Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring all (a) e-bikes and (b) e-scooters to be registered to an owner.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There is already legislation in place that governs the use of e-scooters on public land. E-scooters meet the definition of a ‘motor vehicle’ under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Therefore, as well as having to be registered, taxed, and insured, they must meet all other legal requirements of a motor vehicle to be used on the road. By their design, e-scooters complying with the wide range of requirements is difficult to achieve. Consequentially, most private e-scooters are illegal to use on the road, cycle lanes or pavements (i.e. otherwise than on private land), and rental e-scooters can only be used in rental e-scooter trial area.
The Department considered the potential advantages and disadvantages of a mandatory registration and licensing system for cycle ownership as part of a comprehensive cycling and walking safety review in 2018. This found that the cost and complexity of such a system would outweigh the benefits, and that restricting people’s ability to cycle in this way would mean that many would be likely to choose other modes of transport instead, with negative impacts for congestion, pollution, and health. However all policies are kept under review.
If e-cycles exceed the criteria in the Electrically Pedal Assisted Cycles Regulations (1983), then, among other criteria limits power and speed, they are also classed as motor vehicles, requiring tax, insurance, and similar requirements.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many medical professionals' assessments of fitness to drive have been received by the DVLA in each month of the last five years.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently engaging with the Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association in respect of the fees paid for medical information required for driver licensing purposes.
The DVLA is also reviewing the questionnaires issued to medical professionals when medical information is required to assist in assessing an individual’s fitness to drive; with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.
The DVLA has introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is considering adding more medical conditions to this process.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this could only be provided by a doctor. This provides GP surgeries and hospital teams greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
These changes will all help to simplify or reduce the number of times the DVLA needs to seek further information from medical professionals.
The length of time taken to process a driving licence application where a medical condition needs to be investigated depends on the condition(s) involved and if further medical information, tests, or examinations are required.
The DVLA, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, is required to ensure that all drivers meet the medical standards for driving before a licence is issued. These investigations can often involve seeking further information about an individual’s medical condition(s) from the relevant healthcare professionals. However, it is important to note that the DVLA does not ask medical professionals to assess an individual’s fitness to drive, and as such, figures about how many such assessments have been received from medical professionals are not available.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many medical professionals' assessments of fitness to drive have been received by the DVLA in each year since 2004.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently engaging with the Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association in respect of the fees paid for medical information required for driver licensing purposes.
The DVLA is also reviewing the questionnaires issued to medical professionals when medical information is required to assist in assessing an individual’s fitness to drive; with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.
The DVLA has introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is considering adding more medical conditions to this process.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this could only be provided by a doctor. This provides GP surgeries and hospital teams greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
These changes will all help to simplify or reduce the number of times the DVLA needs to seek further information from medical professionals.
The length of time taken to process a driving licence application where a medical condition needs to be investigated depends on the condition(s) involved and if further medical information, tests, or examinations are required.
