Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much taxpayer funding is being saved per month by having only one fast train per hour on the Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour line rather than the two that were provided prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Not running the second fast service between Portsmouth Harbour and Waterloo would be saving an estimated £3.6 million per annum. The Department and South West Railway (SWR) will continue to monitor capacity and demand levels on that line and across the network.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with South Western Railway about reverting to providing two fast train services per hour each way between Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour; and when they expect this will happen.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
There are currently no plans to reintroduce the second fast service between Portsmouth Harbour and London Waterloo as current demand does not warrant a return of that service. The Department and South West Railway (SWR) will continue to monitor capacity and demand levels on this line and across the network.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) regulations, (2) protocols, or (3) engineering standards, that standardise the means of confirming electrical isolation of all the batteries of (a) an electric, or (b) a hybrid, vehicle in the event of a serious collision exist; and if no such measures exist, what assessment they have made of whether they should be introduced.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there are any novel risks associated with (1) an electric, or (2) a hybrid, vehicle which has been involved in a serious collision; and what steps they have taken to mitigate any such risks.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) regulations, (2) protocols, or (3) engineering standards, require all the batteries of (a) an electric, or (b) a hybrid, vehicle in the UK to be automatically electrically isolated in the event of a collision; and if no such measures exist, what assessment they have made of whether they should be introduced.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The UK is actively involved in the development of international regulations for road vehicle approval at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These regulations take into account novel risks and potential safety concerns associated with hybrid and electric vehicles. The crashworthiness regulations have been amended to require hybrid and electric vehicles to have either an automatic disconnect for the high voltage system or for the electrical system integrity to be maintained after the vehicle undergoes regulated crash testing. A specific regulation dealing with electrical safety of vehicles has been updated to include provisions for the mechanical and electrical testing of the battery, its fire resistance and electrical insulation.
The regulations do not require a means to confirm the isolation of the batteries following a serious collision because it is considered appropriate for those attending the scene to confirm by independent means that the vehicle does not present a hazard or risk. In support of this approach, the Department has developed a guidance document for operators involved in the recovery of hybrid and electric vehicles which will shortly be made available on GOV.UK. Alongside this work, the Department is an active member of Euro NCAP, which has introduced a mobile phone application that provides vehicle specific information for recovery professionals and emergency services to identify the location of key components of the high voltage system.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the holders of the South Western Railway franchise regarding the operation of the London to Portsmouth line; and when they expect that timetable to return to pre-pandemic regularity.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
South Western Railway will introduce a new timetable from Monday 21st February, which will reinstate services to pre-Omicron levels including the London to Portsmouth line. This follows reducing numbers of Omicron-related staff shortages and growing numbers of passengers returning to the railway.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Category (1) C, and (2) C+E, HGV drivers held a Driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence during the week commencing 3 January; and what was the equivalent figure for each of the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The information requested is not currently available for the week commencing 3 January. On 27 November 2021, the most recent date for which data is available, the number of drivers with Category C and C+E driving entitlement who held a Certificate of Professional Competence is shown in the table below. The historic information requested is not held. Officials will write to The Noble Lord with the information from week commencing 3 January when it becomes available.
Category | Volume |
1. C | 194,261 |
2. C and CE | 420,562 |
Total C and CE | 614,823 |