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alongside my Home Office colleagues. Along with the Prime Minister and my colleagues in this House, I've written to the RNL I to express my support to them. He is absolutely right to say that they represent the
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support and this government will stand behind them every step of the way.
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May our thoughts be with those affected by yesterday's horrific train crash in Spain. I know our Rail Accident Investigation Branch has reached out tofor assistance, and I have written to my counterpart, Minister Puente, to formally offer my condolences.Mr Speaker, yesterday's budget gave families the breathing space they need and transport is no exception. By extending thefuel duty cut to July next year and by lowering the costof using local public EV chargers, we are putting money back in the pockets of Britain's drivers. The budget also confirmed £300 million of total investment to upgradeLeeds station, breathing space today backed by investment for the future, and this builds on the everyday fixes we're already making to improvepeople's journeys, whether it's the 7,000 miles of road resurfaced this year, ending unfair charges for air passengers, cracking down on antisocial behaviour on public transport or the £2 bus fare cap coming back in January. These are just some of the ways we're making everyday journeys better, safer and
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on outsourcing public services in
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I self with the
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The noble Lord.
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So will the Secretary of State meet with recognisedunions to develop a department for
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My hon. Friend is entirely right to raise the opportunity presented by the work being led by the First Secretary of State. I meet with the leadership of the trade unions regularly and I know this issue has already been raisedat the Rail Engagement Group, I would say our lifting of the ban on new municipal bus companies in the bus services act also presents opportunities, and where insourcing drives better outcomes for passengers and better value
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should undoubtedly be looking at it. The Secretary of State, Richard Holden.
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The Secretary of State told this House that the Heathrow expansion was
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Can I associate myself with the comments of the
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national growth. However, on the 27th of September, the Prime Minister said it was principally a matter
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So, Mr Speaker, does she agree with herself, the Prime Minister or her right hon. Friend?
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Mr Speaker, the Government's position on Heathrow expansion was set out in the draft Heathrow expansion national policy statement that we consulted on in the summer. We're working throughthose responses very carefully. He will know that this is a very significant privately financed infrastructure project and it's right
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Select.
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that we look thoroughly at all the evidence, including the independent economic analysis, and looking at the evidence on the really strict tests on climate, noise,and air quality. It's entirely right that the Prime Minister wants to look closely at the detail of such anationally significant project
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EU. He said, we stand by drivers, we stand
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Listen to British Business.
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the unions and British drivers and scrap the ULEZ mandatediscussing British jobs
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and taxpayers
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Mr Speaker, I'd say gently to the right hon. Gentleman that the ZEV mandate is actually the rarest of
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It's a policy brought in by his government that I actually agree with, but sadly after a good start even they managed to mess that up and when we came into office we had to reinstate the 2030tax take for petrol and diesel cars, and it's important that we provide certainty to
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consumers and industry, I believe that approach is working with nearly a third of new cars sold
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up from around a quarter a year ago.
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transport infrastructure infrastructure and to
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Welsh still
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Welsh workers.
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and encourage the use of low carbon materials,
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across the country.
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Let me thank
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on this topic that he raises.
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many communities. We are determined for retailers to clean up their act and I'm keen to explore how we tackle this issue, so I will happy to meet with her
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9,000 more houses coming
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departmental or ministerial group to the
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and pricing
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May I thank her for her question? GTR is working with Network Rail and local partners to
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Following meetings with National Express, next week they are bringing services back to the Monmouth
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on the coach so that he can see how important
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This route is for my
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absolutely fantastic countryside to visit
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Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist.disappointment following WSMR's open access application being rejected over capacity and reliability
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on the West Coast Mann Line. So
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Modernising Avanti will deliver the punctuality improvements and extra pathways needed to
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the Secretary of State
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new services which I include
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I do share the noble lady's disappointment about the decision of the ORR. They can independently make that decision.
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Aldridge railway station
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SMR stopping at
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My department had supported the application for that new direct service that would have also served cities like Shrewsbury. I will be workingwith Network Rail and train operators and GBR when it's established to consider all options for providing new direct services to London alongside that part of the route. Some of the investments that are coming
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in future years could enable that to happen because I know how important it is to her constituents and other travellers in the region.
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Private vehicles are regulated through an
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and fragmented framework, and that's why this government intends to bring forward a draft bill to address this. My officials are also working hard to commence the powers in the
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Community Empowerment Act, which will let enforcement officers suspend any license used in their
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where there are immediate safety concerns.
