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In the last eighteen months, there have been several meetings between officials from the Department for Transport and their French counterparts to consider the effect of the EU Directive on sulphur content of marine fuels on the shipping industry, jobs and the environment. One of these meetings was a quadripartite meeting between UK and French officials and representatives of the UK Chamber of Shipping and its counterpart, the Armateurs de France.<\/p>
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As a result of these discussions, the governments of the UK and France have supported applications to secure EU finance under the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) programme, and affordable capital through the European Investment Bank, on the part of shipowners and ports which wish to invest in green technologies. We have also obtained an assurance from the European Commission that it will meet individual ferry operators who wish to discuss their \u2018route to compliance' strategy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-09T14:03:21.9036992Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Shipping: Exhaust Emissions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the effect of the EU Sulphur Directive on (a) the shipping industry, (b) jobs and (c) the environment; and what the outcome of the conversations has been.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/384", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Miss Anne McIntosh"} ], "uin" : "203939"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63753", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/63753/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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The upgrade referred to is included in the \u201cNorth of England Programme\u201d. This work has already begun. The programme will enhance key northern routes and provide benefits across the north of England, with over £1bn being invested over the next five years (2014-2019). Manchester - Leeds - York electrification was announced in November 2011 as part of the wider North Transpennine Electrification Scheme. This electrification scheme forms part of the North of England Programme. Key rail routes will be electrified across the North to make journeys faster, quicker and more reliable, improving journey times and the passenger experience.<\/p>
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Work has already started, and the first phase of the Transpennine route (from Manchester to Stalybridge) is planned to be electrified by December 2016. To the east of Stalybridge, works are currently being planned to deliver a fully electrified route between Manchester, Leeds and York.<\/p>
Once complete, this significant infrastructure improvement will link up with the already electrified lines at Leeds and York. Further information can be found at:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-approves-major-infrastructure-works<\/a><\/p>