Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant the Answer of 21 January to Question 138919, what discussions he has had with the DVSA on the proportion of (a) all garages and (b) independent garages that provide MOT pick-up and drop-off services for people who are staying at home due to the covid19; if he will publish guidance on what steps such car owners should take if they need to renew their MOT but cannot find a garage offering such a service; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department regularly discusses issues related to MOT testing with DVSA. It is estimated that at least 70% of all MOT testing stations offer these services, including all of the large chains. There are no current plans to issue guidance to drivers unable to find a garage offering this service. If motorists are unable to obtain a pick-up and drop-off service at their chosen garage, they can also ask a member of their support bubble to help. Any driver will need valid insurance cover for their use of the vehicle.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2021 to Question 150750 on Railways: Season Tickets, what progress he has made on his work with the Treasury to develop a solution for people who need part-time and flexible season tickets; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government recognises the change in travel patterns, the impact of COVID-19 and therefore the need to accommodate a more flexible style of working and travelling. We also understand concerns about the cost of some rail fares and the impact that this can have on people’s budgets.
The Department is actively working with both Treasury and train operators to develop a solution that offers better value and convenience for those who commute flexibly, and we will provide further details in line with the Government’s four-step roadmap out of lockdown.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that airline companies are providing refunds to (a) travel agencies and (b) tour operators within timeframes that are consistent with those that dictate when travel agencies and tour operators must legally provide refunds to consumers whose flights or holiday packages have been cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are currently reviewing the practices of travel agents and airlines in issuing refunds to customers affected by the travel restrictions during COVID-19. In February the CMA issued an update on enforcement action being taken with individual agencies.
The Civil Aviation Authority reviewed airlines’ compliance on refunds last summer and concluded that a number of airlines were failing to meet the process time for refunding their customers for cancelled flights. Latest data suggests that airlines are now paying the vast majority of refunds in a timely manner between 4 and 14 days.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the proposed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects relating to his Department that the Planning Inspectorate's Examining Authority recommended consent should be withheld from in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e) 2019, (f) 2020 and (g) 2021.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Applications for Development Consent Orders since 2015, for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in the transport sector, where the Examining Authority has recommended withholding consent, are:
Year the Examining Authority’s Recommendation was received | Name of scheme |
2015 | East Midlands Gateway Rail Freight Interchange |
2019 | A63 Castle Street Improvement-Hull |
2019 | Manston Airport |
2019 | A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling |
2020 | A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down |
Although decisions on these applications are always made in the name of the Secretary of State, some decisions are taken by other ministers within the Department for propriety reasons and without the involvement of the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with the COP26 President to facilitate access for (a) delegates, (b) media and (c) civil society to COP26 by rail.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
A multifaceted transport plan is being developed to support the delegate experience at COP26 with rail travel a key element of the plan. The plan will encourage delegates, media, and civil society travelling from Europe to consider low-carbon travel options such as rail as a way of entering the UK.
The Department for Transport is working closely with Rail Operators and Network Rail to ensure appropriate provision of rail services on the key routes to Glasgow over the period the conference is taking place. Rail will be a key sustainable mode of travel to COP26 and will certainly be encouraged.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to proposed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects relating to his Department, in respect of how many of those projects the Planning Inspectorate's Examining Authority recommended that he should withhold consent; and how many times his Department rejected those recommendations in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e) 2019, (f) 2020 and (g) 2021.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Since 2015, the Examining Authority has recommended withholding consent from five Development Consent Orders for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in the transport sector; in all five cases, the Secretary of State rejected those recommendations. The Secretary of State made one of these decisions in 2016, three in 2020, and one in 2021.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 140769, how critical workers who cannot work from home can (a) take their full motorcylce test and (b) renew their Compulsory Basic Training while test centres are closed during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is making available a practical testing service in England for mobile emergency workers who need to ride a motorcycle as part of their job.
The DVSA is not accepting requests for mobile emergency worker tests direct from individuals. Those employing mobile emergency workers need to apply to the DVSA for their existing test to be conducted earlier as a mobile emergency worker test; the DVSA has contacted organisations eligible to tell them how to do this.
Learner motorcyclists meeting the mobile emergency worker criteria and who have a valid compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate and wish to apply for a motorcycle licence are eligible for the mobile emergency worker service.
Learner motorcyclists whose CBT certificate has expired are unable to renew it during the current restrictions. They will not be able take a practical motorcycle test until conditions allow CBT to re-start and they have acquired a fresh CBT certificate.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2021 to Question 136074 on Motorcycles: Training, if he will make it his policy to provide critical workers who cannot work from home with an extension of the two-year Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) period before they are required to take a full moped or motorcycle test or their CBT again to cover the period when full tests and CBT tests are unavailable due to restrictions to prevent the transmission of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) helps to ensure riders can ride safely on their own while they prepare to take the full moped or motorcycle test. It is the expectation motorcycle riders will go on and take their full test within two years. If they do not take the motorcycle test within this timeframe, they will need to renew their CBT.
