Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of e-scooters on (a) driving licence and (b) insurance requirements.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport is currently considering options for future regulations for rental and private e-scooters. It will consult before any new arrangements come into force, and all interested parties will have a chance to shape the new regime.
Currently, third-party insurance is provided to users by e-scooter operators in the national trials, and users must also have a provisional driving licence.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the research entitled National evaluation of e-scooter trials report, published on 15 December 2022, how many penalties have been issued by e-scooter trial providers as a result of a rider abandoning an e-scooter in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The day to day running of any trial is for the local authority and its scooter operator partner(s). Operational data of this type is not held by the Department for Transport and was not collected from operators as part of the trials evaluation study.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authorities have developed Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As of August last year, 78 upper tier local authorities reported that they had developed Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs).
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Government's response to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate consultation.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Responses to the technical consultation are being analysed and the Government will publish its response, and a full regulatory proposal and cost benefit analysis, in due course.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he intends to publish the Government's response to the public consultation on reviewing personal safety measures on streets in England.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government 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/reviewing-personal-safety-measures-on-streets-in-england-call-for-evidence.
The results from this call for evidence are shaping the work to update Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2, which is currently underway. The Government intends to publish the consultation response at the same time as the revised Manual for Streets.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the findings of National Highways' trial of computer analysis of CCTV images for stopped vehicle detection on smart motorways carried on the M4 near Bristol in 2020.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways does not have computer analysis of CCTV images for stopped vehicle detection operational on any existing All Lane Running smart motorways. National Highways preferred approach is radar based stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology, which is in place on all existing All Lane Running motorways. SVD is capable of detecting stopped vehicles in live lanes, automatically alerting drivers with ‘report of obstruction’ signs, and sending alerts to control rooms.
National Highways are currently reviewing the status of the 2020 technical report.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what proportion of all lane running smart motorways is computer analysis of CCTV images for stopped vehicle detection operational.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways does not have computer analysis of CCTV images for stopped vehicle detection operational on any existing All Lane Running smart motorways. National Highways preferred approach is radar based stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology, which is in place on all existing All Lane Running motorways. SVD is capable of detecting stopped vehicles in live lanes, automatically alerting drivers with ‘report of obstruction’ signs, and sending alerts to control rooms.
National Highways are currently reviewing the status of the 2020 technical report.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on identifying a National Freight Network; and when he expects that work to be completed and published.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Work to identify a National Freight Network is at the scoping stage. In keeping with the process to develop the Future of Freight plan, the Department will work closely with the freight and logistics sector on the identification of a network, and the timetable for this.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will publish the Low Carbon Fuel Strategy.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Work continues developing the Low Carbon Fuels Strategy and a range of supporting publications. The Strategy aims to provide more certainty to industry on the role of low carbon fuels across transport modes from now to 2050, boosting investment in this sustainable sector and maximising carbon savings.
The Department intends to publish the Low Carbon Fuels Strategy in Spring 2023 subject to alignment with wider government strategies.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to address cross-border working by private hire vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same local authority. The Government is aware of the challenges out-of-area working can present to licensing authorities, but also sees the value this system provides in meeting otherwise unmet demand in areas where drivers might not be immediately available.
The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades. The Department for Transport's Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards recommends enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers. All licensing authorities require these checks.