66-602: The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands or more simply, the Integrated Rail Plan ( IRP ), is a United Kingdom government proposal published on 18 November 2021. It aims to deliver "increased capacity, faster journeys or more frequent services on eight out of the top ten busiest rail corridors across the North and Midlands ", by developing rail services along with the required infrastructure in these regions of England. It
132-679: A life peerage in the 2016 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours and was created Baroness Vere of Norbiton , of Norbiton in the Royal London Borough of Kingston upon Thames , on 30 August 2016. On 21 December 2016, she was appointed as a Baroness in Waiting (i.e. government whip in the House of Lords ) until 29 July 2019. She became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport on 23 April 2019. Following changes in
198-571: A debate in the House of Lords on 16 December 2021, Transport Minister Baroness Vere said that "This is a plan, and there is an enormous amount of work to do to move from the plan to the next level down – to the detail about how this will actually work on the ground. While in some places we can be very clear about what capacity improvements will be available, in others there will be an enormous amount of designing to do and engineering options to look at, particularly when it comes to upgrading lines." The budget of
264-561: A greater or lesser degree (for instance Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or Lord Privy Seal ). The government is sometimes referred to by the metonym " Westminster " or " Whitehall ", as many of its offices are situated there. These metonyms are used especially by members of the Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to differentiate their government from His Majesty's Government. The United Kingdom
330-430: A member of either House of Parliament. In practice, however, the convention is that ministers must be members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords to be accountable to Parliament. From time to time, prime ministers appoint non-parliamentarians as ministers. In recent years such ministers have been appointed to the House of Lords. The government is required by convention and for practical reasons to maintain
396-535: A new East-West Divide in the country. He further accused the government of selling the public total lies. When the government claimed that the Leeds railway station upgrade was part of the IRP, Harris interviewed by The Independent said that it was not government spin but dishonesty. RAIL Magazine reported variously that the plan was widely condemned by industry, regions and MPs. In January 2022, Harris further called Shapps and
462-412: A new House of Commons, unless the prime minister advises the monarch to dissolve Parliament , in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons, usually by possessing a majority of MPs. Under the uncodified British constitution , executive authority lies with
528-674: A point south of Wigan . There will be branches onto existing conventional lines in the Midlands and the North West. There are no branches to Southern England destinations. HS2 will then parallel the conventional West Coast Main Line with connecting branches to it at four points. HS2 below Birmingham is flanked by the Chiltern Line and West Coast Main Line. Nine stations will be served directly by HS2 track, with most destinations using HS2 track, being off
594-415: A projected completion date of between 2036 and 2041. The Board of Transport for the North immediately expressed anger and disappointment at the IRP, but also said that they wished to work with the government. They sent a strongly worded letter demanding to see the data that led to the decisions. They laid out a number of criticisms that: One of the first direct consequences of the plan is that Transport for
660-424: A small effect on increasing capacity. The plan has not been well received by the board of Transport for the North , with concern being expressed that assessment of benefit concentrates only on reduced journey time for passengers and does not take into account the wider social and economic implications. Transport for the North (TfN) was established in 2018 to make the case for strategic transport improvements across
726-542: A southern HS2 one from London, Birmingham and the East Midlands, and an eastern Northern Powerhouse Rail one from Manchester . The new plan cuts off the Manchester line in the eastern Pennine foothills, and amputates the eastern leg of HS2 at Nottinghamshire's East Midlands Parkway . Instead of these new lines, the plan includes rail electrification and line speed improvements that will reduce journey times, but have only
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#1732844293841792-594: A substantial grant from the government, the Sovereign Support Grant , and Queen Elizabeth II's inheritance from her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , was exempt from inheritance tax . In addition to legislative powers, His Majesty's Government has substantial influence over local authorities and other bodies set up by it, through financial powers and grants. Many functions carried out by local authorities, such as paying out housing benefits and council tax benefits, are funded or substantially part-funded by
858-482: A third track is delivered between Huddersfield and Marsden in the first phase of NPR, then it would be possible to introduce an hourly off-peak freight path before the rest of the NPR infrastructure and services are in place". The typical journey time between London and Leeds is given as improving from 133 minutes to 113 minutes compared to the full HS3 time of 81 minutes, the time between London and Sheffield
