Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to help improve the speed of the bus and coach driver licence acquisition process.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Transport regularly engages with bus and coach operators as well as the Confederation of Passenger Transport on many issues. We have increased the capacity of vocational driving tests available, including through the recruitment of additional driving examiners. These measures will make it easier for operators to recruit and train bus and coach drivers up and down the country.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is processing straightforward bus driving licence applications within five days and there are no delays. More complex cases may take longer.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of drivers in the bus and coach industries.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Transport regularly engages with bus and coach operators as well as the Confederation of Passenger Transport on many issues. We have increased the capacity of vocational driving tests available, including through the recruitment of additional driving examiners. These measures will make it easier for operators to recruit and train bus and coach drivers up and down the country.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is processing straightforward bus driving licence applications within five days and there are no delays. More complex cases may take longer.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving from paper notices attached to the vehicle to sending Fixed Penalty Notices for parking offences directly to the registered keeper's address.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
No assessment has been made of dispensing with paper notices. In 2015, Ministers limited the use of CCTV evidence to specific, more serious parking contraventions and, in those cases, penalties may be sent directly to the registered keeper’s address. For other parking contraventions, the penalty notice must be fixed to the vehicle. This has the advantage of allowing the driver to understand immediately when and how they have contravened and to record the exact circumstances should they wish to challenge the penalty.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review the eligibility criteria for disabled bus passes to ensure that people with autism can obtain such a pass.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government committed in the National Bus Strategy to review eligibility for the disabled pass and this will consider whether invisible disabilities, such as autism, should be included within the eligibility criteria.
In addition to the statutory minimum concession guaranteed under the 2000 Act, the Transport Act 1985 (as amended) ('the 1985 Act') gives local authorities outside London the power, at their discretion, to offer additional travel concessions to people in any of the categories defined in section 93(7) of that Act.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 2633 on P&O Ferries: Port of Hull, when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency contacted the Bahamas Maritime Authority when UK seafarers were dismissed from employment on the P&O Ferries vessel Pride of Hull on 17 March 2022.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) first made contact with the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) on 21 March.
Following initial contact, the MCA were in regular contact with their counterparts in the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) in relation to P&O Ferries and safety compliance and concerns related to safety and seafarers working and living conditions.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include official standardised emergency response driver training amongst those offered by the DVLA.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not deliver emergency response driver training. Individuals wanting to gain recognised qualifications in emergency response driver training can do so via private companies.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 2636 on Shipping: Apprentices, if he will take steps to review P&O Ferries' membership of the Maritime Apprenticeship Trailblazer Working Group.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Membership of trailblazer groups is a matter for industry and ultimately determined by the Chair.
The Department for Education and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education hold overall policy responsibility for apprenticeships, including trailblazer groups.
The Department for Transport will continue to work with the Merchant Navy Training Board to keep the situation with the P&O Ferries apprentices under review. DfT remains committed to the protection and welfare of all seafarers and minimising disruption for those in training.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 2634 on Shipping: Crew, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the amendments to the points-based visa system on employment opportunities for UK seafarers working on international routes from UK ports; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this issue.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Transport and the Home Office officials on this and other issues relevant to UK seafarers.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the age at which people are eligible for the Concessionary Bus Pass scheme in England to ensure equal access throughout the UK.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In England, the age of eligibility for the concessionary bus pass is linked to the state pension age. This addresses the anomalous position of non-disabled, working age citizens receiving free bus buses, which in turn supports the financial sustainability of the scheme. There are no current plans to change the concessionary bus travel age of eligibility in England. However, concessionary travel legislation gives local authorities the flexibility to offer local travel concessions, such as free or discounted travel to those who are not yet eligible for the bus pass, if they choose to do so.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on Managing pavement parking, which closed on 22 November 2020.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible. The formal consultation response will be available to view on the Gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.