March
2015 and had been talking to the | 0:17:39 | 0:17:44 | |
Department about it but two years.
Why didn't the Secretary of State | 0:17:44 | 0:17:49 | |
put together a contingency plan for
the route given that his department | 0:17:49 | 0:17:54 | |
was in dialogue with the operator
over the difficulties? The Secretary | 0:17:54 | 0:17:58 | |
of State had two years to sort this
mess out and is that it simply | 0:17:58 | 0:18:02 | |
incredible but he still does not
know what to do? I have not been | 0:18:02 | 0:18:08 | |
Secretary of State for two years but
let's be clear, we have been | 0:18:08 | 0:18:15 | |
planning, I have been Secretary of
State of 18 months, Mr Speaker, he | 0:18:15 | 0:18:21 | |
cannot do his sons. Since I became
aware there was a problem on the | 0:18:21 | 0:18:25 | |
route, we have been doing
contingency planning so we have a | 0:18:25 | 0:18:28 | |
long-term plan for the route and
short-term options but you cannot | 0:18:28 | 0:18:32 | |
put though short-term options into
place until the appropriate moment | 0:18:32 | 0:18:36 | |
arrives when they are necessary and
we are prepared for the moment when | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
it arises and will deal with the
alternatives. Given that the | 0:18:40 | 0:18:45 | |
taxpayer has already lost out on
over £2 billion of premium payments, | 0:18:45 | 0:18:50 | |
can the Secretary of State ad buys
the house whether the financial | 0:18:50 | 0:18:53 | |
ramifications of the termination of
the franchise are now completely | 0:18:53 | 0:18:57 | |
known and concluded? In the
alternative, what about your body is | 0:18:57 | 0:19:04 | |
earmarked to settle further assist
in gay big demands through | 0:19:04 | 0:19:09 | |
litigation or arbitration? Again,
the Labour Party cannot do it sums. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:18 | |
We have written off £2 billion a
body, they wrote of £1.4 billion | 0:19:18 | 0:19:22 | |
when National Express collapsed.
Whatever happens, this railway will | 0:19:22 | 0:19:28 | |
continue to generate a substantial
return for the taxpayer and it is | 0:19:28 | 0:19:31 | |
time they did the sums properly
rather than misrepresenting the | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
reality. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I
know the Member for Stoke-on-Trent | 0:19:35 | 0:19:43 | |
South is concerned about the impact
of traffic in his constituency, we | 0:19:43 | 0:19:47 | |
discussed it when he came to the
department just last week. HS2 | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
Limited are already working with
high with England and local highways | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
authorities to mitigate the effect
of construction traffic and will | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
continue to do so as the bill
progresses. The planning regime | 0:19:58 | 0:20:02 | |
established under the bill includes
powers for local planning | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
authorities to improve final
construction routes for large goods | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
vehicles. We will work closely with
the authorities to make sure impacts | 0:20:09 | 0:20:14 | |
on communities and traffic are
appropriate. I thank the Minister | 0:20:14 | 0:20:17 | |
for the response. Could she update
the house of the measures to be put | 0:20:17 | 0:20:21 | |
in place to tackle and mitigate the
impact of traffic particularly | 0:20:21 | 0:20:26 | |
affecting junction 15 of the M6 from
construction of phase 2A? We | 0:20:26 | 0:20:36 | |
recognise the need to keep traffic
moving the residents and businesses. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:40 | |
Income advance, junction 15 of the
M6 is an important access route for | 0:20:40 | 0:20:45 | |
HS2 construction traffic. We
recognise it is an important access | 0:20:45 | 0:20:49 | |
route for the Stoke-on-Trent area.
HS2 Limited are working closely with | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
high with England to minimise the
impact of the M6 and consider any | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
opportunities for delivery with a
smart motorway. Question number | 0:20:57 | 0:21:01 | |
seven, Mr Speaker. Six, well done,
pretty good. With permission, Mr | 0:21:01 | 0:21:12 | |
Speaker, I will answer questions six
and 12 together. The bus services | 0:21:12 | 0:21:18 | |
act 2017 presents local authorities
with new powers to bring about | 0:21:18 | 0:21:21 | |
change and unlock potential for the
bus service industry to increase | 0:21:21 | 0:21:25 | |
passenger numbers. Since 1982 bus
usage has fallen but is variable | 0:21:25 | 0:21:31 | |
across the country. Passenger
journeys on local bus services in | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
England have decreased 4% since
2009-2010 to 4.4 billion | 0:21:34 | 0:21:40 | |
4,000,000,020 16-20 17. -- 4.4
billion in 2016-2000 and 17. Does | 0:21:40 | 0:21:51 | |
the Minister believe there is a
correlation between cuts in bus | 0:21:51 | 0:21:57 | |
budget and bus usage falling to an
all-time low? What action has been | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
taken to rectify this? Bus patronage
is increasing for people who go to | 0:22:00 | 0:22:10 | |
work, actually, 3 million people
choose to travel to work on the bus, | 0:22:10 | 0:22:14 | |
60% of people who'd use public
transport use the bus. Increasing | 0:22:14 | 0:22:19 | |
bus patronage is at the forefront of
the Government's bus agenda, it is | 0:22:19 | 0:22:24 | |
vital for combating congestion and
reducing emissions. Government | 0:22:24 | 0:22:28 | |
provides around £1 billion of
funding for concessionary travel | 0:22:28 | 0:22:31 | |
every year and around £250 million
will be paid this year to support | 0:22:31 | 0:22:35 | |
bus services in England through the
operators' grant. Recent devolution | 0:22:35 | 0:22:42 | |
deal has seen the power to
re-regulate buses by London style | 0:22:42 | 0:22:47 | |
franchising in areas like my own
with a metronome. How does the | 0:22:47 | 0:22:51 | |
Government plan to support those
retro bears that take the choice to | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
franchise there but bashed -- then
was that were? Bears have the | 0:22:53 | 0:23:01 | |
freedom to do it and it is right
these decisions are taken locally | 0:23:01 | 0:23:05 | |
either with a local authority or the
man and we would encourage all local | 0:23:05 | 0:23:10 | |
authorities all there is to consider
how they can use these powers to | 0:23:10 | 0:23:14 | |
make improvements for passengers and
increase bus patronage. Damian | 0:23:14 | 0:23:18 | |
Green. The real question seven,
served. As my right honourable | 0:23:18 | 0:23:27 | |
friend knows, I have asked highways
England to progress plans to promote | 0:23:27 | 0:23:31 | |
a lorry holding area through the
normal process as a permanent | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
solution to Operation Stack.
