Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of when the contactless pay as you go scheme will be extended to (a) Tunbridge Wells, (b) High Brooms and (c) Paddock Wood Stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I would like to assure you that our commitment to improving ticketing for passengers by expanding contactless pay as you go (PAYG) does not end with these initial 53 stations we announced this year. We are still developing our proposals for the next phase of contactless PAYG rollout. We will announce further details of any wider expansion of PAYG in due course.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Jesse Norman
(i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022
(a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022.
(b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on two occasions and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on one occasion during this time.
ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022
a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on three occasions and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on 2 occasions during this time.
iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022
a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2022.
b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on one occasion, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on two occasions and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Karl McCartney) on one occasion during this time.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between 1 June to 30 November 2021 the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, with portfolio responsibility for research and science, (Minister Maclean and Minister Harrison) on seven occasions, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on two occasions, Minister of State (Minister Heaton Harris) on two occasions, Minister of State (Minister Stephenson) on one occasion and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Courts) on one occasion.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help tackle the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s delays in dealing with applications arising from working from home, industrial action and recent increases in demand.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing staff who are working from home are mainly from support areas. These staff are fully productive and are not contributing to delays. Staff working from home is in line with Welsh Government guidance and allows the DVLA to maximise office space for operational staff processing paper applications as these roles cannot be carried out remotely.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has led to delays for customers. The DVLA has also been working with a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services and is urgently securing extra office space to house more staff. This will help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
The DVLA understands the impact that delays can have on people’s everyday lives and is working to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help improve communication between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and its customers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has added new ways and updated existing methods to ensure clear communication for customers. A guidance is in place to advise customers of the latest processing times. To date, this page has had almost two million unique views. The information contained in this page is based on customer feedback and designed to help customers with their most common queries.
The DVLA regularly posts information on its social media channels signposting followers to different sources of information designed to help customers transact quickly and easily with DVLA. Since September 2020, the DVLA has run two communication campaigns targeted at encouraging customers to use the DVLA’s extensive suite of online services instead of a paper alternative as online services are not subject to delays. Content is regularly updated on GOV.UK and incorporates customer feedback.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2021 to Question 50953 on Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Standards, what progress his Department has made in helping to improve the efficiency of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing staff who are working from home are mainly from support areas. These staff are fully productive and are not contributing to delays. Staff working from home is in line with Welsh Government guidance and allows the DVLA to maximise office space for operational staff processing paper applications as these roles cannot be carried out remotely.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has led to delays for customers. The DVLA has also been working with a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services and is urgently securing extra office space to house more staff. This will help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
The DVLA understands the impact that delays can have on people’s everyday lives and is working to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020, (b) 1 June 2020 to 31 August 2020, (c) 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020 and (d) 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Between 1st March 2020 and 31st May 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport attended one meeting with DfT CSA. Parliamentary under-Secretary of State Rachel Maclean who has responsibility for Research, Science, Technology and Innovation, attended three meetings with DfT CSA, during the same period.
Between the 1st June 2020 and 31st August 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport did not attend meetings with DfT CSA, Phil Blythe. Parliamentary under-Secretary of State Rachel Maclean attended three meetings with DfT CSA, Phil Blythe during the same period. Minister of State Chris Heaton-Harris attended one meeting with DfT CSA during the same period.
Between the 1st September 2020 and 30th November 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport did not attend meetings with DFT CSA. Parliamentary under-Secretary of State Rachel Maclean attended one meeting with DfT CSA during the same period.
Between the 1st December 2020 and 28th February 2021, Ministers did not attend any meetings with DfT CSA.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether results from SAMBA II Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 test systems in private ownership will be considered valid under the forthcoming test to release for international travel scheme.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The ‘test to release for international travel scheme’ allows any private testing provider that can meet the minimum standards required as set in legislation to provide tests for this purpose. The minimum standards can be viewed at this site:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/testing-to-release-for-international-travel-minimum-standards-for-testing/minimum-standards-for-private-sector-providers-of-covid-19-testing-for-testing-to-release-for-international-travel
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the future of free travel for under 18-year olds in London.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department is engaging with Transport for London, The Department for Education, The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and London Councils on how a temporary suspension of under 18s free bus and tram travel could be implemented whilst ensuing that any child eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 still receive this.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser (a) from 1 September to 30 November 2019 and (b) from 1 December 2019 to 29 February 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Transport draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise, including from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, the Chief Scientific Advisers in individual Government Departments, and academics and researchers. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.