924-424: Is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch (that is, the king or queen who is the head of state at any given time) does not make any open political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament. This constitutional state of affairs is the result of a long history of constraining and reducing the political power of the monarch, beginning with Magna Carta in 1215. Since
990-432: Is for capacity; speed although an important factor in economic benefits should not be in and of itself the primary driver of decision making". Its terms of reference had asked about possible economies from different choices or phasing of HS2 Phase 2b , taking account of the interfaces with Northern Powerhouse Rail It concluded that there were opportunities to remove "gold-plating" and "over-specification". In December 2020,
1056-523: Is given as improved from 116 minutes to 87 minutes, and between London and York from 112 minutes to 98 minutes. The capacity of the routes will not be improved to the extent that would have been the case under the previous plan. Newcastle, Liverpool and Hull also miss out. Currently the Birmingham to Newcastle journey time is given as 206 minutes with an improvement only to 167 minutes compared to 117 minutes under
1122-407: Is money not previously allocated. The document specifies that HS2 will be built from Crewe to Manchester, and from Birmingham to East Midlands Parkway , but not from the East Midlands to Leeds. It thus significantly alters the previous HS2 programme, including curtailing much of the eastern leg and reducing HS2 to a main high speed spine, from London via Birmingham to the North West of England – to
1188-548: Is no longer possible on many routes, and most of the North’s key rail hubs are now at capacity. The North’s rail network lacks sufficient capacity for growth and is severely constrained by on-train congestion, low journey speeds and poor punctuality. The IRP states that some lines will be upgraded by electrification, digital signalling, updated overhead wiring and include lengthening of trains. Also, some new lines will be built and share high speed track, curtailing sections of HS2. During
1254-596: Is not vital. A government is not required to resign even if it loses the confidence of the Lords and is defeated in key votes in that House. The House of Commons is thus the responsible house . The prime minister is held to account during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject. There are also departmental questions when ministers answer questions relating to their specific departmental brief. Unlike PMQs, both
1320-444: Is unlikely to be sufficient to support levelling up. Prioritising regional links appears to have the highest potential economic benefits overall for cities in the Midlands and the North. The government's view as stated in the IRP, is that the cost of the full "baseline + 25%" option at £108bn is not affordable but it could afford more than the £86bn cost of the budget option. It promises £96bn (baseline + 12%), although only £42bn of this
1386-445: The 2010 general election . She finished third with 23.7 percent of the vote. She served as a director of the "No to alternative voting" campaign during the UK's 2011 referendum on changing its voting system , later working as executive director of 'Conservatives In', an unsuccessful campaign supporting a remain vote in the 2016 European Union membership referendum . She was nominated for
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#17328442938411452-473: The Greater London Authority disputed. Similarly, the monarch is immune from criminal prosecution and may only be sued with his permission (this is known as sovereign immunity ). The sovereign, by law, is not required to pay income tax, but Queen Elizabeth II voluntarily paid it from 1993 until the end of her reign in 2022, and also paid local rates voluntarily. However, the monarchy also received
1518-597: The St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway to Ditton junction where it joins the current line to Liverpool Lime Street . NPR and HS2 will share a west to east speed-limiting, curvaceous, high-speed track from Warrington to Manchester through Millington, where there will be a junction with the HS2 line to the south. The Liverpool to Birmingham route was omitted from the initial HS2 plan, which the IRP maintains. Leeds and Newcastle are to have reduced journey times to London and Birmingham using
1584-443: The St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway to Ditton junction where it joins the current line to Liverpool Lime Street . NPR and HS2 will share a west to east speed-limiting, curvaceous, high-speed track from Warrington to Manchester through Millington, where there will be a junction with the HS2 line to the south. The whole of the £9bn to £11.5bn Transpennine Route Upgrade has been defined as "Phase One" of Northern Powerhouse Rail with
1650-675: The Transpennine Route Upgrade , the East Coast and Midland Main Line railway upgrades, the Midlands Rail Hub and the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy . It was published in an attempt to coordinate and sequence these and not unnecessarily duplicate work. However, the plan cancels several projects previously planned. Under the previous plans Leeds would have received two new high-speed lines,
1716-503: The Crown, who may use them without having to obtain the consent of Parliament. The prime minister also has weekly meetings with the monarch. What is said in these meetings is strictly private; however, they generally involve government and political matters which the monarch has a "right and a duty" to comment on. Such comments are non-binding however and the King must ultimately abide by decisions of
1782-616: The DfT liars and said the lying and claims were shameful, dangerous, enormously damaging and could not be allowed to continue. Alan Williams writing in Modern Railways called it the disintegrated rail plan with Northern England railing against it. Others even used the word "insulting" about the claim that the Midland Main Line electrification was being sped up as a result of the IRP. Former secretary of state for transport Patrick McLoughlin
