The Government is committed to growing rail freight and I meet regularly with industry to discuss the work we are doing to achieve this. I host bi-monthly roundtable meetings with the rail freight sector and Network Rail, I have visited freight operators on site and attended numerous industry events. I have also met with representative bodies of rail freight customers and also of Ports with key interests in rail freight.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Huw Merriman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bexhill and Battle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Huw Merriman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-09-11T12:57:08.61Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-09-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Freight"} , "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 recent discussions he has held with (a) industry and (b) other stakeholders on the potential merits of increasing the amount of freight transported around the UK on the rail network.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4638", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Slough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} ], "uin" : "198129"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1643459", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1643459/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
A strong resilient supply chain is essential to the government\u2019s efforts to grow the economy. We strongly support rail freight playing a key role in that supply chain which is why we are committed to introducing a long-term rail freight growth target and encourage modal shift through the Mode Shift Revenue Support grant. But road haulage is also vital to a strong supply chain and longer semi-trailers will reduce congestion and lower emissions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Huw Merriman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bexhill and Battle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Huw Merriman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-06-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "188776"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-06-14T09:07:52.417Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Freight"} , "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, whether he has had recent discussions with the rail freight industry on the impact of the use of longer semi-trailers on their businesses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4638", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Slough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} ], "uin" : "188775"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1643460", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1643460/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
A strong resilient supply chain is essential to the government\u2019s efforts to grow the economy. We strongly support rail freight playing a key role in that supply chain which is why we are committed to introducing a long-term rail freight growth target and encourage modal shift through the Mode Shift Revenue Support grant. But road haulage is also vital to a strong supply chain and longer semi-trailers will reduce congestion and lower emissions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Huw Merriman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bexhill and Battle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Huw Merriman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-06-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "188775"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-06-14T09:07:52.46Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Freight"} , "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, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the environmental impact of (a) longer semi-trailers and (b) freight moved by rail.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4638", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Slough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} ], "uin" : "188776"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1600440", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1600440/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government is committed to introducing a long-term rail freight growth target, recognising the economic and environmental benefits of moving goods by rail.<\/p>
My officials are currently working with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) to develop options.<\/p>
The government\u2019s rail freight growth target will be announced in autumn and will be evidence-based, taking into account feedback from industry, particularly drawn from the Call for Evidence that ran last year.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4442", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Huw Merriman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bexhill and Battle"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Huw Merriman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-03-08T09:40:33.953Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Freight"}
, "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, if he will make it his policy to set a target of trebling rail freight by 2050.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bath"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"}
], "uin" : "156213"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1550517", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1550517/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There are different processes for making changes to Development Consent Orders, including Development Consent Orders for Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges, depending on whether the changes are considered to be material or non-material. The Secretary of State for Transport will be the decision-maker on applications for changes to Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges for both material and non-material changes. Details of the processes are set in the Planning Act 2008: Changes to Development Consent Orders guidance published by the former Department for Communities and Local Government and which can be found on<\/p> <\/p>