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To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 21 October (HL1180), what assessment they have made of the decline in the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed in road policing roles over the last 10 years; and how many (1) traffic collisions, and (2)...
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 21 October (HL1180), what assessment they have made of the decline in the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed in road policing roles over the last 10 years; and how many (1) traffic collisions, and (2)...
The Government has not conducted any such assessment.
As a general rule, how the police enforce the law is a matter for individual Chief Constables who will decide on the deployment of officers in dealing with all the issues for which the force is responsible, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.
My Lords, more than a fifth of the UK’s emissions come from surface transport, primarily from fossil fuel vehicles, so if this new Government value the future of our planet and the health of our nation, they will reconsider road-building plans. I am pleased to hear what the Minister said about that. Will he agree that the priority for government spending on roads should first be with the £20 billion backlog of road repairs, which makes our crumbling roads very dangerous at the moment, in order to put safety first? Will he commit to the completion of the ongoing programme to bring so-called smart motorways up to an acceptable safety standard?
My Lords, more than a fifth of the UK’s emissions come from surface transport, primarily from fossil fuel vehicles, so if this new Government value the future of our planet and the health of our nation, they will reconsider road-building plans. I am pleased to hear what the Minister said about that. Will he agree that the priority for government spending on roads should first be with the £20 billion backlog of road repairs, which makes our crumbling roads very dangerous at the moment, in order to put safety first? Will he commit to the completion of the ongoing programme to bring so-called smart motorways up to an acceptable safety standard?
The point about emissions and the environment will be covered by the capital spend portfolio review. I think potholes are a major part of what the noble Baroness referred to. The state of the roads is pretty disgraceful, and the Government are committed to doing far more on filling potholes and making roads safe than the previous
Government. There will be no more smart motorways, and my understanding is that the programme to modify those already installed will be completed.
My Lords, commissioners were appointed in Birmingham to restore good governance, and good governance usually includes timely decision-making. Does the Minister accept that by leaving this so late, this is poor decision-making that undermines, for instance, initiatives associated with active travel and zero emissions that are necessary to take Birmingham forward in a modern manner?
My Lords, commissioners were appointed in Birmingham to restore good governance, and good governance usually includes timely decision-making. Does the Minister accept that by leaving this so late, this is poor decision-making that undermines, for instance, initiatives associated with active travel and zero emissions that are necessary to take Birmingham forward in a modern manner?
I totally agree with the noble Baroness that it is not ideal—I said that earlier. As I said, this has been bogged down with issues between the contractor and Birmingham City Council. The Government have worked to come up with a solution. That will be announced imminently and, hopefully, we will be able to get under way with a new contract.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Commissioners appointed to oversee the responsibilities of Birmingham City Council are intending to accept the negotiated new contract for the maintenance of road services, in time to ensure a handover at the expiration of the current contract on 31 January 2024; and if...
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Commissioners appointed to oversee the responsibilities of Birmingham City Council are intending to accept the negotiated new contract for the maintenance of road services, in time to ensure a handover at the expiration of the current contract on 31 January 2024; and if...
The Government is currently considering the Business Case for a revised contract for Birmingham Highways Maintenance following the failure of Birmingham's original PFI deal. A decision is expected in due course.
Highways maintenance is a critical and statutory function for all Local Authorities and the government will continue to support authorities to fulfil this function.
Commissioners have oversight of strategic financial decision-making at the Council and they will want to be satisfied that the contract achieves value for money for Birmingham residents. They are providing advice and challenge to the council, and are able to make decisions directly, if necessary.
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 21 October (HL2609), and given the recent heavy vehicle restrictions imposed for vehicles exceeding 7.5 tonnes on the Brent Cross flyover, whether there will be extra financial assistance for that project in addition to funds received...
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 21 October (HL2609), and given the recent heavy vehicle restrictions imposed for vehicles exceeding 7.5 tonnes on the Brent Cross flyover, whether there will be extra financial assistance for that project in addition to funds received...
Brent Cross Flyover is the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL). TfL will need to submit a business case to the Department if they would like this scheme to be considered under the Major Route Network programme which will be considered in the usual way
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial assistance they will provide to ensure that the Brent Cross flyover is fully operational again at the earliest opportunity for vehicles exceeding 7.5 tonnes.
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial assistance they will provide to ensure that the Brent Cross flyover is fully operational again at the earliest opportunity for vehicles exceeding 7.5 tonnes.
In September, the Government selected 31 Major Road Network (MRN) infrastructure projects to be accelerated, which include the Brent Cross scheme, which is a programme of infrastructure projects including upgrades to flyovers and bridges. The Department is working closely with TfL in order to help accelerate the projects that TfL puts forward as part of the business case process for the Brent Cross scheme.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are determines whether a vehicle is an electric bicycle or an electric motorbike for the purposes of (1) sales of such vehicles, and (2) whether they can be ridden on public roads; and what are the penalties for retailers who provide inaccurate descriptions of the...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are determines whether a vehicle is an electric bicycle or an electric motorbike for the purposes of (1) sales of such vehicles, and (2) whether they can be ridden on public roads; and what are the penalties for retailers who provide inaccurate descriptions of the...
