Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has regarding made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in England.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Since April 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has created over one million extra car test appointments by recruiting new examiners, conducting out-of-hours testing, such as on public holidays and weekends, asking all those qualified to conduct tests but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and asking recently retired driving examiners to return. On average, this has created approximately 40,000 extra car test appointments each month.
As of 4 September 2023, there were 560,121 car practical driving tests booked, and 58,382 driving tests available nationally within the 24-week booking window. The table below shows the number of tests booked and available within the 24-week booking window as of 4 September 2023 in (a) Plymouth, (b) the South West and (c) England.
Location | Car practical tests booked | Car practical tests available to book |
Plymouth | 2,945 | 241 |
South West | 27,620 | 3,036 |
England | 491,319 | 46,602 |
Driving examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, the DVSA is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.
The DVSA’s latest recruitment campaign to recruit another 52 driving examiner posts closed in June 2023; 10 of these posts are intended for test centres in the South West.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Plymouth on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in the South West.
Answered by Huw Merriman
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.
Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter to the Great Western Railway Managing Director, Mark Hopwood, on 30 May 2023, on the railway ticket offices consultation.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The letter is not appropriate for the House Libraries.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Great Western Railway and (b) CrossCountry about the removal of wi-fi from their trains in the south west of England.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department has recently asked Great Western Railway and CrossCountry, as well as its other rail operators, to review the provision of Wi-Fi across their different service groups. No decisions have been taken.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the medical fitness certificate on fisherman aged over 50.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Aviation, Maritime and Security) at the Department for Transport, recently met with The Right Honourable Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This meeting was to discuss the implementation of the medical certification requirement of the Work in Fishing Convention for those in the sector more broadly, as well as the medical fitness of those aged fifty and over.
Those working in the industry are assessed on their medical fitness, not their age, and there is no upper age limit for medical certification. Fishing remains one of the most dangerous professions in the UK, the risk level of commercial fishing in the UK is estimated to be 100 times greater than the general workforce. Medical certification ensures people don’t put themselves, their crewmates or those who have to rescue them at unnecessary risk. Extensive grandfathered protection for those working in the sector, and, to date, none have been prevented from fishing as a result of certification.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) capital and (b) revenue funding for active travel was allocated to the South West for the (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25 financial years (A) before and (B) after March 2023.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The majority of capital and revenue funding for dedicated active travel schemes has not been allocated for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years.
Three South West councils (Cornwall and Bath, North East Somerset, and Plymouth) are part of a three-year £13.9m Active Travel Social Prescribing Pilot Programme that commenced in 2022. Allocations under this pilot programme are expected to be published shortly.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it remains his policy to allocate funding to the A38 Trerulefoot to Carkeel Safety Project in Cornwall.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The A38 Trerulefoot to Carkeel Safety Package continues to be developed by National Highways as part of the pipeline of projects being considered for future Road Investment Strategy periods.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in how many cases his Department has made reductions to the amount it had first planned to spend on a road scheme in Devon and Cornwall in the past three months; and in each case, by how much that amount was reduced.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
There are no reductions to amounts intended to be spent on road schemes in Devon and Cornwall in the past three months. Nor are any reductions planned.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department last met representatives of the bus sector in (a) Plymouth and (b) the South West to discuss (i) the Bus Recovery Grant and (ii) support for that sector from April 2023.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department for Transport regularly engages with Local Transport Authorities and bus operators. Officials contacted local government representatives, including Devon County Council, on Friday 17 February to discuss the Government’s extension to the Bus Recovery Grant and the £2 Bus Fare Cap. We will continue to engage with the sector as we deliver the ambitions set out in the National Bus Strategy.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2023 to Question 141621 on Bus Services: Finance, whether he plans to support the bus sector in (a) Plymouth and (b) the South West after Bus Recovery Grant funding ends on 31 March 2023.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
On Friday 17 February, the Government announced that we will provide up to £80 million to extend the Bus Recovery Grant for a further three months until 30 June 2023. Bus operators and local transport authorities in Plymouth and the South West will benefit from this funding.