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Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish the results of the consultation on Policy design features for the car and van zero emission vehicle mandate.

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.


Written Question
Shipping: Containers
Tuesday 26th April 2022

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the recent rises in shipping container costs.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

My Department has been monitoring international shipping operations and engaging closely with the sector throughout the period of operational challenges and price rises. Shipping costs rose to a high level in international freight markets during 2021 as a result of unprecedented levels of demand driven by changed consumer behaviour during the pandemic, and global operational factors that impacted capacity. These issues continue in 2022.

Historical trends in the shipping sector are of pricing peaks and troughs, and it is expected that pricing levels will similarly re-adjust when the current demand drivers change, and operational factors improve.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with driving examiners unions' on whether their members plan to return to work on 22 July 2020 as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s priority throughout the coronavirus outbreak has been to protect the public and save lives. That remains its priority as it restarts its services.

The DVSA has been in constant dialogue with the Trade Unions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to engage and consult on its start up plans. All of the DVSA’s revised Standard Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments have been shared with and cleared by the Trade Unions.

The DVSA has consulted with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive and has released an updated version of its standard operating procedure and risk assessments to driving examiners, which contains social distancing measures and safety precautions, to ensure the safe restart of driving tests. The DVSA is currently engaging with Scottish and Welsh Governments to ensure it engages with Health advisors before services are resumed in both.


Written Question
Driving Instruction: Coronavirus
Monday 6th July 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessments he has made of the ability of driving instructors to conduct driving lessons safely during driving lessons as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been the safety of its staff and the wider public. That remains its priority as it restarts its services.

Driving instructors are responsible for ensuring their services remain safe. Guidance on how they can carry out risk assessments can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website.

The DVSA would encourage all driving instructors to keep up to date with the driving instructors’ National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) website for further advice and information: http://www.n-a-s-p.co.uk/


Written Question
Driving Instruction: Coronavirus
Monday 6th July 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to publish public health guidance for driving instructors on providing lessons safely as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been the safety of its staff and the wider public. That remains its priority as it restarts its services.

Driving instructors are responsible for ensuring their services remain safe. The DVSA has released an updated version of its standard operating procedure to driving examiners, which driving instructors might wish to refer to when developing their own health and safety procedures. The DVSA will be sending this directly to driving instructors and it will be hosted on the National Associations Strategic Partnership website.

The DVSA would encourage all driving instructors to keep up to date with the driving instructors’ National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) website for further advice and information: http://www.n-a-s-p.co.uk/


Written Question
Manchester Metrolink
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of tram-train services in Greater Manchester.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Department continues to engage with Transport for Greater Manchester on Tram Train development including sharing the lessons from the Tram Train pilot in Sheffield. We await more detail on their proposals.


Written Question
TransPennine Express Rail Franchise
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions officials of his Department has had with representatives of TransPennine Express on the future of that franchise following the proposed changes to the Northern franchise.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Department is in the process of developing plans to replace the current Northern franchise with either a new short-term management contract with Arriva Rail North, or the Operator of Last Resort (OLR) and a decision will be made by the end of January. In the meantime we continue to challenge TPE on making improvements for rail passengers. We have been clear with the operator that it must take urgent steps to address its poor performance problems and indeed only last week my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State called in executives from TPE and other industry bodies to reinforce this point. If appropriate, we will take action under the terms set out in the Franchise Agreement.


Written Question
Railways: Pennines
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on (a) the electrification of, (b) the introduction of new rolling stock to and (c) other improvements to TransPennine services on the Huddersfield rail line.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The TransPennine Route Upgrade programme is expected to be the Government’s biggest single investment in our country’s existing railway in the next five years. We expect to make a decision later this year to progress the programme to the next phase of design and construction, during which we will confirm our approach to electrification and other improvement activity.

As part of its £500m investment in trains, TransPennine Express (TPE) is currently introducing three state-of-the-art fleets made up of 44 new trains into passenger service, which will provide 13 million extra seats a year once they are all in service in 2020. Passengers along the Huddersfield line will benefit from these high quality trains and their extra capacity - equivalent to a rise of more than 80 per cent on a seven day a week timetable across the TPE network.

The above demonstrates that this Government is committed to levelling up all parts of this country.


Written Question
Manchester Metrolink
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding is available to Transport for Greater Manchester for the expansion of the Metrolink network.

Answered by George Freeman

The Government is committed to investing in infrastructure and levelling up across the county and has developed the Transforming Cities Fund to improve public transport with a focus on trains, trams and buses. Greater Manchester will receive a total of £312.5 million in Mayoral Transforming Cities Fund allocations. Of this, £83 million has been allocated to provide additional tram capacity on the Metrolink network through the procurement of 27 additional Metrolink trams and associated supporting infrastructure. In addition, a further £4.2 billion of funding is planned for improving transport infrastructure in major cities. More detail on future funding levels for cities will be announced later this year


Written Question
Roads: North of England
Tuesday 21st January 2020

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timescale is for receiving an application from Highways England for a Development Consent Order for the Mottram Bypass element of the Transpennine upgrade programme.

Answered by George Freeman

The Development Consent Order for Mottram Bypass will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate this calendar year to support a proposed start of works for the scheme in 2021/2022.