The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983, amended in 2015, set out the requirements that electric bicycles or e-cycles must satisfy if they are not to be treated as motor vehicles when used on cycle paths and public roads in Great Britain. Electric bikes which do not meet these requirements are treated as motor vehicles, and where this is the case, manufacturers must ensure that their vehicles are type approved; importers and retailers must ensure that type approval has been obtained; riders must hold a licence and wear an approved motorcycle helmet; and the vehicle must be registered, taxed, and insured.
Retailers must not sell high-powered electric bikes which are not type-approved. Those that do so can be subject to prosecution and criminal conviction in court, or can face a civil penalty issued by DVSA of up to £50,000 per offence, as set out in The Motorcycles (Type Approval) Regulations 2018.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the National Highways website to provide further information to users wishing to find information on the management of trunk roads in Wales and Scotland.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the National Highways website to provide further information to users wishing to find information on the management of trunk roads in Wales and Scotland.
National Highways website contains a page entitled ‘Our Roads’, which outlines its management of the Strategic Road Network in England, comprising over 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads. This page outlines that National Highways does not manage all roads in England, and also directs website users to the Transport Scotland and Welsh Government websites.
Roads are a devolved matter, with roads in Scotland being managed by the Scottish Government and roads in Wales managed by the Welsh Government.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports of a significant reduction in (a) the number of traffic cameras in active use, and (b) the number of breathalyser tests administered, in the last five years; and (2) the relationship between any such changes and an...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports of a significant reduction in (a) the number of traffic cameras in active use, and (b) the number of breathalyser tests administered, in the last five years; and (2) the relationship between any such changes and an...
How police use speed cameras and administer breathalysers is an operational matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners. Police use their professional judgement and discretion as to what they consider most effective, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
There may be several reasons why the number of breathalyser tests administered has reduced, including drivers being more aware of the law or police deciding to prosecute drivers under more serious offences.
The Government has not conducted an assessment of the relationship between any such changes in the number of traffic cameras in active use or in the number of breathalyser tests administered, and the number of road traffic accidents.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what obligation, if any, there is upon emergency services to alert a local authority where the condition of a road could be considered a causal factor in an incident they are called to attend.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what obligation, if any, there is upon emergency services to alert a local authority where the condition of a road could be considered a causal factor in an incident they are called to attend.
There are no requirements to share information but it is the Government’s expectation is that information should be shared – as appropriate - between emergency services and others in the public sector should an issue be identified that may cause a risk to the public.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what environmental assessments they made prior to the allocation of £27 billion funding for road-building programmes; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those programmes on achieving the net zero carbon emissions target.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what environmental assessments they made prior to the allocation of £27 billion funding for road-building programmes; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those programmes on achieving the net zero carbon emissions target.
The current Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) will invest £24bn in the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of England’s strategic roads between 2020 and 2025 to secure safer and more reliable journeys that impact more positively on communities and places.
The Department published its Transport Decarbonisation Plan in July 2021, setting transport on the path to net zero by 2050. National Highways supports this through its own Net Zero Highways Plan which sets out how it will achieve net zero for its own operations by 2030, for road maintenance and construction by 2040, and net zero carbon travel on our roads by 2050.
A net zero Britain will still travel by road in 2050, motorways and trunk roads will continue to carry the majority of long-distance traffic, and investment in Britain’s roads supports a thriving future net zero economy.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) adequacy, and (2) capacity, of roads around Sizewell C during construction.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) adequacy, and (2) capacity, of roads around Sizewell C during construction.
The examination of the application for development consent for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station closed on 14 October 2021 and the Examining Authority is now writing its report which will set out its conclusions and recommendations on the proposals. The Secretary of State is due to receive the Examining Authority’s report by 14 January 2022. Given the quasi-judicial role of the Secretary of State in determining the application, I cannot comment on specific matters regarding the proposed project, as this could be seen as prejudicing the decision-making process. As is the case for all applications for development consent, the Secretary of State will consider all matters that are relevant when taking his decision on the project.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much overall funding has been provided to councils in England for local road maintenance in each of the last five years, up to and including the current financial year.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much overall funding has been provided to councils in England for local road maintenance in each of the last five years, up to and including the current financial year.
During the last five years the Department for Transport has provided over £5.9 billion by formula to local authorities in England, outside London, to support the maintenance of the local road network.
This funding is not ring-fenced, allowing local highway authorities to spend their allocations according to their own priorities. A breakdown by financial year is in the table below:
Year | £ bn |
2017/18 | 1.047 |
2018/19 | 1.346 |
2019/20 | 0.926 |
2020/21 | 1.526 |
2021/22 | 1.125 |
Total | 5.970 |
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the funding allocated to their current roads programme is for (1) building new roads, or (2) substantial road improvement schemes.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the funding allocated to their current roads programme is for (1) building new roads, or (2) substantial road improvement schemes.
