My Lords, to clarify, both Amendments 44 and 45 mirror TUPE arrangements. I confess that I am no specialist on TUPE, but I understand from those who are that for the purposes of the transfer of staff from the Highways Agency to Highways England, these amendments simply make it clear that staff will in effect enjoy the same level of protection that is available in the circumstances where TUPE arrangements would normally be in place. This is a reassurance that was asked for and one which has been very gladly given.
In terms of safety, the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, will be aware that there are very few duties on the new strategic highways company, Highways England. One of those duties is to have regard to the safety of users of the highways. That is a strong statement in the Bill. He will be conscious that there is great emphasis on safety in the directions and guidance, and that the road investment strategy has a great focus on safety. Highways England has been set a target of reducing
the number of people killed or seriously injured on the network by 40% by 2020. Many of the RIS schemes are specifically focused on safety improvements—for example, improvements to Junction 10 of the M25 to create a freer flowing interchange with the A3 because that junction currently has the highest casualty rates on the network .
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We have also set aside ring-fenced funding of £105 million to undertake further safety improvements on the network, which will be spent on improvements to the existing network and taking forward new safety-focused innovations and technologies. So Highways England is only one part of this safety picture. We emphasise that it is important that all the various players engaged in this process have to focus on safety, and it seems to me that the various collective actions coming together achieve that.
In terms of the name, I think that we have come to a satisfactory conclusion—we have clarified that the name can be changed, and made it easy for that to happen. However, the Government chose not to impose that name on the ORR but to let it go through the process of talking with its stakeholders and its staff and deciding what name it thinks would be most appropriate. The Secretary of State can then make that name change through secondary legislation.
I thank all who have participated in discussion on all these issues. We have made real progress in both Houses and have collectively created a very strong foundation for Highways England. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Davies, that one of the primary purposes for creating an arm’s-length body was to provide the certainty of long-term funding which the railways have enjoyed. That, along with all the other measures we have taken, means that we have the prospect of a stronger transport network in the future underpinning our economy and future prosperity.