Highways England intend to undertake | 0:23:34 | 0:23:38 | |
public consultation in the spring to
consider the scale and scope. The | 0:23:38 | 0:23:44 | |
commitment to this is strong. The
Secretary of State is aware of the | 0:23:44 | 0:23:51 | |
extreme urgency of finding a
solution to this. Even if we assume | 0:23:51 | 0:23:55 | |
full implementation period after
Brexit we could be less than two | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
years away from new customs
arrangements at Dover and problems | 0:23:58 | 0:24:03 | |
there could be disastrous not just
for roads across Kent but for the | 0:24:03 | 0:24:06 | |
National Road haulage industry as
well. Can he assure us that by the | 0:24:06 | 0:24:12 | |
time of Brexit sufficient off-road
parking spaces will be available to | 0:24:12 | 0:24:16 | |
avoid a recurrence of Operation
Stack? There are two points I should | 0:24:16 | 0:24:20 | |
make first of all it is absolutely
the intent of the Government to | 0:24:20 | 0:24:26 | |
maintain a free-flowing border, that
is of paramount importance. But the | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
other point is to be absolutely
clear that we will have both a | 0:24:29 | 0:24:33 | |
solution in place by next March
which keeps the M25 ring in both | 0:24:33 | 0:24:38 | |
directions but also provides the
there is congestion at the ports, | 0:24:38 | 0:24:43 | |
but we intend to move beyond that
and deliver a long-term solution | 0:24:43 | 0:24:47 | |
which will not only deal with this
solution of trouble at the ports but | 0:24:47 | 0:24:52 | |
also respite to Kent residents who
are fed up with lorries blocking | 0:24:52 | 0:24:55 | |
their local roads. 80% of the road
freight to and from the UK goes | 0:24:55 | 0:25:03 | |
through Dover. There is surely no
realistic chance of all those | 0:25:03 | 0:25:10 | |
lorries being checked from March
next year. Isn't the reality that if | 0:25:10 | 0:25:14 | |
we leave the EU without a deal,
utter chaos of the road that work | 0:25:14 | 0:25:19 | |
within miles of Dover is completely
unavoidable? It is for this country | 0:25:19 | 0:25:27 | |
to decide how we manage our borders,
to decide what checks we put in | 0:25:27 | 0:25:31 | |
place, and the Government is
committed to making sure there is a | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
free-flowing border at Dover, that
is something we will deliver. Is it | 0:25:34 | 0:25:40 | |
his department's policies that a new
fixed lab across the channel will | 0:25:40 | 0:25:48 | |
help the disruption. We have bold
visions for the future, that is the | 0:25:48 | 0:25:52 | |
way we plan properly for the future
in transport terms but right now our | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
bold vision for this country is HS2,
potential expansion of Heathrow | 0:25:56 | 0:26:00 | |
airport, the lower Thames crossing,
the trans-Pennine Tunnel, the 8303, | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
so this is a Government with lots of
big visions for Britain and is | 0:26:04 | 0:26:09 | |
delivering. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:13 | |
The chairman of Maritime UK has said
that if a deal is not reached on | 0:26:13 | 0:26:19 | |
Brexit, lorry drivers could be stuck
on the main roads to Dover for up to | 0:26:19 | 0:26:24 | |
two days but even if the deal is
reached with the hard border at | 0:26:24 | 0:26:27 | |
vital ferry ports, the industry is
warning that customs and Port health | 0:26:27 | 0:26:34 | |
checks will cause massive
disruptions so what actual concrete | 0:26:34 | 0:26:38 | |
assurances, Secretary of State give
us that that is not going to be the | 0:26:38 | 0:26:43 | |
case? I have regular dialogue with
both the border industry and the | 0:26:43 | 0:26:48 | |
ports sector and that have been very
clear to them, as I am clear with | 0:26:48 | 0:26:51 | |
this House and the Prime Minister is
being clear, we do not intend to | 0:26:51 | 0:26:56 | |
impose a fixed border, we want a
free-flowing border and that is what | 0:26:56 | 0:26:59 | |
we will deliver. Secretary of State.
All franchise operators are required | 0:26:59 | 0:27:11 | |
to obtain a pre-follicle --
prequalification passport to adopt | 0:27:11 | 0:27:16 | |
the department may withdraw it in
the event that the passport | 0:27:16 | 0:27:21 | |
holder... This would prevent the
franchise holder from Billington | 0:27:21 | 0:27:26 | |
franchise competitions. I take it
from Matt that it is possible for | 0:27:26 | 0:27:34 | |
the Secretary of State to disallow
an incumbent... Can he remove GoVia | 0:27:34 | 0:27:49 | |
from the Thameslink service? If not
what guarantees are there that my | 0:27:49 | 0:27:54 | |
constituents will get the service
they deserve? We will accept the | 0:27:54 | 0:27:59 | |
outcome that will deliver the best
possible service for his | 0:27:59 | 0:28:03 | |
constituents. This is a competitive
process. I will not hesitate to | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
remove a passport from a firm that
requires that happened. I also | 0:28:07 | 0:28:12 | |
operate within European recruitment
law -- procurement law, and that | 0:28:12 | 0:28:20 | |
requires us to take a proportionate
approach and I will always seek to | 0:28:20 | 0:28:23 | |
do that and operate within the law.
Bastia no fewer than 67 million rail | 0:28:23 | 0:28:29 | |
journeys were cancelled or severely
curtailed and as I raised with the | 0:28:29 | 0:28:36 | |
Prime Minister yesterday, most of
the compensation was trousered by | 0:28:36 | 0:28:40 | |
rail operating companies so when
they bid to renew their franchises | 0:28:40 | 0:28:42 | |
will the way they have treated their
customers with compensation be a key | 0:28:42 | 0:28:47 | |
consideration, as it should be? He
is right that we need to make sure | 0:28:47 | 0:28:52 | |
passengers get the compensation
payments they are entitled to. The | 0:28:52 | 0:28:56 | |
compensation structure is far more
complex than those that have been | 0:28:56 | 0:28:59 | |
highlighted in the media in recent
days but I'm very clear that the | 0:28:59 | 0:29:02 | |
move we are going through this year
to provide digital ticketing across | 0:29:02 | 0:29:05 | |
the whole network will make it much
more straightforward to give | 0:29:05 | 0:29:10 | |
passengers the compensation they
deserve and need and to do so simply | 0:29:10 | 0:29:13 | |
without having to fill in
complicated forms. The estimates | 0:29:13 | 0:29:18 | |
report was very revealing, showing
how hundreds of millions of pounds | 0:29:18 | 0:29:21 | |
are being spent on compensation,
underwriting failure and bailouts. | 0:29:21 | 0:29:27 | |
In CP four alone, a staggering 39.4
million of public money and | 0:29:27 | 0:29:32 | |
constituents' money was handed over
to private operators, while | 0:29:32 | 0:29:35 | |
passengers were forced to pay over
the to travel. How much more public | 0:29:35 | 0:29:40 | |
money will be passed to these failed
rail operators? What the party | 0:29:40 | 0:29:44 | |
opposite fail to understand - less
than £3 in every £100 that is spent | 0:29:44 | 0:29:50 | |
on the railways remains with the
companies. The rest is going into | 0:29:50 | 0:29:54 | |
the biggest infrastructure
programme, better services, new | 0:29:54 | 0:29:56 | |
trains. Improvements that people
could only dream of in 13 years of | 0:29:56 | 0:30:02 | |
labour but pro-government but which
they are getting under the | 0:30:02 | 0:30:04 | |
Conservatives.