The Government has made £27.504 billion available to National Highways (formerly Highways England) from 2020 to 2025 for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Around half of this is for major infrastructure enhancement schemes, the majority of which are for enhancements to existing roads rather than building new ones.
My Lords, the Government refuse to properly fund the essential new border infrastructure at our ports to minimise delays caused by the new Brexit red tape. Does the Minister accept the massive impact this is having on the haulage industry and on import and export businesses generally? Can she explain why the Government are not fully funding the border changes needed to reduce delays?
My Lords, the Government refuse to properly fund the essential new border infrastructure at our ports to minimise delays caused by the new Brexit red tape. Does the Minister accept the massive impact this is having on the haulage industry and on import and export businesses generally? Can she explain why the Government are not fully funding the border changes needed to reduce delays?
I am struggling to understand the evidence behind the noble Baroness’s question. On the funding side, the Government have made available up to £200 million from the Port Infrastructure Fund, which was set aside and given to ports specifically for the things that she has outlined. On the customs side, the Government have made available up to £80 million of support for IT training and recruitment. She talks about delays for hauliers but there are very few such delays at the moment, as the empty car parks in Kent will attest.
My Lords, the Government have been working closely with the logistics industry over a number of years to understand and minimise the potential impacts of transition, updating assumptions and refining the Government’s policy and support as new information has become available. In response, we have rolled out a multimillion-pound haulier communications campaign and opened 46 information and advice sites around the UK.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of preparedness of the Smart Freight Service; and when they expect to be in a position to start testing the system.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of preparedness of the Smart Freight Service; and when they expect to be in a position to start testing the system.
As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out on 23 September, the Government has invited businesses to participate in user testing for the Smart Freight Service, and continues to engage regarding preparations for the end of the Transition Period.
Since the publication of the Border Operating Model in July, the Government has engaged extensively with industry to understand what more they need to be ready for the end of the Transition Period. Feedback received has been reflected in the updated Border Operating Model, due to be published shortly.
My Lords, we are at a crucial point as we try to recover from the pandemic. Do we try to go back to business as usual or grasp the opportunity to build back greener? Does the Minister agree that the Government’s priority after the pandemic should be investment in a zero-emission public transport fleet, including the creation of more cycle lanes and safe walkways, and not the creation of more highways? Will the Government look at the amount of money and the number of schemes they are planning to invest in?
My Lords, we are at a crucial point as we try to recover from the pandemic. Do we try to go back to business as usual or grasp the opportunity to build back greener? Does the Minister agree that the Government’s priority after the pandemic should be investment in a zero-emission public transport fleet, including the creation of more cycle lanes and safe walkways, and not the creation of more highways? Will the Government look at the amount of money and the number of schemes they are planning to invest in?
The Government have clearly set out within RIS2 the schemes that will be invested in and the enhancements that will be made. As the noble Baroness will know, for enhancements it is often not a case of building a new road—very few absolutely new roads are ever built—but of improving the existing roads and, as importantly, maintaining our existing infrastructure. I reassure her that, for example, within the funding envelope of RIS2 there is a designated environmental and well-being fund which can be spent not on specific schemes but where it is best needed. That fund amounts to £345 million.
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety Roads Policing and its contribution to road safety, published on 4 June; and what consideration they have given to the reasons why road deaths in the UK have not declined since...
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety Roads Policing and its contribution to road safety, published on 4 June; and what consideration they have given to the reasons why road deaths in the UK have not declined since...
The PACTS report was an evaluation of academic work to establish if enforcement had an impact on road casualty numbers.
In the Refreshed Road Safety Statement in July 2019 we announced the most comprehensive review of roads policing and this reflects our commitment to continuing to reduce the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.
We will also shortly be launching a Call for Evidence to help us further investigate the link between enforcement, collisions, congestion and crime – helping make our roads safer for everyone.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the costs resulting from private finance initiative road maintenance contracts agreed by Highways England; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the level of service provided by those agreements.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the costs resulting from private finance initiative road maintenance contracts agreed by Highways England; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the level of service provided by those agreements.
Highways England has no plans to fundamentally review the terms and conditions of its private finance initiative (PFI) road maintenance contracts, including the costs payable under those contracts.
Highways England has previously reviewed its PFI contracts and concluded that cancelling or attempting to change them is unlikely to offer value for money. It should be noted that eight of Highways England’s eleven contracts in place are due to end in 2026/27.
Highways England manages the costs due to its PFI providers strictly in accordance with the contracts and has taken advantage of cost saving opportunities where possible, for example through project re-financings. In 2018, the largest of its PFIs, the M25 contract, was refinanced achieving annual savings for each year of the remaining contract period of around £10 million.
Highways England undertakes monthly and annual performance and financial assessments to ensure all charges levied by PFI Companies are compliant with the service level that is required to be provided under the contract.
Should service levels not be achieved, then in line with contractual payment mechanisms, deductions are applied and appropriate mitigating actions agreed to address any deficiencies.