argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Road Investment Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman wants devolution, but he also wants the Government to tell local authorities exactly what to do in every set of circumstances. The simple fact is that, for the period 2015 and 2020, £6 billion has been allocated to local authorities for road maintenance. Between 2010 and 2015, the figure was £4 billion. Between 2005 and 2010, the amount allocated to local authorities was £3 billion. That shows the significant increase in the amount that this Government are giving for local road maintenance, and I would have thought that he would welcome that.
Road Investment Strategy — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Alan Haselhurst (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend acknowledge the urgent need for clarity about the capacity of junction 8 of the M11 motorway and the possibility of there being a junction 7A, as these matters have a bearing on decisions having to be made against a deadline by local authorities on their local plans?
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department is providing over £7 billion for the devolved local growth fund, which will fund more than 500 local transport projects by the end of this Parliament. It now includes £475 million for transformational local transport schemes that are too large for the devolved allocations. We will be providing further details very soon.
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Stewart Jackson (Conservative, Centre-right): May I make a plea to the Minister? Will he tell me when some of the £75 million funding from the roads investment strategy will be used to reduce the noise pollution that has already been identified by Highways England on the A47 Soke Parkway through Peterborough, adjacent to Apsley Way and Bradwell Road?
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): The A47 is part of the strategic road network and is therefore not covered by the money that I have just announced. However, in November 2014, the Chancellor announced £300 million for the A47, including the Wansford to Sutton section between the A1 and Peterborough. On the question of noise pollution, the Government have challenged Highways England to mitigate noise at more than 1,000 locations. Measures that could be used include noise reduction surfacing, tree planting and barriers.
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): It is particularly important that we co-ordinate rail and road systems, particularly in regard to freight, and HS2 will open up a large number of additional freight paths that will take pressure off the roads. Co-ordination will be absolutely vital and we are working with Transport for the North and the leaders of the great cities of the north, including Liverpool, to make sure that that happens. Indeed, I shall be in Liverpool later today.
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Questions: My hon. Friend will be aware of the absurd situation on Canvey where, although residents can virtually kick a football at the new DP World container port, it is easier to access the tens of thousands of jobs there by travelling from the east end of London. What support can he give my residents on Canvey Island who have been campaigning for a third road for many decades?
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much agree that new road infrastructure can transform local economies and boost access to jobs, which is why we have given significant funding and freedoms to local areas to take forward schemes such as this. We will be announcing further funding opportunities very soon. I hope that my hon. Friend will continue to make the case for that project with Essex County Council and the South East local enterprise partnership. The port facilities in her constituency are absolutely superb, and it is important that we give them the infrastructure that they need to back them up.
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Questions: My hon. Friend will be aware of the absurd situation on Canvey where, although residents can virtually kick a football at the new DP World container port, it is easier to access the tens of thousands of jobs there by travelling from the east end of London. What support can he give my residents on Canvey Island who have been campaigning for a third road for many decades?
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman did not mention the high-speed rail line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which has been conveniently shelved. He may be aware that SNP-controlled Perth and Kinross Council has decided that potholes now have to be at least 60 mm deep—that is nearly 2 and a half inches—before it will consider filling them in. That indicates what its priorities might be in some cases.
Local Transport Projects (Funding) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Questions: My hon. Friend will be aware of the absurd situation on Canvey where, although residents can virtually kick a football at the new DP World container port, it is easier to access the tens of thousands of jobs there by travelling from the east end of London. What support can he give my residents on Canvey Island who have been campaigning for a third road for many decades?
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman may have to be patient and wait for the Budget, but certainly schemes such as the cycle-to-work scheme are very good. Large numbers of people who have bicycles are using them to get to work and it is a great way of getting people fit and active, as well as reducing congestion on our roads.
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government understand the importance of affordable transport and we have capped regulated rail fares at the level of RPI for two years running, and will do so for the life of this Parliament. The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding setting the level of fares is therefore primarily a decision for commercial bus operators. Almost £1 billion is provided each year to fund concessionary travel, ensuring free bus travel for the elderly and disabled.
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I know the city of Bradford very well, having gone to school there and lived just outside it for many years. I would have expected the hon. Gentleman to welcome the investment that we are seeing in rail. Appley Bridge railway station has only just opened in his constituency, and he has had investment in Frizinghall as well. We are seeing investment across the north, including in West Yorkshire, and there is the ability to keep fares down in the Metro region. I repeat my point about how we have capped regulated rail fares and removed the fare "flex".
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): One of the problems for local bus passengers is congestion and delays. People in Kettering always say that, when the traffic lights stop working, the traffic flows much better. Given that the Minister is responsible for local roads, will he consider undertaking a pilot whereby we can switch traffic lights off and get traffic and buses flowing more freely?