1848-606: The European Parliament are immune from prosecution in EU states under any circumstance. As a consequence, neither EU bodies nor diplomats have to pay taxes, since it would not be possible to prosecute them for tax evasion. When the UK was a member of the EU, this caused a dispute when the US ambassador to the UK claimed that London's congestion charge was a tax, and not a charge (despite the name), and therefore he did not have to pay it—a claim
1914-513: The HS2 section from East Midland Parkway station to for services to Birmingham. The main losers from the changes are those to the east of the Pennines in Yorkshire and beyond. Despite the notional emphasis on increased capacity, the metrics in the plan are mostly about journey time, and the section on freight is relatively brief. An example of the lack of detail on capacity increases is the statement "If
1980-1075: The IRP. In particular the Government was urged not to fixate on journey times as a benefit of the IRP. Track capacity is key, and the Department for Transport was recommended to commission a full independent assessment of the seat and track capacity offered by the IRP. A government response was published in July 2023. Government of the United Kingdom King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The government of
2046-538: The National Infrastructure Commission's "Rail Needs Assessment for the Midlands and the North - Final report" was published. This concluded that Rail has the potential to contribute to economic transformation in the Midlands and the North. To give rail the best chance of doing so, investment must be concentrated and at scale, and form part of a wider economic strategy including skills, development and urban transport. This includes giving city leaders
Integrated Rail Plan - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-716: The North of England. It is the first statutory sub-national transport body in England and Wales. Transport for the North published a Strategic Transport Plan in February 2019. This fed into the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) which is the executive agency responsible for providing expert advice to the UK Government on infrastructure. TfN published a Strategic Transport Plan in February 2019. It aimed to encourage trade and inward investment by improving links to
2178-512: The North was stripped of its authority over Northern Powerhouse Rail with control transferring to the Department for Transport (DfT). This resulted in accusations of a power grab by central government. In defence, the government said that £96 billion was still being spent on the plan and further claimed it was a record. The shadow transport secretary at the time Jim McMahon called it the 'Great Train Robbery". Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham ,
2244-476: The North’s ports and airports, and faster links between the economic assets that they serve. This was to make the North a more attractive place for businesses to base themselves and to support the North’s visitor and tourism economy. It also said that Over the last two decades, the North’s railway has experienced substantial growth in passenger numbers despite a legacy of underinvestment. Much of that growth has been accommodated within pre-existing capacity, but this
2310-566: The United Kingdom , officially His Majesty's Government , abbreviated to HM Government , is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . The government is led by the prime minister (currently Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers . The country has had a Labour government since 2024. The prime minister Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers belong to
2376-440: The cabinet ministers for the department and junior ministers within the department may answer on behalf of the government, depending on the topic of the question. During debates on legislation proposed by the government, ministers—usually with departmental responsibility for the bill —will lead the debate for the government and respond to points made by MPs or Lords. Committees of both the House of Commons and House of Lords hold
2442-596: The central government. Charlotte Vere, Baroness Vere of Norbiton Charlotte Sarah Emily Vere, Baroness Vere of Norbiton (born 9 March 1969) is a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords . She also serves as a Parliamentary Secretary in HM Treasury and was executive director of the Girls' Schools Association from 2013 to 2016. Vere is the eldest daughter of Colonel Roger Vere and of Karin Terry. She
2508-411: The charity commissions) are legally more or less independent of the government, and government powers are legally limited to those retained by the Crown under common law or granted and limited by act of Parliament. Both substantive and procedural limitations are enforceable in the courts by judicial review . Nevertheless, magistrates and mayors can still be arrested and put on trial for corruption, and
2574-436: The confidence of the House of Commons. It requires the support of the House of Commons for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets) and to pass primary legislation . By convention, if a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons it must either resign or a general election is held. The support of the Lords, while useful to the government in getting its legislation passed without delay,
2640-506: The conventional East Coast Main Line. The plan does not provide for trains operating between London and the large cities of Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle using HS2. These cities will use the upgraded Midland Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, with Leeds and Newcastle having longer journey times to London than with the previous HS2 proposal, and Sheffield equalling HS2 journey times. However, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield will use