That is certainly no apology to our | 0:30:04 | 0:30:10 | |
constituents. Is lack of due
diligence has caused chief executive | 0:30:10 | 0:30:13 | |
David Brown of the embattled
southern rail fame to announce he | 0:30:13 | 0:30:16 | |
has done and, expletive deleted,
good job and he will bid again for | 0:30:16 | 0:30:24 | |
the next franchise contracts. Virgin
and Stagecoach will do the same. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:27 | |
These companies are on a huge gravy
train at the expense of taxpayers so | 0:30:27 | 0:30:33 | |
why is the Secretary of State being
held to ransom and even prepared to | 0:30:33 | 0:30:36 | |
consider rewarding their failure?
When she talks about a private gravy | 0:30:36 | 0:30:44 | |
train, I would encourage her to go
and look at the conversation that | 0:30:44 | 0:30:47 | |
the French prime minister had about
his state railway. Use of the | 0:30:47 | 0:30:52 | |
dilapidated network, delays, abysmal
debt... The situation is alarming, | 0:30:52 | 0:30:55 | |
not to say untenable. The French pay
more and more for a public service | 0:30:55 | 0:31:00 | |
that pays less and less well. So
what I would stay to her | 0:31:00 | 0:31:04 | |
constituents is that I'm delighted
that the people of York are going to | 0:31:04 | 0:31:07 | |
see every single train that serves
their station replaced as new or | 0:31:07 | 0:31:12 | |
with brand-new trains over the next
12 to 18 months, a change they | 0:31:12 | 0:31:16 | |
haven't seen for decades. During the
franchise process, business cases | 0:31:16 | 0:31:22 | |
got a lot of focus. The Virgin
Trains East Coast contact was | 0:31:22 | 0:31:31 | |
mentioned earlier. Being a member of
the Public Accounts Committee and | 0:31:31 | 0:31:34 | |
present about hearing, I can say
that the franchisee Holder said that | 0:31:34 | 0:31:37 | |
although the figures were not what
he was expecting, they were not an | 0:31:37 | 0:31:41 | |
insurmountable barrier to the
franchise working and he quoted the | 0:31:41 | 0:31:44 | |
Scottish referendum and Brexit and a
declining trend of passenger figures | 0:31:44 | 0:31:49 | |
as a real reason why the franchise
failed. Can I asked my right | 0:31:49 | 0:31:52 | |
vulnerable friend that when
franchises across the country are | 0:31:52 | 0:31:55 | |
being looked at in the future, he
encourages companies to take a broad | 0:31:55 | 0:32:00 | |
range of dynamic scenario planning
so they get accurate figures? He | 0:32:00 | 0:32:04 | |
makes an important point and what I
would say is that we are now | 0:32:04 | 0:32:07 | |
migrating to franchise systems that
are much more focused on quality. It | 0:32:07 | 0:32:11 | |
is my view that the quality of
service will drive revenues as much | 0:32:11 | 0:32:15 | |
as anything else. We will see a very
different approach where we don't | 0:32:15 | 0:32:19 | |
necessarily take the highest bid but
are looking for high-quality and the | 0:32:19 | 0:32:22 | |
bits and looking to be prudent about
the mechanisms so this doesn't | 0:32:22 | 0:32:27 | |
happen again. Since becoming road
safety minister I have met several | 0:32:27 | 0:32:33 | |
times with the honourable gentleman
and often with the broad range of | 0:32:33 | 0:32:40 | |
road safety organisations. Those
institutions include RoSPA, the | 0:32:40 | 0:32:47 | |
RSPCA and others. I come say he is
keenly interested in this subject | 0:32:47 | 0:32:57 | |
but isn't it still that there are
1720 knocks on the door where a | 0:32:57 | 0:33:02 | |
police man or woman knocks on the
door and says, "Your daughter, son, | 0:33:02 | 0:33:08 | |
mum, dad, grandfather, are dead".
That is the truth so we can't be | 0:33:08 | 0:33:13 | |
complacent. Can we look at having an
investigatory body in investigating | 0:33:13 | 0:33:17 | |
every death on the road and could
she Daughtry oversees developer and | 0:33:17 | 0:33:22 | |
colleagues of his? 1.3 million
people worldwide die every year. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:25 | |
Isn't it time we did something to
help them? As he will know we are | 0:33:25 | 0:33:31 | |
very closely involved in supporting
nations around the world and raising | 0:33:31 | 0:33:34 | |
road safety standards and he has
been involved in that himself. With | 0:33:34 | 0:33:38 | |
regards to a national body, we have
looked at that and I am sure he will | 0:33:38 | 0:33:42 | |
take some comfort from the fact that
only today we are laying regulations | 0:33:42 | 0:33:47 | |
that will allow driving instructors
to undertake motorway driving with | 0:33:47 | 0:33:51 | |
learners and that is part of a much
wider push back in order to improve | 0:33:51 | 0:33:55 | |
better driving quality and reduce
fertility is. The previous Transport | 0:33:55 | 0:34:04 | |
Committee's June 2016 inquiry into
all in running concluded that a % | 0:34:04 | 0:34:09 | |
noncompliance with signals was an
acceptable and in its response the | 0:34:09 | 0:34:14 | |
Government agreed, promising to
tackle it threw up, racial education | 0:34:14 | 0:34:18 | |
and enforcement. This January the
chief executive of highways England | 0:34:18 | 0:34:21 | |
wrote to me with an update stating,
"We have reduced compliance whoa | 0:34:21 | 0:34:29 | |
noncompliance to 8%." How can it be
acceptable for the government to | 0:34:29 | 0:34:32 | |
continue to roll out all lame
running when it appears to have made | 0:34:32 | 0:34:35 | |
zero process on reducing these
dangerous driving offences? A survey | 0:34:35 | 0:34:40 | |
has been done on all in running
which shows that if anything it may | 0:34:40 | 0:34:43 | |
be more safe than the previous
arrangements and that is something | 0:34:43 | 0:34:48 | |
to be welcomed. As regards her
point, we will be looking at that. | 0:34:48 | 0:34:54 | |
Does he not recognise the
correlation between his government's | 0:34:54 | 0:35:00 | |
decision to scrap road safety
targets introduced by Labour and the | 0:35:00 | 0:35:04 | |
failure to reduce the number of
those seriously injured or killed on | 0:35:04 | 0:35:08 | |
our roads? I'm a little reluctant to
get into statistics came with the | 0:35:08 | 0:35:14 | |
honourable gentleman but he will be
aware that road fatalities fell by | 0:35:14 | 0:35:19 | |
four % last time it was mentioned,
to September 17, and those overall | 0:35:19 | 0:35:29 | |
road injuries fell by five
percentage of the picture is a mixed | 0:35:29 | 0:35:32 | |
one and generally heading in the
right direction. | 0:35:32 | 0:35:39 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. On December
2015, the Department for Transport | 0:35:39 | 0:35:43 | |
published the road safety statement
Working Together To Build A Safer | 0:35:43 | 0:35:50 | |
Roads System, and it is working
towards its objectives and I am | 0:35:50 | 0:35:54 | |
pleased to announce specifically
today the department has announced a | 0:35:54 | 0:35:58 | |
specific study on the third attempt
on our side to understand the | 0:35:58 | 0:36:04 | |
relationship between tyre
degradation and tyre safety. Two | 0:36:04 | 0:36:08 | |
other attempts were made to
commissioners research. The guidance | 0:36:08 | 0:36:12 | |
given has been very effective but
that marks a further move towards | 0:36:12 | 0:36:15 | |
road safety. Julian and Jill Smith
in my constituency tragically lost | 0:36:15 | 0:36:22 | |
their daughter Rhiannon nearly a
year ago in a road collision and are | 0:36:22 | 0:36:25 | |
now campaigning for better
preventative action. Can I agree | 0:36:25 | 0:36:29 | |
with my friend and asked that the
Minister looks seriously at cause by | 0:36:29 | 0:36:34 | |
campaign groups like Break to make
sure the nationwide crash | 0:36:34 | 0:36:39 | |
investigation Branch is established?
