Contributions
2,622 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSwing BridgesMy Lords, my department has a fund that exists solely to encourage freight off the roads and on to waterways. It is top of mind; we encourage our own delivery bodies to ensure…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubI will happily write to my noble friend with all the details of our recent investments and, in due course, we will set out our investments for the future.15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubMy Lords, as I said, we received the outline business case yesterday, so I hope the noble Lord will forgive me in that, clearly, we need to review what it says and what quick wins…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubI do not accept that. It is right that the Government go through the business case process. As the noble Lord will know, the outline business case is very important in ensuring…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubObviously, I cannot pre-empt what the Chancellor is going to say on Thursday; what I can say is that the Government are committing and will commit to record investment in our rail…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubI am very grateful to the noble Lord for highlighting that. The three main elements of the Midlands Rail Hub—west, central and east—would improve connectivity within the Midlands.…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesMy Lords, assessments on the repair status of swing bridges would most likely fall to the relevant local authority and/or the bridge owner with responsibility for that…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesWe might go back and forth on this. I have looked into this matter. I spoke to the Member of Parliament for Faversham over the weekend. She too has raised it with me. We have yet…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesWe do not go to the level of setting mandatory maintenance schedules, but we work with various organisations within the world of highways maintenance. For example, through various…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubAs the noble Lord knows, there are a number of planned investments across the country, and it is right that the Government take time to review them to ensure that they meet the…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubMy Lords, the Department for Transport received the outline business case for the Midlands Rail Hub on 14 November. We now need to assess the contribution of the scheme to the…15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubUnfortunately, there is never sufficient funding for all the positive business cases the department has in its filing cabinet at any given time. That is why priorities must be…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesNot at all. As the former Roads Minister, I am very grateful that I have that background of knowledge. I am perfectly able to want to transfer freight from the roads to inland…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesI am not aware that the Canal & River Trust has an interest in the Faversham swing bridge, but I would be very happy to hear from it about its work and the funding it receives.15 Nov 2022HANSARDMidlands Rail HubI agree with the noble Lord that the Midlands Rail Hub would indeed do some of the things he outlines. He may also be interested to know that it would improve the integration to…15 Nov 2022HANSARDSwing BridgesI believe that it is about £20 million, but I will have to write to the noble Lord. The fund encourages road freight off the road and on to both inland waterways and trains.15 Nov 2022HANSARDJet Zero StrategyI do not have the specifics on the exact investment in ATI, but I can tell the noble Lord that, in total, it is £685 million for aerospace R&D. He mentioned working in partnership…14 Nov 2022HANSARDJet Zero StrategyAs the noble Lord will know, connectivity to regional airports would be the responsibility of the local transport authority, but the Government have invested significantly in…14 Nov 2022HANSARDJet Zero StrategyFor once, I agree with the noble Baroness. Non-carbon dioxide emissions are incredibly important, yet the science is as yet unresolved. There are significant uncertainties around…14 Nov 2022HANSARDJet Zero StrategyThe Government remain technology-agnostic when it comes to aircraft. It will be up to the airlines to decide which aircraft best suits their need, based not only on the duration…14 Nov 2022