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes an ingenious link to the cost of public transport. I am aware, because I hear it quite regularly in my own area as well, that traffic is said to flow more freely when traffic lights do not work. I have major reservations about that argument. At the same time, initiatives are being put in place to keep traffic flowing. I will have a look at what my hon. Friend says, but we should be very cautious about removing traffic lights, as they are a key ingredient in road safety.
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman has forgotten the investment that is being made, the improvements that are coming through the franchise for the east coast main line and for the trans-Pennine line, and the significant enhancements for Huddersfield, including the London connections.
Public Transport: Fares — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes as wise a point as ever. We are trying to ensure that regulated rail fares are affordable. What we are seeing is a wide range of tickets on offer, including some very low-priced fares, which can be bought in advance. That allows more people to travel by rail. We only have to look at the growth in passenger numbers to see how that is working.
Train Frequency: Birmingham-Telford — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): Telford serves more than 1 million passengers each year, and I was pleased to negotiate services with Virgin Trains in 2014 from Shrewsbury to London via Telford and Birmingham We are currently running a public consultation to help to specify the next west midlands franchise and will launch a public consultation on the new west coast franchise in June. I encourage my hon. Friend and her constituents to make their views known through that process.
Train Frequency: Birmingham-Telford — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Lucy Allan (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Secretary of State for his reply, for which my constituents will be grateful. Telford is a rapidly growing new town that is 26 miles from Birmingham, yet it takes 51 minutes to get there. Will he continue to work with me to ensure that we have a 21st century rail system for Telford?
Train Frequency: Birmingham-Telford — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is right that I know the area incredibly well, but we have seen major investment in the west midlands, including the re-establishment of the service from Shrewsbury via Telford, to which I referred in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Telford (Lucy Allan), which has been welcomed. He is right that there is always demand for extra investment, but that must be measured against the record investment that we are putting into our railways.
Train Frequency: Birmingham-Telford — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Amanda Anne Milling (Conservative, Centre-right): Cannock Chase, like Telford, is connected to Birmingham via a local line. It is a service that my right hon. Friend knows incredibly well. Unfortunately, users of the Chase line report multiple issues, such as late, overcrowded and cancelled trains. Will he confirm that the electrification project, which will mean that users will have a much better and frequent service, is on track for completion by the end of 2017?
Train Frequency: Birmingham-Telford — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question. I was in her constituency just a few weeks ago and noticed that electrification work had already started on the line that runs through Hednesford to Cannock, not least at Stafford Lane and down by Brindley Heath where new bridges have been put up. I happen to know the area very well; it is where I grew up.
UK Spaceport — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Technology
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the facilities and regulatory environment in place for commercial spaceflight during this Parliament. My Department is currently working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to assess and understand the technical requirements, with the aim of announcing the process for spaceport selection later this year.
UK Spaceport — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Technology
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): I can certainly confirm that. In fact, the Department for Transport has provided £5 million to fund initial phases of work. It is also important that we work with potential operators to check out the facilities that they might want to ensure that they can be provided. It is a great opportunity. With companies such an Inmarsat, Clyde Space north of the border, and Surrey Satellite Technology, we are already world leaders in space technology, so this will be a further step towards pushing against the barriers to British involvement in the space race.
UK Spaceport — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Technology
Stephen Daniel Double (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his recent visit to Cornwall Newquay airport where he saw the excellent facilities we have there to host the spaceport. Will he confirm that he went away with the very clear message that Cornwall not only can accommodate but is ambitious to be the English bid for the spaceport?
UK Spaceport — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): I certainly did get a very clear message and was taken up by the enthusiasm of the people in Newquay. I was recently at Prestwick, as well, so I know that other airports are interested. I did notice when I was at Prestwick that there was no shortage of slots to use; it seemed quite quiet when I was there.
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are very aware of the importance of bus services to rural communities and, in recognition of that, we were able to protect the bus service operators grant funding as part of the spending review last year. The Government paid out some £250 million last year to support bus services in England through BSOG, of which around £40 million is paid directly to local authorities.
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Craig Paul Tracey (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister agree to look into the provision of buses in the rural part of my constituency for local students travelling to school compared with national averages, and advise on how we can improve that?
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Education
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): All children aged between five and 16 qualify for free school transport if they attend their nearest school and it is sufficiently far from their home. The decision to provide additional services will be a matter for the local authority and some do, such as the Staffordshire scheme for those aged between 11 and 19. There is obviously an issue that concerns my hon. Friend and I will be happy to meet him to explore the issue further and to try to help.
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): There is a mixture of support through national and local government. Individual local authorities decide their funding priorities, but local authorities in England have spent an average of £330 million a year over the past three years supporting bus services, and 42% of bus income comes from public funds. I have already talked about BSOG support nationally.
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Antoinette Geraldine Sherratt (Sandbach) (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister consider rural bus service provision in Eddisbury, where cuts to bus services have meant that apprentices cannot access apprenticeships and college students cannot get to the local college without having to take two buses? May I invite the Minister to meet me to discuss that?