As the honourable lady says, this is | 0:36:39 | 0:36:47 | |
obviously a tragic incident for the
family concerned and one's heart | 0:36:47 | 0:36:52 | |
goes out to them. As I said to her
colleague we continued to look | 0:36:52 | 0:36:57 | |
closely at setting up such a
national body. In the last 15 years | 0:36:57 | 0:37:01 | |
there have been 340 casualties on
the notorious A417. That follows 140 | 0:37:01 | 0:37:08 | |
accidents in the last five years
alone. Will my right honourable | 0:37:08 | 0:37:12 | |
friend join me in warmly welcoming
the landmark we have reached of the | 0:37:12 | 0:37:16 | |
consultation stage on the short
listed new road schemes, and does he | 0:37:16 | 0:37:20 | |
agree with me that by backing this
project this government is committed | 0:37:20 | 0:37:24 | |
to saving lives in Gloucestershire's
roads? Of course I welcome mat and, | 0:37:24 | 0:37:30 | |
as he will be aware, it has been the
product of a great deal of hard work | 0:37:30 | 0:37:36 | |
by local campaigners and the
department over a considerable | 0:37:36 | 0:37:38 | |
period of time. With the Minister
consider introducing or reducing the | 0:37:38 | 0:37:43 | |
drink-drive limit? The reduction in
Northern Ireland and Scotland has | 0:37:43 | 0:37:49 | |
led to less deaths on the road and
less work for police. It seems the | 0:37:49 | 0:37:53 | |
most obvious thing to do. We
continue to keep the situation under | 0:37:53 | 0:37:58 | |
review and, of course, he will be
aware that there have been moves in | 0:37:58 | 0:38:03 | |
that direction in Scotland and as
that policy works its way through, | 0:38:03 | 0:38:06 | |
we will continue to look closely at
the issue. Number 13. Thank you, Mr | 0:38:06 | 0:38:16 | |
Speaker. The department published
its latest statistics on road | 0:38:16 | 0:38:19 | |
conditions in England. That shows
that local road conditions in | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
January of this year... That shows
the local classified roads are | 0:38:22 | 0:38:30 | |
improving, fewer local roads
continue with maintenance but there | 0:38:30 | 0:38:31 | |
is much ado, which is why the
government maintains record levels | 0:38:31 | 0:38:36 | |
Tautai wave maintenance up to 2021
as well as having an action fund to | 0:38:36 | 0:38:41 | |
counteract potholes totalling £296
million in this Parliament. I would | 0:38:41 | 0:38:48 | |
like to thank him for that answer.
He will be aware that a council has | 0:38:48 | 0:38:56 | |
submitted an effective business case
for the funding of the north-west | 0:38:56 | 0:38:59 | |
relief road in Shrewsbury which is
the final bit of the circular Road | 0:38:59 | 0:39:02 | |
around our town. What steps is he
taking to ensure that the scheme is | 0:39:02 | 0:39:06 | |
looked upon favourably? I absolutely
aware of that and my honourable | 0:39:06 | 0:39:12 | |
friend has been a tireless
campaigner for this road over the | 0:39:12 | 0:39:14 | |
years. I can assure him that we
recognise the concern he indicates. | 0:39:14 | 0:39:20 | |
The department has received the
funding bid for the Shrewsbury | 0:39:20 | 0:39:24 | |
Northwest relief road and it is
being actively and currently | 0:39:24 | 0:39:29 | |
considered. The Government was
intending to close the driving test | 0:39:29 | 0:39:33 | |
centre in Pontypridd and move it to
Llantrisant, which will make it far | 0:39:33 | 0:39:36 | |
more inconvenient for people in the
Rhondda, one of the most floristry | 0:39:36 | 0:39:42 | |
constituencies in the land, probably
make it more cost-effective for | 0:39:42 | 0:39:44 | |
people to learn how to drive safely
and will put the driving centre in a | 0:39:44 | 0:39:48 | |
blaze which doesn't have suitable
roads to be able to do the test | 0:39:48 | 0:39:51 | |
properly. Will he look again at
closing the Pontypridd driving test | 0:39:51 | 0:39:55 | |
centre, please? What is called the
Art of shoehorning in... He did do | 0:39:55 | 0:40:04 | |
it mostly. We congratulate the
honourable gentleman on his | 0:40:04 | 0:40:06 | |
ingenuity. Style is everything in
these matters, one wonders, or | 0:40:06 | 0:40:13 | |
whether content should have a place.