2706-416: The electrification of the Midland Main Line to Derby , Nottingham and Sheffield . The ECML will have 140 mph (230 km/h) operation in some sections. Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield will use these lines to London instead of HS2. These cities will use the section of HS2 from East Midland Parkway to Birmingham, to access Birmingham. Emphasis is placed on improved journey times, but the timings given in
Integrated Rail Plan - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-409: The exchequer to be a member of the House of Lords was Lord Denman , who served for one month in 1834. The British monarch is the head of state and the sovereign , but not the head of government . The monarch takes little direct part in governing the country and remains neutral in political affairs. However, the authority of the state that is vested in the sovereign, known as the Crown , remains
2838-505: The full HS3 scheme. Liverpool currently has parity with adjacent Manchester in journey times to London, the two cities being equidistant from it. The initial HS2 plan put Liverpool about half an hour slower to London than Manchester. The new plan shows a current time from London to Liverpool as being 132 minutes. The HS3 plan quoted 94 minutes, and under IRP 92 minutes, a small improvement. The plan states that other schemes such as further electrification to Hull will depend on
2904-525: The government has powers to insert commissioners into a local authority to oversee its work, and to issue directives that must be obeyed by the local authority if the local authority is not abiding by its statutory obligations. By contrast, as in European Union (EU) member states, EU officials cannot be prosecuted for any actions carried out in pursuit of their official duties, and foreign country diplomats (though not their employees) and foreign members of
2970-755: The government on the statement. When the government instead chooses to make announcements first outside Parliament, it is often the subject of significant criticism from MPs and the speaker of the House of Commons . The prime minister is based at 10 Downing Street in Westminster , London. Cabinet meetings also take place here. Most government departments have their headquarters nearby in Whitehall . The government's powers include general executive and statutory powers , delegated legislation , and numerous powers of appointment and patronage. However, some powerful officials and bodies, (e.g. HM judges, local authorities , and
3036-477: The government to account, scrutinise its work and examine in detail proposals for legislation. Ministers appear before committees to give evidence and answer questions. Government ministers are also required by convention and the Ministerial Code , when Parliament is sitting, to make major statements regarding government policy or issues of national importance to Parliament. This allows MPs or Lords to question
3102-514: The government. Royal prerogative powers include, but are not limited to, the following: While no formal documents set out the prerogatives, the government published the above list in October 2003 to increase transparency, as some of the powers exercised in the name of the monarch are part of the royal prerogative . However, the complete extent of the royal prerogative powers has never been fully set out, as many of them originated in ancient custom and
3168-401: The majority of civil servants who wrote the report don't live in the North or the Midlands. The government admitted that the plan produced by TfN would have had better outcomes but was not affordable. The reaction from the rail industry and the rail industry press was scathing. Nigel Harris , managing editor of RAIL Magazine , called it an act of political spinelessness and stated it created
3234-467: The metro mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester were among those who were extremely critical of the plan. The Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the paring back of Northern Powerhouse Rail was even more damaging than the axing of HS2 eastern leg. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the criticism was wrong and unfair. Further controversy ensued when it was revealed
3300-466: The next stage of development, subject to a review of their readiness." A Technical Annexe was published in January 2022. A correction slip was issued March 2022. The stated aim is to integrate several rail projects for existing main lines and some new ones, whilst driving down unnecessary costs and over-specification. These projects include, but are not limited to phase 2b of HS2 , Northern Powerhouse Rail ,
3366-474: The north was "biting the hand that fed it" regarding criticism of the IRP. On 7 February a selection of northern city mayors wrote a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps reaffirming their dissatisfaction at the IRP. On 26 July 2022, the Transport Select Committee met and published a report urging the government to revisit
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#17328442938413432-433: The period of absolute monarchy , or were modified by later constitutional practice. As of 2019, there are around 120 government ministers supported by 560,000 civil servants and other staff working in the 24 ministerial departments and their executive agencies . There are also an additional 20 non-ministerial departments with a range of further responsibilities. In theory, a government minister does not have to be