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Fuel duty might well be something for the Chancellor to consider rather than me, but I can highlight the bus service operators grant, which used to be called the fuel duty rebate and provides a 34.57p subsidy per litre of fuel used. We are supporting bus companies and local authorities through that mechanism.
Bus Services (Rural Communities) — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Andrew Hanson Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I remind the hon. Lady that she was busy saying that we were going to completely cut and lose BSOG, but it has been protected. I am always pleased to hear that local authorities are supporting their bus services, because I value the role that buses play in local communities. We should be supporting local authorities in deciding their funding priorities.
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I am proud that under Conservative-led Governments since 2010, my Department has made almost £400 million pounds available for station improvements through programmes such as the national stations improvement programme, the station commercial project facility, the new stations fund and the Access for All scheme. In addition, we have many improvements delivered by operators through franchise commitments or through substantial local growth funding.
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): We are clear in our franchising agreements that improvements to stations are absolutely part of those projects. The hon. Gentleman has benefited locally, with Virgin West Coast installation of automatic ticket machines at Coventry station. I was pleased to participate in the opening of the Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park stations, to which the Department contributed almost £5 million, the first stage of the vital Nuckle scheme. That scheme was 14 years on paper under Labour; delivered under this Government thanks to the amazing efforts of the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr Jones).
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
James Michael Ellwood Berry (Conservative, Centre-right): When we consider rail station refurbishments, one of the things that we should prioritise is disabled access. On the Chessington branch in my constituency there is not a single accessible station. In the renewal of the South Western route franchise, will the Minister therefore consider prioritising improvements to disabled access on our train stations?
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, I am glad that you share my excitement about the improvements in the rail networks. We have set up the £400 million Access for All scheme, which has been wisely and well spent. I am always happy to look at additional station improvements and to meet with my hon. Friend to discuss.
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Kevin John Foster (Conservative, Centre-right): Residents in Torbay have welcomed some of the investment that we have seen to improve Torquay station, but Paignton station is a relic of the Beeching era. It is the old goods shed, which was converted into a station. Will she meet me and a delegation from the bay to discuss how we can make Paignton a terminus for the 21st century?
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course. The best way to deliver station improvements is to get together the local group, the local enterprise partnership, local businesses and local communities. The record Government investment in the railways is best spent when it is pulled through to support local needs.
Railway Station Refurbishment — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Claire Louise Perry (Conservative, Centre-right): I sometimes wonder whether we are reading the same papers. The Government are spending more on the railways—£38 billion—than has been spent at any time since the Victorian era. The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that disability access is hugely important. It is also important on the trains. All the train fleet will be disability compliant in the next few years. It is important, but we have a limited amount of money to spend on upgrading the railways, which were woefully neglected under his Government.
Laser Pens — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Law and Crime
Atta-Ur-Rehman Chishti (Conservative, Centre-right): Following my conversation with the Secretary of State for Justice, I tabled a private Member’s Bill to prohibit certain high-powered laser pens. Will my right hon. Friend speak to the Secretary of State for Justice to see whether the Bill can be taken forward? As the hon. Member for Leeds North West (Greg Mulholland) says, access to certain types of laser pens needs to be controlled.
Laser Pens — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am aware of my hon. Friend’s Bill. I can assure him that not only will I talk to the Secretary of State for Justice, but we are talking across other Government Departments as well. As I say, the issue is taken extremely seriously. I will also listen to the representations that have been made to the Department by the British Airline Pilots Association and the Civil Aviation Authority.
Network Rail: Privatisation — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on seeing a report which I do not think has been published yet. How he knows what the contents are is beyond me. I am very proud of what we have achieved with the railway industry. It has been a fantastic success, with the franchising that takes place. I am sorry that that is being put at risk, not by the Government, but by the Opposition.
Network Rail: Privatisation — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): I do agree, but there is obviously responsibility for a system of railway maintenance and improvement, which is very important. Through the private sector we have seen vast improvements in our railway service. At the time of privatisation of our railways, there were 750 million people a year using trains; last year there were 1.6 billion and that figure is growing year on year. So I do not have to be convinced about the advantages of a system that has evolved over a number of years, using the private sector. I will consider any other ways in which we can involve the private sector in providing better railway services for our constituents.
Network Rail: Privatisation — House of Commons, 2016-03-10
Topic: Transportation
Questions: Network Rail has confirmed that it has considered selling up to 18 major stations and a number of other assets as it struggles to plug a £2.5 billion budget black hole. Would the Secretary of State like to comment on that?
Patrick McLoughlin (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady talks about a £2.5 billion black hole. We are investing over this railway period some £38 billion in Network Rail. If Network Rail is sitting on certain assets, should it consider disposing of some of them so that we can carry on improving the overall system? Yes, it should. I do not see anything wrong with that. Indeed, a number of asset sales took place under the previous Government too.