Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the written answer by Baroness Kramer on 11 November (HL2661) concerning vehicle registration and licensing in Northern Ireland, whether they will now answer the second and third limbs of the question.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The changes to vehicle registration and licensing services for Northern Ireland motorists were implemented on 21 July when more than 1.7 million Northern Ireland vehicle records were automatically transferred to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). A small number of records required additional processing but these were in line with expectations and the DVLA’s systems have operated very successfully since the migration. While no formal assessment has been made, the Government is confident that Northern Ireland customers are benefiting fully from the enhanced services that are now available to them.
The DVLA is planning a number of future changes to vehicle registration and licensing services. These include providing the facility for motorists to notify vehicle changes and carry out personalised registration transactions online. These services will be available to motorists throughout the UK when they are implemented.
As driver licensing in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue, the Government is not in a position to comment on the success of the system or any potential changes.
Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make it a legal requirement for cyclists to wear helmets; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
We have no plans to make it a legal requirement for cyclists to wear helmets.
Government policy is that the cycle helmets offer a degree of protection for cyclists in the event of a fall from a cycle and some types of collisions. In line with the Highway Code rule 59, we encourage their use by all cyclists and in particular by children. However people and parents are free to choose whether to follow this advice and we have no plans to legislate to introduce mandatory enforcement of cycle helmet wearing.
Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make cycling road rules more enforceable; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. Depending on the offence officers can issue verbal warnings, fixed penalty notices or report the road user for formal prosecution. We support any action taken by the police to deter and reduce the number of cycling offences.
Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, since the transfer of driver and vehicle licensing services for people in Northern Ireland from Coleraine to Swansea, how motorists in Northern Ireland obtain licenses; what is their assessment of the success of the new system; and what changes to that system they propose, if any.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Driver licensing in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue. Responsibility for issuing driving licences in Northern Ireland remains with the Driver and Vehicle Agency, based in Coleraine, and there have been no changes in how motorists in Northern Ireland obtain driving licences.
Vehicle registration and licensing in Northern Ireland is not devolved and is the responsibility of the UK Government. The operational responsibility for delivering vehicle registration and licensing services in Northern Ireland passed from the Driver and Vehicle Agency to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea on 21 July. For the first time, motorists in Northern Ireland now have access to the same range of services as those in Great Britain. This includes online vehicle licensing, a wider range of vehicle licensing services available at around 175 Post Offices in Northern Ireland and access to direct debit payments for vehicle excise duty.
Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 22 July (WA 197), what assessment they have made of the current level of noise produced by motorcycles on public roads.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The noise levels of motorcycles is assessed before they are placed on the market to ensure consistency with legislated noise limits. There has been no additional Government assessment of the separate contribution motorcycles make to overall noise levels on public roads.
Asked by: Lord Laird (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to reduce the noise of motorcycles on public roads.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
There are already a number of measures in place to control motorcycle noise with manufacturers required to meet strict noise limits which are then enforced by the police and through annual MoTs. There are currently no plans for further measures.