Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his Department's policy that car sharing is permitted in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
In line with the easing on the rules of households mixing indoors at Step 3 of the roadmap, car sharing is now permitted. People may travel in a group of up to 6 people from any number of households, or a group of any size from no more than 2 households. Due to certain exemptions mean, these restrictions do not apply in all circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has plans to release further vouchers under the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department plans to release a further batch of vouchers before Easter, providing lockdown restrictions still allow.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to the maritime sector.
Answered by Robert Courts
My officials and I work extensively with our maritime sector. We continue to support the sector on the operational, crew and financial challenges they face during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are working closely with stakeholders from across the sector as we look to restart domestic and international travel through the Global Travel Taskforce. My department continues to assist on critical issues such as decarbonisation, promoting global competitiveness and our future seafarer needs. We will work closely with the sector to seize the opportunities our departure from the EU creates and are fully committed to the long-term success of the sector which is so critical to the UK as a trading nation.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve the UK's network of motorhome stopover points.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department for Transport holds policy responsibility for on street parking facilities only. The Department has no plans in that context for the UK’s network of motorhome stopover points. This question may be relevant to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government who hold policy responsibility for off street parking facilities and planning decisions.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support the development of the maritime energy efficiency sector.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Government is committed to decarbonising the maritime sector both domestically, to meet our Net Zero target, and internationally to meet International Maritime Organisation targets.
In 2019, Government published the Clean Maritime Plan, which noted that by 2025 we expect that ‘all vessels operating in UK waters [should be] maximising the use of energy efficiency options’, to reduce emissions in the short-term before practical zero emission technologies are made deployable. Following publication of the Clean Maritime Plan, Government provided £1.5m for clean maritime projects including maritime energy efficiency projects, through the MarRI-UK Clean Maritime Call. The Department will soon publish the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which will set out further details of the Government’s maritime decarbonisation measures.
Internationally, the UK was crucial to securing both the efficiency target in the IMO’s Initial Greenhouse Gas Strategy, and to the IMO’s adoption of the Energy Efficiency Design Index. The UK will continue to push for ambition on efficiency and decarbonisation measures at the IMO.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether seafarers working on private yachts that enter the UK are required to self-isolate.
Answered by Robert Courts
The list of exemptions to the requirement to self-isolate includes an exemption for ‘Seamen and masters as defined in section 313(1) Merchant Shipping Act 1995, maritime pilots as defined in para 22(1) of schedule 3A of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and inspectors and surveyors of ships appointed under section 256 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or by a government of a relevant British possession as defined in section 313(1) of that Act.’
It is the responsibility of the individual, or their employer, to determine whether they may qualify for an exemption and, where they do, ensure they travel with the appropriate supporting documentation.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce a minimum proportion usage of UK steel in HS2.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The contractors involved in the delivery of HS2 have only recently commenced their procurement of steel for HS2 and therefore it is not possible to determine at this time what percentage of that steel will be British, but, the Government’s guidance on the procurement of steel was published in November 2015 and subsequently updated in December 2016. All major government projects are required to take cognisance of the Crown Commercial Service Procurement Policy Note 11/16: “Procuring Steel in Major Projects - Revised Guidance” (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-1116-procuring-steel-in-major-projects-revised-guidance ).
Whilst HS2 Ltd does not directly buy steel, it does apply a strategic and transparent approach to the sourcing of steel for the HS2 Programme through its Tier 1 contractors and their supply chains. HS2 Ltd is governed by the Utility Contract Regulations and ensures a fair procurement process which complies the with UK procurement law and the Government policy on the procurement of steel. I can confirm that the UK steel industry is already delivering for HS2 including 1,130 tonnes from Darlington-based Cleveland Bridge. Celsa Steel in Cardiff for 1,800 tonnes of loose steel and rebar. Caunton Engineering in Nottinghamshire for 2,400 tonnes of structural steel.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting a minimum threshold for the involvement of UK companies in the High Speed Two project.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department for Transport has not assessed the potential merits of setting a minimum threshold for the involvement of UK PLC in HS2. UK procurement law does not permit public sector bodies to set targets for goods and services based on country-specific locations. However, HS2 Ltd has an excellent track record of supporting British businesses; over 2,000 businesses have delivered work so far on HS2, of which 98% are UK-based, and 70% of which are SMEs.
The project already has 13,000 workers in the UK employed on it and the construction of Phase One will see HS2 create and sustain a further 22,000 jobs over the coming years, with many more in businesses and factories around the country through an estimated 400,000 supply chain contract opportunities. HS2 Ltd estimate that 95% of those contract opportunities will be won by UK based businesses, with around two thirds being SMEs.HS2 Ltd continues to undertake procurement activity in line with the established legal framework governed by the Utilities Contracts Regulations under which it operates.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Treasury's Green Book provides scope for his Department to prioritise the UK supply chain in the High Speed Two project.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
HS2 Ltd operates in line with current UK public procurement law, specifically the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016. It is therefore a legal requirement that, across the project, it conducts all procurement activity on a fair, equal and transparent basis that does not discriminate by location. While complying to these principles, the High Speed Two project continues to provide significant opportunities for the UK supply chain with 97% of businesses in the supply chain being UK businesses.