Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to assess and meet the needs of the logistics industry as an integral part of the UK economy to ensure that the sector is able to grow to meet the demands of the broader economy.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
This government is implementing plans and policies targeted at the needs of and raising the status of the UK freight and logistics sector. The 2022 ‘Future of Freight: A long-term plan’ was developed in close collaboration with industry and sets out a cross-modal approach towards a freight and logistics sector that is cost efficient, reliable, resilient, environmentally sustainable and valued by society.
Implementing the Future of Freight plan is ongoing, and we are determined to deliver favourable results to our long-term growth plans by encouraging technological innovation, strengthening the skills pipeline, enabling the transition to Net Zero, improving the planning system, and increasing visibility through a National Freight Network. My department continuously engages with the Freight Council and the broader freight industry to accomplish this. We have made significant investments including £7million through the Freight Innovation Fund, £645,000 through the Generation Logistics campaign, as well as a joint investment of up to £100 million from the freight and logistics industry and government to enhance roadside facilities and safer rest areas for HGV drivers.
We also recognise the scale of the ambitions held by the logistics industry to meet the demands of a decarbonised economy and are working in partnership with them through the jointly developed Freight Energy Forum to address the provision of the energy and fuel infrastructure that will support the transition of the logistics sector to net zero by 2050.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many professionals are part of the Generation Logistics Ambassadors Network.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Assessments of Generation Logistics have been completed by both the Department for Transport and the industry campaign programme team. Positive messages about the logistics sector and its career pathways have been spread amongst under-represented groups through the first year of the campaign. It exceeded expectations by achieving over 3.5 million engagements with social media activities and 789,000 visits to its online hub. Since establishing an Ambassadors Network, over 330 logistics professionals are now championing this important sector through engagement opportunities with young people.
We consider Generation Logistics to have been successful in its aim of raising awareness of, and positive sentiment towards, the logistics sector. Following the launch of its second year in October, we continue to work closely with The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Logistics UK, and all the campaign sponsors and partners, to ensure this messaging reaches young people in schools and colleges. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the campaign as it progresses through its second year to determine the merits of further funding.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 20 September (HL10119), whether they have made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Generation Logistics campaign; and whether they will make an assessment of the merits of further funding for Generation Logistics, beyond the £300,000 secured for 2024.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Assessments of Generation Logistics have been completed by both the Department for Transport and the industry campaign programme team. Positive messages about the logistics sector and its career pathways have been spread amongst under-represented groups through the first year of the campaign. It exceeded expectations by achieving over 3.5 million engagements with social media activities and 789,000 visits to its online hub. Since establishing an Ambassadors Network, over 330 logistics professionals are now championing this important sector through engagement opportunities with young people. [1]
We consider Generation Logistics to have been successful in its aim of raising awareness of, and positive sentiment towards, the logistics sector. Following the launch of its second year in October, we continue to work closely with The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Logistics UK, and all the campaign sponsors and partners, to ensure this messaging reaches young people in schools and colleges. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the campaign as it progresses through its second year to determine the merits of further funding.
[1] Year 1 campaign statistics provided by the programme team’s evaluation piece from The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and Logistics UK.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to seek examples and best practice in the formulation of freight and logistics plans.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department seeks to implement plans and policies that best support the UK freight and logistics sector. The 2022 ‘Future of Freight: A long-term plan’ was developed in close collaboration with industry and sets out a cross-modal approach towards a freight and logistics sector that is cost efficient, reliable, resilient, environmentally sustainable and valued by society.
Our ministers regularly engage the freight industry on the implementation of this plan along with other best practice issues; be this through fora such as DfT’s quarterly Freight Council and its delivery groups, or ad hoc discussions with industry leaders. My Department is also working collaboratively with industry to further invest in the sector, both by promoting its career opportunities through the Generation Logistics campaign, and in awarding £8million to improve lorry parking facilities. Additionally, we remain outward facing, sharing with and learning from international partners to ensure the UK freight network continues to protect our economic security.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there has been any increase in the number of young people entering the logistics industry following their involvement in the Generation Logistics campaign.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Since launching in August 2022, we have assessed the Generation Logistics campaign is successfully raising awareness and improving perceptions of the logistics sector, which is why we are pleased to provide a further £300,000 of government funding for its second year.
The campaign has exceeded the original objectives set, with social media communications targeted at young people and other underrepresented groups having reached an audience of over 340 million people and visits to the campaign’s online hub totalling over 500,000. Alongside print advertisements, educational materials, and an Ambassadors Network of hundreds of professionals, these communications are ensuring young people better understand the importance of the logistics sector.
The campaign will continue to engage young people and will begin to support educators of 13-to-18-year-olds, laying the groundwork for the next generation of talent to enter the sector in the coming years.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have conducted, if any, of shortage occupations in the logistics sector, ahead of the Christmas peak period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department recently established a People and Skills Delivery Group to deliver on priority commitments within our published ‘Future of Freight: A Long-Term Plan’.
To support the work of this group, the Department has conducted an assessment of the freight and logistics sector workforce, to get a baseline on the health of the sector that the group will monitor over time. This forum will enable Government and industry to collectively identify any shortage occupations for the sector and collaborate on activity to ensure we have sufficient labour and skills pipeline year-round, examining factors such as training provision, awareness and perception, and terms and conditions.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount that needs to be paid to railway ticketing staff for redundancy payments as a result of railway ticket office closures; and what estimate they have made of annual payments that will be required to paid as compensation benefits.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Whilst it is our expectation that no currently staffed station should be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, it is for train operators to decide on their staffing arrangements at each of the stations from which they operate services, so they can best meet the needs of passengers. As part of this train operators will discuss employment matters with trade unions as part of their own collective bargaining processes.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reformed HGV levy on logistics businesses operating Euro VI HGVs.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government reformed the HGV levy in February 2019 to incentivise vehicle operators to move towards newer, cleaner, Euro VI vehicles to reduce emissions from HGVs and improve air quality. Euro VI rates were reduced by up to 10% and rates for other vehicles increased by 20%, benefitting logistics businesses operating Euro VI HGVs.
The levy was suspended in August 2020 to support the haulage sector and aid COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts. The suspension provided the opportunity to consider further reforms to the levy. Following public consultation in 2022, a new reformed levy will come into effect in August 2023 with a revised structure and with rates on average around 20% lower than they were before the suspension.
The consultation included analyses of the impacts of the changes, although no changes were proposed relating to retaining a differential between Euro VI and other vehicles.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for each year since 2010, what is their estimate of (1) changes in costs incurred by the logistics sector, and (2) investment levels into the logistics sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department for Transport (DfT) does not hold a formal assessment of these specific changes across the logistics sector. The department is in regular contact with the logistics sector, and discussions do include the impacts of the wider economic environment. This cross-cutting industry operates within the private domain where costs are varied.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the change in (1) operating costs, including fuel and energy, (2) training and recruitment costs, and (3) taxes and charges, incurred by the logistics sector in each year since 2010.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department for Transport (DfT) does not hold a formal assessment of these specific changes across the logistics sector. The Department is in regular contact with the logistics sector, and discussions do include the impacts of the wider economic environment. This cross-cutting industry operates within the private domain where costs are varied.
The following analysis, however, may be of relevance: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly fuel prices from 2003 to the present day and the Office for National Statistics conducts a regular survey of business sectors on concerns such as energy prices and business rates.