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528948

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2016
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Transport: Infrastructure
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the British steel industry to future transport infrastructure projects in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	41298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2016 answer text <p>The Department has been working closely with BIS, Cabinet Office and industry to consider how Government can help the UK steel industry meet the challenges it has been facing.</p><p> </p><p>The bulk of infrastructure projects within the Department are being delivered by the Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies (ALB), in particular, Network Rail, Highways England and HS2. Cabinet Office guidance on the approach to steel procurement has been circulated to the Accounting Officers of each ALB and procurement and commercial teams within these organisations are aware of the need to:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Signal the future pipeline of requirements on steel sourcing and best practice in pre-procurement market engagement;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Ensure there is clear visibility of opportunities at sub-contractor level where the source of steel has not been defined by a Tier 1 contractor;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Assess the health and sustainability of potential suppliers in the supply chain at selection stage, including compliance with relevant health and safety and employment legislation;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Ensure that the price or cost calculations are based on an assessment of the whole-life cost and not lowest purchase price;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Take account of appropriate social and environmental impacts at the award stage where they are linked to the subject of the contract.</li></ul><p> </p><p>As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain for the majority of our infrastructure projects. The Department and its ALBs are complying with the Cabinet Office guidance and ensuring that, for instance, where appropriate, assessment of social and environmental impacts are considered as part of the evaluation criteria. The Department and its ALBs also positively encourage bids from British companies and are holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts.</p><p> </p><p>Activity currently underway is as follows:</p><p><br><strong>Network Rail</strong></p><ul><li>Network Rail buys approximately 120,000 tonnes of steel for rails per annum directly from British Steel in Scunthorpe, which is around 96% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand by value.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Highways England</strong></p><ul><li>Highways England does not procure steel materials directly, however over the last five years Highways England has used a category management framework as the main method of procuring steel gantries for the Strategic Road Network.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>To date circa 95% of this steel has been drawn from British Steel in the UK, which equates to approximately 11,000 tonnes of steel. The approximate framework spend is £30 million, of which about 35% will be steel procurement i.e. raw materials, and will equate to around £10.5 million.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Crossrail</strong></p><ul><li>The 57km of steel required for the rails of Crossrail’s brand new central tunnel section is being sourced entirely from British Steel in Scunthorpe. This equates to 7,000 tonnes of steel.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Crossrail Ltd does not directly procure steel as this is undertaken by their tier 1 contractors and their supply chains. However, Crossrail keeps an oversight of its critical contracts and estimates that 85% of its supply chain providing steel to the project is UK based.</li></ul><p><strong>HS2 </strong></p><ul><li>It is estimated that HS2 will need approximately 2 million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years. The procurement for the main civil engineering works between Euston and Birmingham is now underway with procurements for the stations and rail systems expected to commence later this year and for rolling stock in early 2017. Subject to Royal Assent, the project will start construction in 2017.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain. HS2 positively encourages bids from British companies and is already holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to complete for contracts for the steel that will be needed for track, concrete reinforcements, overhead wires and other structures.</li></ul> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 30/06/2016 14:22:12 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

436852

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: North of England
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the replacement of pacer trains that form part of the Northern franchise deal with Arriva Rail North Limited.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	19363
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>As we have stated, Pacers will be removed by the end of 2019. It is for the new operator to decide how and when (by that date) this occurs.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 14/12/2015 16:57:27 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

524029

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2016
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: Electrification
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the inclusion of the Northallerton to Teesport line in the rail electrification scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	39946
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2016 answer text <p>The Transpennine Route Upgrade is an ambitious and challenging programme which is due to be delivered by December 2022. There are currently no plans within this scope to electrify the line between Northallerton and Teesport. However, this does not preclude the thinking of future electrification as a further phase following the delivery of the current scope in 2022.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that the current assumption for services between Manchester and Middlesbrough is that these will operated by new bi-mode trains i.e. capable of diesel and electric operation. The new bi-mode will offer significant journey time savings for passengers on this route.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 13/06/2016 15:30:40 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

515006

	registered interest
	date	22/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railway Stations: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on increasing the number of wheelchair accessible stations from street to platform level at National Rail and London Underground stations.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	35128
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2016 answer text <p>We take improving station accessibility very seriously and the Access for All programme has delivered step free access at over 150 stations with a further 68 projects in construction or development. In addition, whenever infrastructure work is carried out at stations it must meet current accessibility standards. For example, when Crossrail fully opens in 2019, all 40 stations on the route will also have step free access.</p><p> </p><p>Step free access to London Underground is a matter for Transport for London, but I understand that 66 Tube stations and 57 London Overground stations currently have step-free access, and Docklands Light Railway stations are all step-free.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 27/04/2016 16:40:41 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

65730

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Police: Ports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the extent to which chief officers of territorial police forces have used the Marine Navigation Act 2013 to permit port constables to act outside their port area for policing purposes connected with the port constable's police area.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	203891
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Of the six English port police forces, able to use the Marine Navigation Act, the port police forces for Bristol, Dover and Teesport have sought and received the consent of the Chief Constable of the relevant territorial police force to exercise certain powers outside their port area, while a fourth, Liverpool Port Police, is currently seeking it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p /> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 09/07/2014 14:07:13 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