The answer to that question is that | 0:40:13 | 0:40:16 | |
we will continue to look at it but I
doubt that it will change. That is | 0:40:16 | 0:40:21 | |
shopping! -- shocking. In the 2016
/17 financial year the department | 0:40:21 | 0:40:32 | |
spent almost £2.5 million on
supporting the community transport | 0:40:32 | 0:40:37 | |
sector through the bus service
operators Grant and since January | 0:40:37 | 0:40:40 | |
2013 it is devote approximately £2.9
billion -- it has devolved | 0:40:40 | 0:40:50 | |
approximately £2.5 million. The
consultation closes on the 4th of | 0:40:50 | 0:40:55 | |
May. I thank him for that answer. He
will know that there is a very real | 0:40:55 | 0:41:02 | |
threat to the future of some
operators from the changes he is | 0:41:02 | 0:41:05 | |
consulting on. What more can he do
to protect existing use of permits, | 0:41:05 | 0:41:10 | |
rather than require what are
generally small local charities to | 0:41:10 | 0:41:13 | |
go through the full commercial
status? | 0:41:13 | 0:41:18 | |
I have spent a lot of time working
with the bodies responsible for the | 0:41:18 | 0:41:25 | |
sector and local transport
organisations and take my hat off to | 0:41:25 | 0:41:27 | |
the work that they do in the way of
social care and transport can join. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:36 | |
In the document I'm sure you have
read he will recall that we have | 0:41:36 | 0:41:39 | |
laid out three potential exemptions
on which we are consulting, showing | 0:41:39 | 0:41:48 | |
there is no condition in specific
cases in local transport, a | 0:41:48 | 0:41:53 | |
potential distance exemptions, and
the separation of commercial and | 0:41:53 | 0:41:59 | |
non-commercial activities. We expect
these to receive comments and | 0:41:59 | 0:42:07 | |
feedback will stop I understand what
he talked about taking his hat off. | 0:42:07 | 0:42:20 | |
And I don't understand whether he
would do that in this weather. Many | 0:42:20 | 0:42:24 | |
operators use diesel vehicles so
what recommendations as the UK | 0:42:24 | 0:42:28 | |
Government made to the German
government so that the false Lagan | 0:42:28 | 0:42:31 | |
are held to account. It is a Rhondda
valet volley Valley by proxy. We | 0:42:31 | 0:42:43 | |
continue to press the German
government hard on that issue and | 0:42:43 | 0:42:48 | |
regard the behaviour from Volkswagen
as unacceptable. We are improving | 0:42:48 | 0:42:51 | |
the emissions regime and toughening
testing regimes and taking active | 0:42:51 | 0:42:58 | |
steps to penalised. Number 16. In
the East Midlands 7 billion has been | 0:42:58 | 0:43:13 | |
sent on transport since 2010. Title
that is improved, reduce congestion | 0:43:13 | 0:43:19 | |
and transporting people ideas and
goods. In Derbyshire and | 0:43:19 | 0:43:24 | |
Nottinghamshire this has included
£371 million government for | 0:43:24 | 0:43:28 | |
extensions to the Nottingham tram
system and 4.5 million for the new | 0:43:28 | 0:43:33 | |
statesman at Ulverston. Indeed, the
government have a proud record of | 0:43:33 | 0:43:38 | |
transport infrastructure and we have
seen more transport infrastructure | 0:43:38 | 0:43:41 | |
in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
planned over these ten years than | 0:43:41 | 0:43:45 | |
there has been ever undertaken by
the government and I welcome the | 0:43:45 | 0:43:50 | |
proposals will be a 38 and smart
motorways, and for Derby stations | 0:43:50 | 0:43:58 | |
and Nottingham stations. Can I
suggest you my honourable friend we | 0:43:58 | 0:44:03 | |
look at other products like smaller
projects which will make a vast | 0:44:03 | 0:44:09 | |
improvement and fully bid for the
Ashbourne bypass. Mark Annable | 0:44:09 | 0:44:15 | |
friend for Doctor Dale 's has been a
great advocate of transport as a | 0:44:15 | 0:44:21 | |
previous Mr in the department. He
has investigated a large upgrade. It | 0:44:21 | 0:44:30 | |
is important to assess the
particular project in Ashbourne and | 0:44:30 | 0:44:39 | |
if the council applies for
government funding we will consider | 0:44:39 | 0:44:41 | |
their bid. He wasn't merely a
minister in the department, but the | 0:44:41 | 0:44:47 | |
secretary of state, the Right
honourable gentleman of notable | 0:44:47 | 0:44:52 | |
industry and distinction. Mr Dennis
Skinner. The previous speaker... | 0:44:52 | 0:45:02 | |
Said a lot of things about the
possibilities of getting extra money | 0:45:02 | 0:45:05 | |
spent in Derbyshire. What he failed
to do and it is very important is | 0:45:05 | 0:45:13 | |
that when the electrification of the
Midland line was put forward in the | 0:45:13 | 0:45:18 | |
house it was decided that it would
only go as far as Kettering and | 0:45:18 | 0:45:23 | |
Corby. What I am saying to the
honourable minister of transport is | 0:45:23 | 0:45:32 | |
should it not be the question now of
having the wholesale electrification | 0:45:32 | 0:45:38 | |
of the Midland line meaning people
in Derbyshire will be better off as | 0:45:38 | 0:45:44 | |
a result. I apologise for my earlier
mistake and I apologise to my right | 0:45:44 | 0:45:51 | |
honourable friend as well resign!