Rider safety is vital as they are one of our most vulnerable groups of road users. Taking a motorcycle test or renewing their CBT ensures they have the basic skills to be safe.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the marine contingency planning the UK has in place for responding to a maritime accident involving the escape of radioactive materials to marine (a) aquatic and (b) atmospheric environments relating to (i) environmental protection and (ii) public health; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) response planning designed to manage incidents involving dangerous cargo, including nuclear materials, is contained in the ‘The National Contingency Plan - A Strategic Overview for Responses to Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (the NCP)’ and other operational response procedures. The NCP is published on GOV.UK.
Response to vessel incident and pollution incidents within the maritime environment is for the most part initiated by Her Majesty’s Coastguard (HMCG), with involvement from MCA Counter Pollution and Salvage (MCA CPS) and the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP). The timing, nature and extent of any subsequent response will depend on the nature, scope and scale of the incident and the risks to the public and the environment. This is equally applicable to incidents involving nuclear materials, where broad alerting and response protocols exist across the appropriate UK agencies and organisations.
In the case of incidents involving vessels, technical support will be sought from ship’s owners, classification society, naval architects, insurers and salvors. For incidents involving nuclear materials further specialist support would be required. This will comprise of a range of response services using the resources of: International Nuclear Services, the Office of Nuclear Regulation, the Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department (EHED), the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) (including the Radiation Team element of CRCE), the Met Office and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Other industry specialists are likely to be engaged by the salvors for vessel firefighting, cargo/source containment, mitigation, stabilisation, and recovery.
Public Health England (PHE) have delegated responsibility to lead on UK-wide public health impacts and response resulting from the release of nuclear materials. PHE will be informed by potential and/or actual release information as well as forecast drift and exposure modelling developed by the Met Office, this last supported by EHED and CRCE. Again, location of the incident, its nature, actual and potential extent, risk to the public and environment will be considered and will inform the actual response activated. In response, PHE will engage with Local Government Resilience Fora and their counterparts within the Devolved Administrations to co-ordinate a coherent national response.
Her Majesty’s Coastguard will maintain communication with all shipping approaching or in the vicinity of any incident, informing them of any danger and advise on exclusion areas and potential re-routing. They will similarly inform any offshore installation (oil & gas or offshore renewable operation), should they be in the modelled drift or potential fall-out impact area. They will also inform the UK Hydrographic Office, who will issue a temporary and/or longer term Notice to Mariners.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the marine contingency planning range of actions for which the UK has preparations in place for responding to a maritime accident involving the escape of radioactive materials to the marine aquatic environment to (a) mitigate and (b) reduce (i) the environmental impact and (ii) down-stream exposure and public health impact of those radioactive materials; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) response planning designed to manage incidents involving dangerous cargo, including nuclear materials, is contained in the ‘The National Contingency Plan - A Strategic Overview for Responses to Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (the NCP)’ and other operational response procedures. The NCP is published on GOV.UK.
Response to vessel incident and pollution incidents within the maritime environment is for the most part initiated by Her Majesty’s Coastguard (HMCG), with involvement from MCA Counter Pollution and Salvage (MCA CPS) and the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP). The timing, nature and extent of any subsequent response will depend on the nature, scope and scale of the incident and the risks to the public and the environment. This is equally applicable to incidents involving nuclear materials, where broad alerting and response protocols exist across the appropriate UK agencies and organisations.
In the case of incidents involving vessels, technical support will be sought from ship’s owners, classification society, naval architects, insurers and salvors. For incidents involving nuclear materials further specialist support would be required. This will comprise of a range of response services using the resources of: International Nuclear Services, the Office of Nuclear Regulation, the Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department (EHED), the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) (including the Radiation Team element of CRCE), the Met Office and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Other industry specialists are likely to be engaged by the salvors for vessel firefighting, cargo/source containment, mitigation, stabilisation, and recovery.
Public Health England (PHE) have delegated responsibility to lead on UK-wide public health impacts and response resulting from the release of nuclear materials. PHE will be informed by potential and/or actual release information as well as forecast drift and exposure modelling developed by the Met Office, this last supported by EHED and CRCE. Again, location of the incident, its nature, actual and potential extent, risk to the public and environment will be considered and will inform the actual response activated. In response, PHE will engage with Local Government Resilience Fora and their counterparts within the Devolved Administrations to co-ordinate a coherent national response.
Her Majesty’s Coastguard will maintain communication with all shipping approaching or in the vicinity of any incident, informing them of any danger and advise on exclusion areas and potential re-routing. They will similarly inform any offshore installation (oil & gas or offshore renewable operation), should they be in the modelled drift or potential fall-out impact area. They will also inform the UK Hydrographic Office, who will issue a temporary and/or longer term Notice to Mariners.