3498-480: The plan are said to be unduly optimistic according to one authoritative source. The plan adds the centres of Warrington , Derby and Nottingham to HS2. The existing stations at Derby and Nottingham will be served by HS2 trains entering the cities on conventional tracks from East Midlands Parkway. A link is introduced from HS2 to Liverpool via a section of new HS2 line from the reinstated low-level platforms at Warrington Bank Quay and onwards via upgraded sections of
3564-487: The plan is £96 billion, although £42 billion of this had already been committed for HS2 Phases 1 and 2a between London, the West Midlands and Crewe. In August 2019, the Department for Transport commissioned Oakervee Review of High Speed 2 (HS2), which was published in February 2020. It concluded that HS2 should be built, in full, with a couple of changes to reduce cost. It pointed out that "the primary need
3630-422: The plan would leave the North with second best trains for 200 years. However, Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines called the criticism of the plan profoundly unhelpful. Writing about the Transport Select Committee meeting on 2 February 2022, Nigel Harris further stated that the atmosphere was "Sour, irrelevant and patronising and no way for the important TSC to do its job". This was in regard to Karl McCartney suggesting
3696-483: The powers and funding to develop long term strategies for improving urban transport, which can bring benefits faster than major intercity rail. To support government’s decision, the Commission has developed a menu of options for a programme of rail investments in the Midlands and the North, using three different illustrative budget options (baseline, plus 25 per cent and plus 50 per cent): The package focussing on upgrades
3762-548: The results of work on how best to take HS3 services to Leeds. The first full description of Northern Powerhouse Rail is included in the document. A new high speed line is specified east from Manchester to Marsden, which is just over the border into Yorkshire, at the eastern end of the Standedge tunnels. At Marsden it is to join the Transpennine line to Leeds and destinations beyond. The plans involve building less high-speed rail than
3828-433: The source of executive power exercised by the government. In addition to explicit statutory authority , the Crown also possesses a body of powers in certain matters collectively known as the royal prerogative . These powers range from the authority to issue or withdraw passports to declarations of war. By long-standing convention, most of these powers are delegated from the sovereign to various ministers or other officers of
3894-642: The sovereign, although this authority is exercised only after receiving the advice of the Privy Council . The prime minister, the House of Lords, the Leader of the Opposition, and the police and military high command serve as members and advisers of the monarch on the Privy Council. In most cases the cabinet exercise power directly as leaders of the government departments , though some Cabinet positions are sinecures to
3960-576: The spine. The stations served directly by HS2 track are: A number of electrification schemes are referred to in the IRP. Full electrification and upgrading of the Transpennine Main Line between Manchester, Leeds and York are specified, as is the Leeds to Bradford via New Pudsey line. The plan gives full digital signal upgrades to the Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line (ECML), with
4026-400: The start of Edward VII 's reign in 1901, by convention, the prime minister has been an elected member of Parliament (MP) and thus answerable to the House of Commons, although there were two weeks in 1963 when Alec Douglas-Home was first a member of the House of Lords and then of neither house. A similar convention applies to the position of chancellor of the exchequer . The last chancellor of
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#17328442938414092-525: The supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet . Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit; they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords . The government is dependent on Parliament to make primary legislation , and general elections are held every five years (at most) to elect
4158-441: Was appointed chair of Transport for North in January 2022 and said in his new role he would push for reinstatement of Northern Powerhouse Rail in full into the IRP. The issue was raised by a number of people after it was admitted that the plans had been scaled back despite lack of proper economic analysis. The Transport Select Committee began a series of enquiries starting on 2 February 2022. Andy Burnham appearing as one witness stated
4224-510: Was educated at Stover School, University College London (BSc, 1989) and at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (MBA, 1997). From to 2007 to 2009, Vere was CEO at social enterprise Big White Wall . Vere was Executive Director at Girls' Schools Association between 2012 and 2016. She was the Conservative candidate in the constituency of Brighton Pavilion at
4290-461: Was previously proposed. It does not meet the aspirations of Transport for the North for a high speed line from Manchester to Leeds via Bradford or for much improved freight services, but it does commit to electrifying all of the line from Manchester to Leeds and on to York. A link is to be introduced from HS2 to Liverpool via a section of new HS2 line from the reinstated low-level platforms at Warrington Bank Quay and onwards via upgraded sections of
4356-473: Was published by the Department for Transport (DfT) and features forewords by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps , but its publication was delayed a number of times, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic . It contains the significant proviso that "In line with the Government's existing approach to rail enhancements, commitments will be made only to progress individual schemes up to
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