Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Business and Trade and (b) Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations on the potential merits of negotiating a mutual recognition of professional qualification agreement with the European Commission for the aviation sector.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has been clear that the UK’s trading relationship with the EU can be improved in several areas. The Department continues to engage with the European Union (EU) Commission on areas where future cooperation or recognition could support UK interests. Any further details will be provided in due course, as engagement progresses.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued on increasing (a) station accessibility and (b) rolling stock accessibility for mobility scooters on the rail network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State publishes Design Standards for Accessible Railway Stations, which licenced operators must follow whenever they install, renew or replace infrastructure or facilities in Great Britain.
Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road. An ATP sets out, among other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use.
The guidance states that operators must set out their policies regarding the carriage of mobility scooters and other mobility aids for mobility-impaired people on their trains. Operators must make the reasoning behind their policies clear, particularly with regard to any policy excluding the carriage of some or all mobility scooters and mobility aids.
Operators must also provide as part of their ATP a separate document that gives details of services and facilities at all of the stations they manage, and other stations called at by their services, including relevant stations operated by Network Rail.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to help ensure that councils provide access to bus services for isolated communities in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has set out an action plan for improving the bus network, centred around putting control of local bus services into the hands of communities to give them the tools they need to plan and deliver services in a way that suits their needs. On 9 September, the government announced important first steps towards delivering this aim by laying a statutory instrument to ‘open up’ bus franchising to all local transport authorities (LTAs), and publishing a consultation document on proposed updates to streamline bus franchising guidance that will speed up and lower the cost of franchising for LTAs.
As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will also introduce a new Buses Bill later this year that will build on the progress of this first package of measures, and help bring to an end the postcode lottery of bus services by giving local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas in Aldershot and across England.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for practical driving tests in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.
As of 9 September 2024, there were 556,774 car practical driving tests booked, and 91,059 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.
Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at driving test centres, include the recruitment of driving examiners, conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.
The DVSA also continues to deploy examiners from areas with lower waiting times into those centres with longer waiting times. This is in addition to the DVSA recruiting additional examiners across the country into areas where waiting times are highest.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that potholes are fixed promptly in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the local highway authority for the Aldershot constituency, and it is therefore responsible for the maintenance of the local road network. HCC will receive £37.7 million from this Department during 2024/25 to enable it to carry out its local highway maintenance responsibilities. Funding for future years is a matter for the Spending Review.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve train services in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials maintain contact with train operators to ensure an appropriate level of service is provided to meet passenger demand, and this is reviewed regularly. The recent establishment of Shadow Great British Railways paves the way for the creation of Great British Railways and will deliver a unified railway providing a stronger, more reliable railway for the benefit of passengers.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with National Highways on (a) the expected completion date for works on the Painshill junction of the M25 and A3 and (b) the steps being taken to (i) ensure the timely completion of that work and (ii) minimise disruption in the area.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways are due to complete the main works at the Painshill roundabout and junction 10 of the M25 by Summer 2025 however, there will be other minor works including environmental enhancements that will be completed towards the end of 2025.
To ensure timely completion of works, National Highways are closely monitoring the construction programme and are working with the supply chain, local authorities, and utility providers to ensure the programme is on schedule. Additionally, to minimise disruption National Highways are undertaking some of the works overnight and at weekends when traffic volumes are low, and they are also retaining the number of lanes available during the day to maintain traffic flows. Furthermore, National Highways are promoting information about road closures in advance to allow customer to use alternative routes or other forms of transport when necessary.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of building a new railway station at Alconbury Weald in Huntingdon constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is aware of long-standing local aspirations for an East Coast Main Line station at Alconbury Weald that would align with the new housing being developed in the area. The Secretary of State announced that she has commissioned an internal review of the Department's capital portfolio. This will support the development of a long-term strategy for transport, that delivers a modern and integrated network with people at its heart. It will consider a fundamental reset to how we approach capital projects, to ensure that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time, supporting our strategic objectives. I encourage any project proposal to consider how the scheme links to wider government commitments concerning economic growth, but regret that I am not yet able to comment on individual schemes or proposals at this time.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that thistles and ragwort are removed from land owned by her Department between the village of Mersham and the Sevington inland border facility.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I can confirm that a cut of the field to remove the thistles and ragwort was completed by Sunday 8th September. The cut was started following an ecological walkover visit on Monday 2nd September to ensure that the works could go ahead without impacting nesting birds.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle dangerous driving in (a) villages and (b) rural areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government and that is why the Department is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will set out next steps on this in due course.