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. My constituents in Ely and East Cambridgeshire have suffered delays, cancellations,
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And the train's meant to go from London to Ely or King's Lynn terminating early at
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and make our railway more reliable.
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Well, let me thank the noble Lady for her question. We of course recognise the strategic
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We'll actively consider this scheme as further funding opportunities become available and I'll do my level best to ensureShe is involved in those conversations as they progress.
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Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. A
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runway at Gatwick Airport will be a lightning rod for our economy. It will bring a billion pounds in economic benefits and four
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15,000 new jobs, many of which will benefit the South Londoners that I serve.
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With this now having the green light and work about to begin, can I ask
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What support is the government giving this important infrastructure project?
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my hon. Friend for her question, the Government recognizes the importance of this project, which is why we approved the
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and cover the entire GWR
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partnership on the 13th of December, I think presents an opportunity. The hon. Gentleman talks about the importance of things like Wi-Fi, and I hope to have more to say on that in the months ahead because I know how importantand good connectivity is for people who are using our railways.
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. The
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rely on their cars for work purposes. What more is the government doing to help peoplereduce the cost of motoring when it comes to using their vehicles for work purposes.
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Show stay. My hon. Friend is completely right to raise the pressures that motorand businesses are facing at the moment. In addition to the extension of the temporary 5p cut to fuel duty, we're also maintaining the roadtax holiday for heavy goods vehicles until the summer of next year. We're making public charging cheaper for those who've already made the switch to an electric vehicle.
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The village of Icksham in my constituency is sandwiched between Wellingborough and Kettering.
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give a very warm welcome to the Minister to come to Aysham because it's only seeing it
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a very warm welcome to the Minister to come to Aysham because it's only seeing it
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second and uh yes obviously we've invested a record amount of money into our networks and there's
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I'm happy to discuss the issue further with him.
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A young man, Shannon, lost his life at the scene. Will the roads minister meet with me to discussthese incidents and listen
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to Shannon's family's plea for more action on
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Well, can I first of all extend my sympathies to Cheyenne's family and of course I'm happy to meet. I would just at this point
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engaging with bereaved families. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Greedy
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but they are at risk of becoming a talking shop and the ferry companies don't appearbe taking them seriously.
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Can he give us an assurance locally that if the ferry companies don't take this opportunity to improve services andprices, the Government willconsider taking steps to force that
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The hon. Member is determined to achieve better ferry
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his constituents and
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reflects on the cross-Solent group and the work that it's done and the progress that it is making. I am keeping a close watch on its proceedings. I expect
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contribute in meaningful ways to find practical local solutions to these challenges and of courseKeep options under
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going forward, but I would say that in relation to various services, the government does believe that locally led solutions are
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for relocating it and making it safe
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We recognise the impact of coastal erosion affecting Carabal Lane and aware of the plans
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Will ministers meet with me to discuss?
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Ben Houchen to deliver on this, but it clearly is not actually seeing anything happening on the ground, so I'm happy to meet with
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to see what more we can do to encourage him to deliver on this issue. Vikki Slade.
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I'm very sorry to hear the noble Lady
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Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
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constituents having to endure these issues. There have been a number of trials. It's not that straightforward to actuallyisolate the noise we've found, but actually police forces do have powers to to tackle this and I'm happy to write to with further information about what they can do.First Ward.
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Mr Speaker, the A259 coast road runs the entire southern length of my constituency, but daily delays on it are a huge frustration, particularly for constituents in Rottingdean, Telscombeand so what more can the Minister do to unlock promised long-promised upgrades on this road?
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to finally get reform-led East Sussex County Council to put the funding and focus needed to get it over the line.
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. The department recognises the importance of the particular road that the hon. Member has referred to, and we are ready to crack on with this. I would join him
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encouraging the Tory-run uh Lad County Council to actually release the funding necessary to get on with the job.
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Andrew George.
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Perhaps my hon. Friend for North Cornwall mentioned the £57 million which has been allocated.Just a fraction of the money that's spent onchess
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Um,
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Twycross.
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Ruth Cadbury. Speaker, first of all, my
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The Chair of the Transport Select Committee is completely right to highlight the need for increasing the amount of freight that we transport by rail. That's why
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have set a target of growing rail freight by 75% by 2050 with that interim target of 40% by 2040. We aren't publishing a separate rail freight
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in the long-term rail strategy when it's published, and I will expect Great British Railways
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to set out in its first business plan how it will achieve it.
