Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to make the provision of reliable Wi-Fi on trains a condition of awarding franchises.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
His Majesty’s Government supports improving digital connectivity on the railways and are working closely with the rail industry to consider ways to deliver better connectivity.
Train operators are currently required, through franchise agreements, to provide free Wi-Fi on trains and, where required through Committed Obligations, further interventions on trains.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether existing legislation relating to cycling in urban areas is fit for purpose.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The rules of the road for people who cycle, in both the urban and rural environment, are set out in The Highway Code. The elements of the Code that relate to walking and cycling were updated in 2022 following a public consultation. The Government is satisfied that the rules are fit for purpose, and enforcement of any breaches of them is a matter for the police.
The Government is considering bringing forward legislation to introduce new offences in relation to dangerous cycling, to tackle cases where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cycling behaviour. This follows an earlier review exploring the case for specific dangerous cycling offences, to which the Department will publish a response as soon as it can.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Country Land and Business Association, (2) the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales, and (3) other relevant countryside bodies, about drone corridors.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Drone corridors do not currently exist as a defined term or policy.
Current work to further the potential of drone operations is focused on enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations and the integration of new airspace users - including drones - into the UK’s airspace.
Current airspace change policy (the CAP 1616 process) requires that any permanent change is done following consultation with affected stakeholders, including those on the ground. This CAP 1616 process is required for any change to airspace design, including in the event of the proposed establishment of corridors to support drone operations. Any permanent proposed change would also need to be consistent with the overall developing Airspace Modernisation Strategy - widely consulted upon and due to be published in the coming weeks.
Project Skyway is a project that is part of a UKRI Challenge Fund, the Future Flight Challenge (FFC). Project Skyway has received public funding and has been developed and progressed by private companies. Any drone demonstration project under the FFC must comply with current regulation, and the outputs of all FFC projects will then be used to inform detailed policy and further regulation. The guiding input principles have been to develop the industry by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders such as local authorities, technology innovators and end users such as the NHS. The projects have been designed to push regulatory boundaries to enable the industry to provide the resultant connectivity, economic and environmental benefits to the UK.
Government is engaging with local authorities to discuss these new flight technologies. Many FFC projects include local authorities, and Project Skyway includes Oxfordshire County Council, Coventry Country Council and Reading Borough Council.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with local authorities about drone corridors.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Drone corridors do not currently exist as a defined term or policy.
Current work to further the potential of drone operations is focused on enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations and the integration of new airspace users - including drones - into the UK’s airspace.
Current airspace change policy (the CAP 1616 process) requires that any permanent change is done following consultation with affected stakeholders, including those on the ground. This CAP 1616 process is required for any change to airspace design, including in the event of the proposed establishment of corridors to support drone operations. Any permanent proposed change would also need to be consistent with the overall developing Airspace Modernisation Strategy - widely consulted upon and due to be published in the coming weeks.
Project Skyway is a project that is part of a UKRI Challenge Fund, the Future Flight Challenge (FFC). Project Skyway has received public funding and has been developed and progressed by private companies. Any drone demonstration project under the FFC must comply with current regulation, and the outputs of all FFC projects will then be used to inform detailed policy and further regulation. The guiding input principles have been to develop the industry by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders such as local authorities, technology innovators and end users such as the NHS. The projects have been designed to push regulatory boundaries to enable the industry to provide the resultant connectivity, economic and environmental benefits to the UK.
Government is engaging with local authorities to discuss these new flight technologies. Many FFC projects include local authorities, and Project Skyway includes Oxfordshire County Council, Coventry Country Council and Reading Borough Council.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide an update on Project Skyway.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Drone corridors do not currently exist as a defined term or policy.
Current work to further the potential of drone operations is focused on enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations and the integration of new airspace users - including drones - into the UK’s airspace.
Current airspace change policy (the CAP 1616 process) requires that any permanent change is done following consultation with affected stakeholders, including those on the ground. This CAP 1616 process is required for any change to airspace design, including in the event of the proposed establishment of corridors to support drone operations. Any permanent proposed change would also need to be consistent with the overall developing Airspace Modernisation Strategy - widely consulted upon and due to be published in the coming weeks.
