Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the drivers of rickshaws that carry paying passengers have to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the requirements for other taxi service providers.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The legislation covering rickshaws, or pedicabs, is different across England.
In London they are classified as stage coaches, and therefore are exempted from taxi licensing and do not need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The Government however is looking to bring forward legislation to regulate pedicabs in London.
Outside London they fall under taxi licensing, and drivers must therefore pass the ‘fit and proper person’ test mandated by whichever local authority they are licensed in.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the health and safety requirements for operators of rickshaws.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In England and Wales, excluding London, rickshaws (in the form of pedal-powered vehicles for carrying passengers, often also referred to as pedicabs) are regulated as taxis. They are therefore required to meet a local licensing authority’s taxi licensing conditions and any applicable byelaws. Under the different legislation that applies to London, they fall outside the scope of taxi regulation. The police have some limited powers to address inappropriate behaviour such as obstructing footways or driving in a reckless manner. The Government has recently announced its intention to introduce legislation to enable Transport for London to regulate pedicabs in London.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the 20 Miles More group's campaign to extend HS2 to Liverpool.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The government recognises that Liverpool is a major city and a significant market. Evidence from Liverpool City Region has been assessed but no decision has yet been made on the Phase Two route other than the route to Crewe.
Liverpool will benefit from day one of HS2. Phase One will cut 28 minutes from the journey time between Liverpool and London. Accelerating the line to Crewe will reduce journeys by a further 14 minutes.
HS2 will ensure that it maximises the synergies with the Northern Powerhouse, to make the most of the two networks. In this way opportunities may be created for Liverpool to benefit still further.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 July (HL1498), whether they plan to bring forward regulations regarding rickshaws in London in order to protect tourists from excessive charges.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is continuing to consider the Law Commission’s recommendations for reforming taxi and private hire legislation, including the proposal that rickshaws in London are brought within the regulatory regime for taxis and private hire vehicles.
We are already engaged with the Mayor of London in discussing the implementation of the recommendations from the Law Commission.
The Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions once this scrutiny is completed.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Law Commission review of taxi and private hire cars, and rickshaws.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Law Commission has proposed extensive reform to the legislation around taxi and private regulation which requires careful consideration before recommending a way forward. We will share this the outcome of this consideration once it is completed.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many motorway accidents there were in 2013–14; and how many of those involved heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below gives the number of personal-injury accidents that occurred on motorways in Great Britain (including motorways with a designation of A(M)) in 2013 and 2014 that were reported to the police. The final column indicates how many of the reported accidents involved at least one heavy goods vehicle (HGV).
| Reported accidents | of which involved at least one HGV | |
| 2013 | 5,397 | 1,261 |
| 2014 | 5,630 | 1,312 |
Police reported accidents do not include any damage-only incidents. Not all accidents are reported to the police, therefore these figures do not represent a full count of all collisions or accidents that took place on motorways in 2013 and 2014.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to bring forward regulations on the control of rickshaws in London, in particular regarding fares charged, roadworthiness of vehicles, and licensing requirements.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The recent Law Commission review of taxi and private hire vehicle services recommended bringing all vehicles that transport passengers for hire and reward, which would include rickshaws, into the scope of licensing.
The Government is currently considering the Law Commission’s report and draft Bill in their entirety, and in line with the protocol that exists between Government and the Law Commission, will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend the proposed HS2 railway to Liverpool to alleviate the possible increase in traffic caused by the post-Panamax facilities at the Port of Liverpool.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The Government is still considering plans for Phase Two of HS2, from Birmingham to the North, including proposals presented by Liverpool City Region. The Government will announce how it plans to take Phase Two forward later this year.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of existing transport initiatives with regard to facilitating youth mobility in rural areas.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The Government set up a working group involving representatives from relevant organisations to look at existing and possible further initiatives to assist youth mobility in rural areas. I am pleased to say that this group is due to publish its conclusions and recommendation early in the new year.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any cost-benefit analysis of the reduction of carbon monoxide emissions as a result of the planned HS2 high-speed rail link.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The Government has not made any cost-benefit analysis of the impact of HS2 on carbon monoxide emissions.
The HS2 Economic Case quantifies the impact of HS2 on non-traded direct Greenhouse Gas emissions (which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) resulting from changes in petrol/diesel use from road and rail passenger transport as a result of HS2. This analysis estimates that the full HS2 Y-Network generates benefits of £101 million (2011 prices, NPV) from reduced non-traded Greenhouse Gas emissions.