LAUGHTER | 0:45:51 | 0:46:03 | |
That is not just Right now but I
will consider it in the future. I | 0:46:03 | 0:46:08 | |
was expecting a HS2 question. Oh
you're saving it? Wonderful. Maybe | 0:46:08 | 0:46:17 | |
even ignored Jin jobs coming along
the line but is talking about | 0:46:17 | 0:46:20 | |
electric occasions Labour 2007 rail
strategy said it would not be | 0:46:20 | 0:46:25 | |
prudent to commit to order thing
products such as network-wide | 0:46:25 | 0:46:31 | |
notification for which longer-term
benefits are currently uncertain and | 0:46:31 | 0:46:33 | |
which could delay capacity. It would
deliver for the taxpayer. 2016 and | 0:46:33 | 0:46:49 | |
2021 will see the use Midlands
received 3.2% of investment. This is | 0:46:49 | 0:46:58 | |
exacerbated by the electrification
cancellation on mainline. It is | 0:46:58 | 0:47:00 | |
wanted by the mainline and
communities and the environment and | 0:47:00 | 0:47:06 | |
why are the ministers the only ones
who don't understand this? We | 0:47:06 | 0:47:15 | |
haven't yet fairly put out what we
will be doing in that | 0:47:15 | 0:47:20 | |
electrification but I would like to
point out that sometimes the | 0:47:20 | 0:47:23 | |
information is shared isn't
absolutely accurate. The government | 0:47:23 | 0:47:27 | |
has supported the Midlands and not
just aged this to investing in | 0:47:27 | 0:47:32 | |
motorways and trunk roads but £24
million to develop and progress | 0:47:32 | 0:47:40 | |
translational strategies across the
Midlands with Midlands collect. -- | 0:47:40 | 0:47:42 | |
connect. The honourable members who
missed out on substantive questions | 0:47:42 | 0:47:47 | |
can seek to catch my eye on topical
questions. Sir Henry Bellingham. | 0:47:47 | 0:47:52 | |
Secretary of state. The space bill
is now completed through Parliament | 0:47:52 | 0:47:59 | |
and I would like to extend my thanks
to all involved on both sides on the | 0:47:59 | 0:48:04 | |
debate and it was a debate conducted
in good humour on both sides of the | 0:48:04 | 0:48:07 | |
house and we both share the
aspiration of the bill for the | 0:48:07 | 0:48:11 | |
commercial sector in the UK. As the
Secretary of State aware that both | 0:48:11 | 0:48:18 | |
Network Rail and Govia Thameslink
are committed to ensuring that eight | 0:48:18 | 0:48:23 | |
carriage trains are introduced
between Cambridge and Kingsley by | 0:48:23 | 0:48:28 | |
the end of the year. It is vital to
reduce congestion and will he make | 0:48:28 | 0:48:32 | |
sure that the commitment is
honoured? I will certainly do that, | 0:48:32 | 0:48:37 | |
and also recommit to the
improvements needed in Ely which are | 0:48:37 | 0:48:41 | |
absolutely essential and unlocking
growth and the element. Since 1979 | 0:48:41 | 0:48:50 | |
the distinctive yellow and green
minibuses of Ealing community | 0:48:50 | 0:48:55 | |
transport have provided a vital
lifeline for the disabled and | 0:48:55 | 0:48:58 | |
elderly of the borough but now
change government guidance threatens | 0:48:58 | 0:49:04 | |
the very existence of the social
enterprise. A delegation of drivers | 0:49:04 | 0:49:10 | |
came to see me nearly in tears as
pensioners themselves again I have | 0:49:10 | 0:49:14 | |
the time or inclination to retrain
for the new license. Will he think | 0:49:14 | 0:49:19 | |
again? As she will be aware it is
currently asked to question. As I | 0:49:19 | 0:49:28 | |
have indicated there are many
workarounds on this is you and there | 0:49:28 | 0:49:32 | |
are no reasons for any community
transport company to be adverse | 0:49:32 | 0:49:34 | |
first the worried. There may be some
players operating in a commercial | 0:49:34 | 0:49:42 | |
wave that that is how the matter
rests and that is what we will do | 0:49:42 | 0:49:46 | |
shall try to do. It is wonderful
that new technologically superior | 0:49:46 | 0:49:53 | |
trains are being introduced on
Britain's railways yet many | 0:49:53 | 0:49:57 | |
passengers are complaining that some
of these trains have seats that are | 0:49:57 | 0:50:02 | |
cramps and uncomfortable. We don't
want to have Ryanair on the tracks. | 0:50:02 | 0:50:06 | |
With the Minister do all he can that
the specifications include passenger | 0:50:06 | 0:50:12 | |
comfort at the heart. Mr Speaker
train seating is required to address | 0:50:12 | 0:50:20 | |
both the comfort of passengers and
to conform to relevant design | 0:50:20 | 0:50:22 | |
standards which include addressing
fire safety and crashworthiness. We | 0:50:22 | 0:50:30 | |
don't want people to bring in
available questions and my wonderful | 0:50:30 | 0:50:33 | |
friend will take comfort in the fact
that seeds become comfortable over | 0:50:33 | 0:50:41 | |
use. It has now been over 800 faces
the government -- data says the | 0:50:41 | 0:50:52 | |
government promised to research a
law on pavement parking. Can we | 0:50:52 | 0:50:56 | |
update this? We will update later in
the spring. Last weekend, completely | 0:50:56 | 0:51:03 | |
unrelated to the current weather,
there were dangerous scenes and this | 0:51:03 | 0:51:11 | |
might be be extremely good
investment programme that is going | 0:51:11 | 0:51:13 | |
on but what has the Minister to say
on these? Clearly what took place | 0:51:13 | 0:51:23 | |
last Sunday was unacceptable and on
behalf often I apologise and we have | 0:51:23 | 0:51:27 | |
made our views known to the company
in the strongest possible terms. The | 0:51:27 | 0:51:33 | |
companies is putting arrangements in
place to compensate. Last Friday I | 0:51:33 | 0:51:43 | |
arranged a site meeting between
Network Rail at the YMCA south | 0:51:43 | 0:51:46 | |
London to talk about an abandoned
strip of land owned by Network Rail | 0:51:46 | 0:51:53 | |
in Mitch and the hope that the YMCA
good provide great free have -- | 0:51:53 | 0:51:59 | |
pre-arranged housing on that land
for young people. How can we | 0:51:59 | 0:52:04 | |
encourage the Network Rail to use
all those scraps of land to the | 0:52:04 | 0:52:07 | |
benefit of everyone? I would happily
meet her with the honourable lady to | 0:52:07 | 0:52:12 | |
discuss this issue to make sure that
we use all of the opportunities the | 0:52:12 | 0:52:19 | |
Network Rail has two bit scraps of
lands to good use whether they are | 0:52:19 | 0:52:22 | |
for housing or walkway or psyching
purposes and I will happily meet | 0:52:22 | 0:52:28 | |
with her to discuss that. What is
the Department doing to help more | 0:52:28 | 0:52:35 | |
people cycle safely as happens in
cities like Amsterdam and | 0:52:35 | 0:52:38 | |
Copenhagen, especially given the
startling revelation to the joint | 0:52:38 | 0:52:42 | |
air quality select committee by
Professor Stephen Holgate that | 0:52:42 | 0:52:47 | |
drivers and passengers are inhaling
up to ten times more poor air | 0:52:47 | 0:52:51 | |
quality than cyclists and
pedestrians on the street? Well, the | 0:52:51 | 0:52:57 | |
answer to that question is a great
deal and with more to come. I was | 0:52:57 | 0:53:01 | |
very pleased to be able to meet and
go to the APPG which he chairs | 0:53:01 | 0:53:09 | |
meeting with Chris Boardman and an
excellent example of individual | 0:53:09 | 0:53:15 | |
initiative in Manchester can drive
great change. We have a cycle safety | 0:53:15 | 0:53:18 | |
review coming up looking at a very
wide range of issues relating to | 0:53:18 | 0:53:22 | |
cycling including some impacts and
some of the recent information and | 0:53:22 | 0:53:27 | |
as he says it is good for the body
and soul of people who do it. Thank | 0:53:27 | 0:53:35 | |
you Mr Speaker. Cheshire Oaks in my
constituency is a great success | 0:53:35 | 0:53:40 | |
story in increased investment in 300