The DVLA, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, is required to ensure that all drivers meet the medical standards for driving before a licence is issued. These investigations can often involve seeking further information about an individual’s medical condition(s) from the relevant healthcare professionals. However, it is important to note that the DVLA does not ask medical professionals to assess an individual’s fitness to drive, and as such, figures about how many such assessments have been received from medical professionals are not available.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2024 to Question 22401 on Aviation: Fuel, if he will detail the sums allocated to each of the 13 SAF projects.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Company/Project | Project Location | Advanced Fuels Fund Award |
Alfanar Energy Ltd (Lighthouse Green Fuels) | Teesside | Window 1: £11,001,000 Window 2: £8,664,000 |
Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd (NorthPoint) | Ellesmere Port, Cheshire | £16,764,000 |
Lanzatech UK Ltd (DRAGON) | South Wales | £24,960,843 |
Velocys plc (Altalto) | Immingham, Lincolnshire | £27,000,000 |
Velocys plc (e-Alto) | TBC | £2,523,094 |
Abundia Biomass-to-Liquids (Jet – AB2L) | Teesside | £4,484,000 |
Arcadia e-Fuels (NABOO) | Teesside | £12,341,000 |
Carbon Neutral Fuels (ASAP-DAC) | TBC | £1,376,000 |
Esso Petroleum Company (Solent SAF) | Solent | £6,065,000 |
Nova Pangaea Technologies (Project Speedbird) | Wilton at Teesside | £9,063,015 |
OXCCU Tech (OXEFUEL BIOGENIC) | Sheffield’s Translational Energy Research Centre | £2,814,000 |
Willis Sustainable Fuels (Carbonshift PtL) | Teesside | Award: £4,721,000 |
Zero Petroleum (PMZ.2) | Orkney | £3,492,100 |
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the Convention on International Civil Aviation with direct flights from London to Taipei, and in this respect why the UK does not permit flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK recognises only one Cypriot state – the Republic of Cyprus – and only one government as the sole legitimate government. Under the Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus may designate Ercan (in the north of Cyprus) as an international customs airport and grant permission for flights to operate from within its territory. Which it has not done so. This means that no direct air services between the north of Cyprus and the UK can take place.
With regards to direct flights being permitted between London and Taipei, the situation is different in that the Chinese authorities have designated a number of airports in Taiwan as international customs airports which therefore permit airlines to operate between the UK and Taiwan.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) train operating companies and (b) station car park contractors to (i) conduct and (ii) publish equality impact assessments detailing the steps they plan to take to support people that are digitally excluded.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Charging and payment methods for car parking at stations is a commercial decision for train operators and Network Rail. Train operators are responsible for considering the equalities impacts of operational changes on issues such as this, as set out in the 2018 ‘Station Car Parking Good Practice Guide for Train Operators’. The Department expects that train operators should consider each station’s needs and customer base when making decisions on charging at the car parks they manage.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the Business Case for the restoration of Hammersmith Bridge submitted by Hammersmith and Fulham Council; and when he plans to take a decision.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State is currently reviewing the business case to ensure that it provides value for money for the taxpayer and will make a final decision in due course. The Department’s Ministers are continuing to have regular discussions on this matter with officials.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of how many road traffic accidents are caused by (a) potholes and (b) poor road conditions each year.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department publishes road casualty statistics based on personal injury road collisions reported to the police via the STATS19 reporting system.
STATS19 does not identify the cause of collisions, but reporting police officers can identify up to 6 factors which in their opinion may have contributed to the collision.
In 2022 (the most recent year for which data is available) there were 477 personal injury road collisions in which the ‘poor or defective road surface’ contributory factor was assigned.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps (1) to ensure that maritime infrastructure projects, including shoreside electrical power, can speedily connect to the National Grid, (2) to build infrastructure for shoreside electrical power at UK ports to help decarbonise shipping, and (3) to enable cruise ships to connect to shoreside electrical power when docked at UK ports to assist them in reducing emissions in port.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 22 November 2023, the Government published the Connections Action Plan (jointly with Ofgem) and the Transmissions Acceleration Plan. These reforms will speed up connections to the grid and the build of new transmission infrastructure in Great Britain. This may help unlock and speed up investment in new maritime infrastructure projects in Great Britain that are reliant on upgrades to the grid, including shore power projects.
In addition, the government announced £29.5m of R&D funding will be allocated to shore power projects at the Port of Aberdeen, Atlantic and Peninsula’s Falmouth Port and Portsmouth International Port under the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure R&D competition. As well as helping to reduce shipping emissions at these locations, including from cruise ships that call at their shore power enabled berths, these demonstration projects will also provide valuable evidence to inform future industry investment, research, and policy and regulation development.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what re-appraisal of costs he has made for the successful Levelling-Up Fund bid entitled Destination Denton which was provisionally awarded in November 2023.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I am pleased to confirm that, following a validation process of the Destination Denton scheme, the Department is supporting Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to progress the scheme to delivery.