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In respect of seaports, they made
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the suggestion that modest electrification
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Let me thank the hon. Member for his question, and it was a pleasure to visit the Port of Immingham a few months ago. Rail connectivity to our ports, encouraging modal shift, and electrification's role in increasing theefficiency of rail freight growth to our seaports is of real personal interest to me. I'll thereforehappily take this conversation forward with him and think about how we can facilitate better connectivity to our ports through electrification of our railways.
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As I'm at Eaton, Mr Speaker, and I declare an interest as the chair of the APPG on EVs. After more record EV salesThe government's consultation on the ZEV mandate closed last Friday. The mandate affects only 8% of all new car registrationsmanufactured in the UK, so can the Minister set out if the consultation has considered the billions of pounds in private sector investment in domestic lithium extraction, battery manufacturing and charge point infrastructure?Slade.
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with the main operators of charge point infrastructure as well as a meeting with the car manufacturers. We have done a review of the ZEV mandate on which we consulted this summer. The Chancellor has set out our intention torespond to that as a government by Christmas so that we can provide certainty to everyone that is contributing to the EV transition.
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Speaker, the decision in July to abandon plans for the changes to remuneration of Coastguards wasvery warmly welcomed, but that was over three months ago now. Coastguards around the coastline tell me
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absolute radio silence within the MCA since then. There are a number of whistleblowing complaints about the senior executive team which
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So when are we going to hear what the government will do to fix our postcodes? Mr
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and also across the country. I can reassure him that over the summer work has been progressing both on
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Let me thank the hon. Member for his question and for his work to represent both the Coastguard Service in his
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accrued liabilities and future workforce arrangements as it applies to His Majesty's Coastguard. I hopemore to say in the future, but I will maintain my obligation to keep the hon. Member and membersthe House updated as closely as
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can on developments as they unfold.
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I agree with my hon. Friend that his constituents are right to expect a good
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Every day of the week, including Sundays, I can assure him the management of Northern are around the table with the RMT to work together on
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lifeline for rural communities, but the minibus driving test is costly.
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Midas as a route for car drivers to gain a
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in connecting people with communities
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employment, education and essential services such as healthcare. Of course, I'll be more thanI'm happy to meet with the hon. Lady. Marcus Campbell service. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The last train from London to New
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The night is at 11:08 p.m., but the last train from London to Carlisle is at 7:30.
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Now the experiment with train privatization is coming to an end, is it possibly time for a new experiment where the west coast gets the same level of serviceas the East Coast
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and over the course of the next few years there is an opportunity to look again at the timetable because I recognise the importance of those later services leaving
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to his constituency as well as to the constituencies on the other side of the country.Thank you, Mr Speaker. The derailment that happened in the summer between Haywards Heath and Lewes is of great concern to my constituents.
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It happened during a period of very hot, dry weather which caused the ground to crack and dry. I understand that Network Raillooking at ways to change how they maintain embankments and cuttings, but there was no money in the budget yesterday for South East Railways.
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Does the government have a plan to make sure our services are punctual and they are safe?
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I do completely understand why that incident will have been of huge concern to her constituents. We're spending over two and a half billion pounds in this control
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on the railways to address issues to do with climate change mitigation and adaptation. We are awaiting the final report of the Rail
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investigation branch as to the causes of that particular incident. Network Rail took immediate tests immediate steps toinspections across the network to ensure safety and I think the events in Spain yesterday serve as a
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Safety must always be paramount when it comes to our railways.
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6.6 million in new growth funding for Hart.
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In the interests of speed, yes.
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You're doing well, Mike. Auto Mobility are a company in Falkirk designing assistive mobility products for disabled people. They and their customers need certainty that any reforms to light zero emission vehicles regulation will protect access to pavements and roads, not reduce it. Six months after the consultation on powered mobility
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Minister.
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thank the hon. Member for his question and grateful to all hon. Members for engaging with the department on the consultation which we will be responding to.very shortly
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Jenkin.
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whether there's a way to give a nudge to Treasury to make that money available.
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Pilot the peninsula.
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Vikki Slade. My hon. Friend has been an absolutely tireless campaigner on this issue, and I know she depends upon Great Western Railway services, as I do, from
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