jobs there but if you live another | 0:53:40 | 0:53:44 | |
part of the constituency there are
no buses go to there. This is a | 0:53:44 | 0:53:52 | |
sorry state of affairs, people
should be able to get into work. Bus | 0:53:52 | 0:53:55 | |
services and frequencies, what
journeys people take and how | 0:53:55 | 0:54:02 | |
frequently those services are run, I
would urge him to discuss this with | 0:54:02 | 0:54:06 | |
local authorities instead who should
be discussing this or taking it | 0:54:06 | 0:54:09 | |
forward with the local bus service
providers. I am extremely grateful | 0:54:09 | 0:54:15 | |
for the secretary of state recently
visiting my constituency of | 0:54:15 | 0:54:19 | |
Stoke-on-Trent South and I was
pleased to give him the | 0:54:19 | 0:54:23 | |
Stoke-on-Trent HS2 supply. Could my
honourable friend updates in the | 0:54:23 | 0:54:30 | |
house on the plans for a jest and
Stoke-on-Trent? I want to put it on | 0:54:30 | 0:54:36 | |
record to put Stoke in receipt of a
service when double opens. The local | 0:54:36 | 0:54:46 | |
authority as planned big things for
the station and I want to work with | 0:54:46 | 0:54:51 | |
him and the local authority to take
forward. The western side of the 60 | 0:54:51 | 0:54:59 | |
is upgrading to smart motorways, it
has in gridlock and horror for the | 0:54:59 | 0:55:07 | |
traffic on a daily basis and even
now we still see the 50 limit but | 0:55:07 | 0:55:11 | |
moved. When will we see progress on
this most of the network? I know | 0:55:11 | 0:55:16 | |
they are taking longer than intended
and we want to get this resolved as | 0:55:16 | 0:55:21 | |
possible. It is only because as
someone who travels from time to | 0:55:21 | 0:55:25 | |
time to Old Trafford that the area
is surrounded by roadworks on the | 0:55:25 | 0:55:28 | |
motorway and with the new extension
of the metrolink but I will hope | 0:55:28 | 0:55:32 | |
that he sees that the government is
since the process of resource saying | 0:55:32 | 0:55:39 | |
magister and the greater magister
area. He will know from our previous | 0:55:39 | 0:55:43 | |
conversations that people have
waited too long to see improvements | 0:55:43 | 0:55:48 | |
on the rail link in Plymouth. When
can the people of Plymouth sees | 0:55:48 | 0:55:54 | |
something delivered? Some work
complete, an Dawlish, which is his | 0:55:54 | 0:55:58 | |
number one responsibility. | 0:55:58 | 0:56:05 | |
Protecting the line at Dawlish is a
national priority of utmost | 0:56:05 | 0:56:08 | |
importance and I am determined to
find a permanent solution for this | 0:56:08 | 0:56:13 | |
vital connection. £15 million
funding has been provided to Network | 0:56:13 | 0:56:17 | |
Rail to take this forward and
planning and development work is | 0:56:17 | 0:56:19 | |
well under way to talk there will be
no unnecessary delay and we will | 0:56:19 | 0:56:23 | |
complete this work as soon as we can
within the law. Very good to see the | 0:56:23 | 0:56:27 | |
honourable gentleman the Member for
Hove back in his place. There is one | 0:56:27 | 0:56:31 | |
set of tracks and one rail link
between London and Brighton but | 0:56:31 | 0:56:38 | |
there are three separate pricing
strategies. Can I urge the Secretary | 0:56:38 | 0:56:47 | |
of State to introduce the lower one,
which could be done without | 0:56:47 | 0:56:52 | |
technical changes whatsoever and
have a transformative impact on | 0:56:52 | 0:56:55 | |
passengers who have suffered so much
in the last few years? We are | 0:56:55 | 0:57:00 | |
working our way through the
recommendations of the Gibb report | 0:57:00 | 0:57:04 | |
and firstly the automation of
ticketing, which are because a | 0:57:04 | 0:57:07 | |
prerequisite of broad affairs reform
which is necessary. He will be aware | 0:57:07 | 0:57:12 | |
that a smart card has launched
across the network. During the | 0:57:12 | 0:57:21 | |
recent appalling weather,
Worcestershire County Council has | 0:57:21 | 0:57:23 | |
been sharing information about where
the nearest... Will the Secretary of | 0:57:23 | 0:57:29 | |
State join me in praising them for
helping residents with the appalling | 0:57:29 | 0:57:36 | |
conditions? I absolutely praise them
and I'm delighted we have ample | 0:57:36 | 0:57:39 | |
stocks of snow on hand to do with
the current inconveniences. Let me | 0:57:39 | 0:57:45 | |
say that not least of the joys of
this particular scheme and approach | 0:57:45 | 0:57:48 | |
is that it opens the way to
Herefordshire, a place that I know | 0:57:48 | 0:57:52 | |
the House will wish to visit on
regular occasions. The Secretary of | 0:57:52 | 0:57:57 | |
State will be aware that no money
was spent in CP five period in | 0:57:57 | 0:58:04 | |
support enhancements to the rail
infrastructure in North Wales. | 0:58:04 | 0:58:07 | |
Having seen the unanimity from North
Wales and north-west England on | 0:58:07 | 0:58:10 | |
Monday of this week, does he not
accept that our time has come in | 0:58:10 | 0:58:16 | |
terms of cross-border rail
investment? I would like to praise | 0:58:16 | 0:58:22 | |
my right honourable friend for the
work he has done for bringing it | 0:58:22 | 0:58:28 | |
together and to thank the members
from North Wales who attended. I | 0:58:28 | 0:58:32 | |
gave a clear indication of the
government's sympathy around the | 0:58:32 | 0:58:36 | |
need for the hub in Crewe and the
resembling that will take place that | 0:58:36 | 0:58:44 | |
will improve the performance and we
are carrying out a study about how | 0:58:44 | 0:58:48 | |
we deliver a proper service. Under
this government the time has come | 0:58:48 | 0:58:55 | |
for proper investment. Can the
Minister assure me that in assessing | 0:58:55 | 0:59:03 | |
the feedback from his current
consultation his number one | 0:59:03 | 0:59:06 | |
objective will be to put the future
of organisations on a long-term | 0:59:06 | 0:59:13 | |
financial footing? I can absolutely
assure him that book goal has always | 0:59:13 | 0:59:22 | |
been to do that to the benefit of
the transport sector. Arrest and his | 0:59:22 | 0:59:30 | |
predecessor have been supportive of
my safety campaign and a hashtag | 0:59:30 | 0:59:35 | |
campaign following us tragic death
in 2014. Would he agree with me that | 0:59:35 | 0:59:41 | |
the hallways permits and trailer
registration bill offers a fantastic | 0:59:41 | 0:59:46 | |
opportunity to highlight the
importance trailer safety? I | 0:59:46 | 0:59:50 | |
absolutely recognise the campaign
she has fought and I think it is | 0:59:50 | 0:59:53 | |
very worthwhile. I slightly doubt
whether it is in fact the case | 0:59:53 | 0:59:59 | |
that... An attempt will be made
within the rules but this is a very | 0:59:59 | 1:00:02 | |
narrowly defined piece of
legislation that focuses very | 1:00:02 | 1:00:06 | |
specifically on permit thing and
trailer registration server may not | 1:00:06 | 1:00:09 | |
be scope to add other things but I
would be delighted to talk to her | 1:00:09 | 1:00:13 | |
about the campaign. The need for a
boost to West Oxfordshire transport | 1:00:13 | 1:00:22 | |
is now a cute. Wilderness to agree
to make it happen? The A40 is one of | 1:00:22 | 1:00:29 | |
the roads that could potentially
benefit from a major road network. | 1:00:29 | 1:00:35 | |
They will deal with this
second-tier... But will fall through | 1:00:35 | 1:00:40 | |
the cracks between local
authorities... My expectation is | 1:00:40 | 1:00:47 | |
that he and his local authority will
be beating a path to my door when | 1:00:47 | 1:00:52 | |
the funding is first released. But I
would say that the railway line is | 1:00:52 | 1:00:55 | |
getting new trains much sooner than
that, which I hope will be of | 1:00:55 | 1:00:59 | |
benefit to his constituents.
