Every parliamentary written question tabled by David Chadwick this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–50 of 50 · Department for Transport
Whether the East West Rail will be designated as an England and Wales project.
East West Rail is set to cover the route from Oxford to Cambridge and is therefore part of the RNEP portfolio which covers funding for projects in England and Wales. The RNEP portfolio can be distributed to any scheme across England and Wales.
Whether Northern Powerhouse Rail is designated as an England and Wales project.
Funding for heavy rail infrastructure is reserved in Wales, meaning that the UK Government, rather than the Welsh Government, is directly responsible for funding heavy rail infrastructure projects, including those in Wales. Consequently, any heavy rail project that the Department delivers is designated as an England and Wales project. This designation would apply to Northern Powerhouse Rail. This is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas that are reserved in Wales.
What steps she is taking to use rail industry procurement to support the Global Centre of Rail Excellence opportunity.
The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.
What discussions her Department has had with the Welsh Government to ensure that the opportunity of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence is maximised as part of its Industrial Strategy.
The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.
What steps the Government is taking to help the Welsh Government ensure the Global Centre of Rail Excellence facility in South Wales is being supported to project completion.
The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.
What role the Global Centre of Rail Excellence will have in supporting offline testing of new trains.
The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.
What steps her Department is taking with the rail industry to ensure it can access a greater share of competitive research and development funding through UKRI and Horizon Europe.
Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) play a critical role in helping the rail industry reduce its emissions and costs, optimise operations, improve resilience and safety and enhance passenger experience. The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with Horizon Europe, through the European Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU), to collaborate. DfT officials represent the UK on the ERJU States Representative Group (SRG) to promote the UK rail sector and, working alongside Network Rail, access available funding for projects that are aligned to UK Government priorities. The Department of Transport also supports UK rail industry RD&I though funding the Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), First of a Kind (FOAK) programme, amongst other RD&I programmes. The FOAK programme aims to accelerate and increase the adoption of innovation within rail and received approximately £7.7m between FY2022-23 and FY2024-25.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of varying fuel prices at nation-wide service station providers; and what steps she is taking to ensure equity for customers.
The local pricing of fuel at forecourts is a commercial matter for retailers. The Competition and Markets Authority has powers to monitor competition in the road fuel retail market. The government has committed to introduce legislation to implement Fuel Finder which will increase price transparency and enable drivers to compare prices. Additionally, recognising that pump prices are significantly higher in some rural locations, the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme supports motorists by providing a 5 pence per litre reduction to the standard rate of fuel duty in designated areas. Policies introduced by the Department for Transport impacting road fuel prices tend to apply UK wide, for example the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO does not give rise to price pressures which would necessitate regional or geographical variations in pricing at forecourts.
How much funding her Department plans to provide for rail infrastructure in Wales in each of the next three financial years; and whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of increasing the rate of electrification of railways in Wales.
Investment in rail infrastructure in Wales in future years will be considered as part of the current Spending Review, which is expected to conclude in spring 2025. In considering this we will have regard to the investment priorities identified by the Wales Rail Board.
What the current level of spending on heavy rail infrastructure in Wales is.
Network Rail’s planned investment in the Wales rail network in the current financial year is £259m. Investment in the Core Valley Lines is the responsibility of Transport for Wales.