Project Skyway is a project that is part of a UKRI Challenge Fund, the Future Flight Challenge (FFC). Project Skyway has received public funding and has been developed and progressed by private companies. Any drone demonstration project under the FFC must comply with current regulation, and the outputs of all FFC projects will then be used to inform detailed policy and further regulation. The guiding input principles have been to develop the industry by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders such as local authorities, technology innovators and end users such as the NHS. The projects have been designed to push regulatory boundaries to enable the industry to provide the resultant connectivity, economic and environmental benefits to the UK.
Government is engaging with local authorities to discuss these new flight technologies. Many FFC projects include local authorities, and Project Skyway includes Oxfordshire County Council, Coventry Country Council and Reading Borough Council.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what rights of appeal (1) house owners, and (2) landowners, will have on the designation of drone corridors.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Drone corridors do not currently exist as a defined term or policy.
Current work to further the potential of drone operations is focused on enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations and the integration of new airspace users - including drones - into the UK’s airspace.
Current airspace change policy (the CAP 1616 process) requires that any permanent change is done following consultation with affected stakeholders, including those on the ground. This CAP 1616 process is required for any change to airspace design, including in the event of the proposed establishment of corridors to support drone operations. Any permanent proposed change would also need to be consistent with the overall developing Airspace Modernisation Strategy - widely consulted upon and due to be published in the coming weeks.
Project Skyway is a project that is part of a UKRI Challenge Fund, the Future Flight Challenge (FFC). Project Skyway has received public funding and has been developed and progressed by private companies. Any drone demonstration project under the FFC must comply with current regulation, and the outputs of all FFC projects will then be used to inform detailed policy and further regulation. The guiding input principles have been to develop the industry by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders such as local authorities, technology innovators and end users such as the NHS. The projects have been designed to push regulatory boundaries to enable the industry to provide the resultant connectivity, economic and environmental benefits to the UK.
Government is engaging with local authorities to discuss these new flight technologies. Many FFC projects include local authorities, and Project Skyway includes Oxfordshire County Council, Coventry Country Council and Reading Borough Council.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with aviation bodies about drone corridors.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Drone corridors do not currently exist as a defined term or policy.
Current work to further the potential of drone operations is focused on enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations and the integration of new airspace users - including drones - into the UK’s airspace.
Current airspace change policy (the CAP 1616 process) requires that any permanent change is done following consultation with affected stakeholders, including those on the ground. This CAP 1616 process is required for any change to airspace design, including in the event of the proposed establishment of corridors to support drone operations. Any permanent proposed change would also need to be consistent with the overall developing Airspace Modernisation Strategy - widely consulted upon and due to be published in the coming weeks.
Project Skyway is a project that is part of a UKRI Challenge Fund, the Future Flight Challenge (FFC). Project Skyway has received public funding and has been developed and progressed by private companies. Any drone demonstration project under the FFC must comply with current regulation, and the outputs of all FFC projects will then be used to inform detailed policy and further regulation. The guiding input principles have been to develop the industry by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders such as local authorities, technology innovators and end users such as the NHS. The projects have been designed to push regulatory boundaries to enable the industry to provide the resultant connectivity, economic and environmental benefits to the UK.
Government is engaging with local authorities to discuss these new flight technologies. Many FFC projects include local authorities, and Project Skyway includes Oxfordshire County Council, Coventry Country Council and Reading Borough Council.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to provide funding for investment in quieter road surfacing.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is Highways England policy to install standard low noise surfacing on all new road links, and on all road links where the existing surfacing has reached the end of its service life where particular durability is not required. In all, Highways England have installed over 6,000 miles of standard low noise surfacing between 1 April 2015 and 30 September 2018.
The Department is also providing over £6.6 billion to local highway authorities in England from 2015 to 2021 to improve the condition of local roads, including in residential areas. The funding includes £420 million for local highways maintenance, as announced in the Budget 2018. It is for each highway authority to determine the type of surfacing to use on the roads for which they are responsible based on their own local assessments and requirements.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164905 on Motorcycles: Noise, when his Department plans to publish the research it has commissioned to support police and highway authorities in combating and enforcing against excessive noise from motorcycles.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The independent research commissioned by the Department for Transport includes two phases. The first phase will includes a review of existing enforcement approaches and recommendations for best practice and instrumentation and is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2019. The results of the first phase will be trialled and analysed in the second phase.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission research into the effects of motorbike related noise on rural and urban communities.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport is well aware of community concerns regarding motorbike noise.
There are already regulations in place, and police have powers to take action to deal with excessive noise from vehicles on public roads and highways. However, we have recently commissioned new research into other enforcement measures and technologies with the potential to combat excessive noise.