Ministers say they want to reduce | 1:00:59 | 1:01:05 | |
roadside emissions so will he listen
to calls for investment in rail | 1:01:05 | 1:01:16 | |
freight as an answer to a problem?
This is precisely why I have very | 1:01:16 | 1:01:23 | |
pleased to have started work on the
Skipton railway line tit of this | 1:01:23 | 1:01:29 | |
could provide a rail link across the
Pennines. Is a matter of frustration | 1:01:29 | 1:01:33 | |
that it takes eight to nine hours
for a freight train to go from the | 1:01:33 | 1:01:38 | |
port of Liverpool to the freight
train at Drax. This is one route | 1:01:38 | 1:01:42 | |
that could deliver improvements and
I am looking forward to the end of | 1:01:42 | 1:01:45 | |
the year. | 1:01:45 | 1:01:47 | |
This week of all weeks rail
passengers want up-to-date | 1:01:50 | 1:01:53 | |
information about delays and
cancellations. South-eastern trains' | 1:01:53 | 1:01:58 | |
website has failed to provide any
line time updates in any single hour | 1:01:58 | 1:02:04 | |
of this week, today included. Will
he bear that in mind when the | 1:02:04 | 1:02:07 | |
franchise comes up for renewal? Here
a powerful champion for his | 1:02:07 | 1:02:15 | |
constituents and is right to expect
that the company provides prompt and | 1:02:15 | 1:02:19 | |
accurate and timely information so
that passengers can have the journey | 1:02:19 | 1:02:22 | |
quality they deserve. My constituent
Jim Irving who was active all his | 1:02:22 | 1:02:30 | |
life now suffers with motor neurone
disease and, like many, relies on | 1:02:30 | 1:02:35 | |
his mobility scooter for
independence. Scooters are currently | 1:02:35 | 1:02:38 | |
banned from the Tyne & Wear Metro.
What will the Secretary of State do | 1:02:38 | 1:02:43 | |
to remedy this and will he give
assurances that our new promised | 1:02:43 | 1:02:46 | |
rolling stock will improve provision
for scooters? As she will rightly | 1:02:46 | 1:02:52 | |
know it is absolutely time that we
improve the rolling stock on Metro. | 1:02:52 | 1:03:04 | |
It is a decision that will be taken
locally about the configurations but | 1:03:04 | 1:03:07 | |
I expect this money to be spent on
disability with compliant rolling | 1:03:07 | 1:03:15 | |
stock to talk Could he give an
update on the progress of | 1:03:15 | 1:03:19 | |
negotiations regarding air
connections with the EU after we | 1:03:19 | 1:03:21 | |
leave next March? The European
commission has published its | 1:03:21 | 1:03:30 | |
negotiating position for aviation
links to drop it is worth saying | 1:03:30 | 1:03:33 | |
there have been a lot of scare
stories around over last few months. | 1:03:33 | 1:03:38 | |
The commission says that in all
circumstances, whether or not we | 1:03:38 | 1:03:41 | |
have a trade or implementation
period, there has to be a | 1:03:41 | 1:03:45 | |
negotiation agreements so the
recommendation on side that the | 1:03:45 | 1:03:47 | |
flights need to come continue, and
I'm at my Spanish counterpart | 1:03:47 | 1:03:55 | |
yesterday and we both agreed it is a
sense of authorised to continue and | 1:03:55 | 1:03:57 | |
we will ensure there is no
disruption. Does the Secretary of | 1:03:57 | 1:04:02 | |
State understand the severe
disappointment and anger from the | 1:04:02 | 1:04:05 | |
far south-west about the rail
strategy published yesterday and now | 1:04:05 | 1:04:08 | |
do the right thing, instead of
spinning the 15 million already | 1:04:08 | 1:04:13 | |
announced, much Labour's two by 5
billion investment from the | 1:04:13 | 1:04:16 | |
south-west? I am not going to take
lessons from a party that did | 1:04:16 | 1:04:22 | |
nothing for transport and the
south-west over a long period. This | 1:04:22 | 1:04:26 | |
government is doing things that
Labour never did. Brand-new trains, | 1:04:26 | 1:04:33 | |
new signals in Cornwall to ensure we
can have new services. We have run | 1:04:33 | 1:04:37 | |
out of time and had some very
competence of answers, for which we | 1:04:37 | 1:04:41 | |
are grateful, but I'm going to take
only two more if they are very short | 1:04:41 | 1:04:44 | |
questions and answers. Will the
Minister please look into the | 1:04:44 | 1:04:51 | |
concerns that the flyover and tunnel
at Stonehenge will damage the | 1:04:51 | 1:04:54 | |
valuable archaeological site at
Brook Mead? He will be interested to | 1:04:54 | 1:04:58 | |
know that I actually sent a message
of welcome to the team that is | 1:04:58 | 1:05:03 | |
looking at Stonehenge of the moment
and we will look at the concerns he | 1:05:03 | 1:05:08 | |
has and he is welcome to write to me
with further details. When is the | 1:05:08 | 1:05:13 | |
government going to catch up with
the rest of the world and take the | 1:05:13 | 1:05:15 | |
opportunity of the quick, easy,
cost-effective way of reducing | 1:05:15 | 1:05:19 | |
transport emissions by introducing E
ten? We have something under review | 1:05:19 | 1:05:27 | |
at the moment it would | 1:05:27 | 1:05:31 |