601164

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2016
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Ownership
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department holds data on the level of motor vehicle ownership in (a) England and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	48600
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2016 answer text <p>The numbers of vehicles registered in England and in the Middlesbrough and East Cleveland constituency at the end of each of the last five years are as follows:-</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Licensed vehicles (thousands)</p></td><td><p>Mid year Population Estimates (thousands)</p></td><td><p>Vehicles per 1000 population</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(a) England</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>29,069</p></td><td><p>53,107</p></td><td><p>547</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>29,275</p></td><td><p>53,494</p></td><td><p>547</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>29,692</p></td><td><p>53,866</p></td><td><p>551</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>30,361</p></td><td><p>54,317</p></td><td><p>559</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>31,047</p></td><td><p>54,786</p></td><td><p>567</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>(b) Middlesbrough South &amp; East Cleveland</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>48.2</p></td><td><p>92.8</p></td><td><p>520</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>48.4</p></td><td><p>92.6</p></td><td><p>523</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>48.8</p></td><td><p>92.5</p></td><td><p>528</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>49.9</p></td><td><p>92.7</p></td><td><p>539</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>50.3</p></td><td><p><sup>1</sup></p></td><td><p><sup>1</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p>Vehicle statistics are derived from the DVLA vehicle register. This is an operational database used to handle the licensing of vehicles registered in the United Kingdom. The number of vehicles are those where the address of the registered keeper is located in (a) England and (b) within the Middlesbrough and East Cleveland constituency. Mid year population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics. 1. figures for 2015 are not yet available. <sup> </sup></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 18/10/2016 13:20:10 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

427263

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Insurance Premium Tax
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of young drivers to gain insurance cover of the recent increase in the insurance premium tax.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	15548
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2015 answer text <p>My officials have not made an assessment. There are a number of behavioural, educational and technological interventions that have the potential to help improve young driver safety and hence have an impact on insurance premiums. We need better evidence about what works best, so we’re working with insurance companies to see how we can assess the impact of telematics products, amongst other things, on young driver safety.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 16/11/2015 17:24:46 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

423908

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2015
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the rising cost of motor insurance.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	13297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2015 answer text <p>A combination of legislative changes and working with stakeholders on reducing the frequency and cost of personal injury claims resulted in a 14% drop in average insurance premiums between 2012 and 2014.</p><br /><p>This Government is determined to continue working with the insurance industry to tackle uninsured driving and reduce the cost of motor insurance.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 29/10/2015 12:09:45 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

346943

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2015
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	High Speed 2 Line
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of progress on High Speed 2.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	158
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/06/2015 answer text <p>In March, the Department for Transport published ‘<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-on-track" target="_blank">HS2: On track’</a>, which summarises the considerable progress made on the project since 2010 and sets out the next steps. HS2 remains on track, both in terms of Parliamentary process and in terms of practical preparations permitted under the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act.</p><p> </p><p>The hybrid Bill for the first phase of HS2 is making good progress through Parliament. Of the 1,960 petitions received, over 500 have been dealt with so far during the Select Committee process, which began in July last year. This is approximately twice as many as were dealt with by the Crossrail Committee in 21 months of sittings.</p><p> </p><p>Ground Investigation works have begun at both ends of the Phase One route. These works will inform the design stage of the major civil works due to start in 2017/2018, for which the initial stages of procurement of the enabling works have already commenced.</p><p> </p><p>Following the close of the public consultation on the proposed route for Phase Two in January 2014, HS2 Ltd and the Department have been analysing route and station options as reflected in David Higgins’ reports of March and October 2014. The Government intends to announce the way forward on Phase Two later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has previously said it will deliver HS2 in the north sooner by preparing a dedicated hybrid Bill to lay during this Parliament. This is with a view to bringing HS2 to Crewe sooner than planned, subject to further analysis and decisions on preferred route. We will also look at the case for accelerating the construction of the route between Leeds and Sheffield, and allowing it to be used by for fast regional train services.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 01/06/2015 13:09:34 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop

428226

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Driving Licences
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the time the DVLA takes to process reapplications for a driving license after a suspension of that license for medical reasons.
	tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
	tabling member printed	Tom Blenkinsop
	uin	16314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2015 answer text <p>The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold specific information about the processing times for driving licence applications, which were submitted following the revocation of a licence for medical reasons.</p><br /><p>The DVLA aims to complete 90% of all cases that require further medical investigations within 90 working days and is working hard to identify ways of improving the time taken to deal with these cases. Additional caseworkers and medical advisers have been employed and new processes introduced to speed up the time it takes to receive the necessary information. Longer term, the DVLA is considering digital solutions to improve the service it provides in this area.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 18/11/2015 16:06:56 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4037 label Biography information for Tom Blenkinsop