Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence; and whether he plans to amend the requirement for that certificate to help tackle driver shortages.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
In 2016, the Government published a post-implementation review of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) 2007 regulations. The review considered the extent to which the regulations improved road safety and increased the professionalism of driving as an occupation. Road safety has improved but it is not possible to isolate the effect of the regulations from other measures.
HGV drivers continue to be required to hold a DCPC. Many employers are offering training packages to allow drivers whose DCPC has lapsed to renew it and return to driving.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish any representations he has received from Dubai Airport in relation to the UAE's classification on the red list.
Answered by Robert Courts
Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with the aviation and travel industries throughout the pandemic, including with representatives from Dubai Airport and the UAE. We remain committed to an open engagement with the sector and continue to work with industry partners to share information with the aim of ensuring a safe return of international travel.
The government keeps the data for countries and territories under regular review and changes to the Red, Amber and Green lists will be implemented every three weeks, unless concerning evidence means we need to act faster to protect public health.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Tees Freeport on existing (a) road, (b) rail and (b) ports infrastructure.
Answered by Robert Courts
I would like to congratulate the Tees Freeport on its successful bid. My Department recognises that appropriate links will be vital to ensure the success of the UK’s newly established Freeports. My Department will consider the implications of the Freeport business cases for our transport networks and future infrastructure investment decisions.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many merchant ship calls there were at the sea ports comprising the Tees Freeport in (a) 2000, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020.
Answered by Robert Courts
Tees and Hartlepool maritime ports had 4,671 and 3,533 merchant ships calls in 2010 and 2019 respectively. My Department does not hold figures dating to 2000, and the 2019 dataset is most current.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the delay to planned accessibility works at Billingham Station under the Access for All scheme; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such a delay on local residents who have disabilities.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
We have received no representations about Billingham since it was included in the Access for All programme. Although the deadline for completing Access for All projects is 2024, Billingham is due to finish in 2022. Development and design work are well advanced and construction is due to start early next year.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the operation of the driving test system; and if he will extend the expiry date of theory tests.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
In line with national lockdown restrictions, all routine practical driving tests have been suspended until the restrictions are lifted. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has rescheduled affected tests by moving them to the next available test dates and has notified candidates accordingly.
Once it is safe for driving tests to resume, the DVSA will ensure measures are in place to increase testing availability wherever possible; this will include offering overtime and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to carry out tests (warrant card holders) to do so, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays).
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2020 to Question 114164 on Shipping: Carbon Emissions and with reference to page 31, paragraph 92 of the Clean Maritime Plan, if he will list the negative externalities associated with zero emission shipping technologies which deter (a) public and (b) private investment in low or zero emission fuels for the shipping industry.
Answered by Robert Courts
DfT-commissioned research, published in 2019 to support the publication of the Clean Maritime Plan, explored market failures and other barriers to the take-up of emission abatement options. This research highlighted that negative externalities associated with emissions of GHGs and air pollutants from the consumption of fuels constitute a market failure that influences the perceived cost effectiveness of any possible abatement option.
As set out in the Clean Maritime Plan, the negative externalities associated with zero emission shipping technologies mean that the return on investment for many technologies is not currently sufficient to attract finance at competitive rates. Further information on the nature and implications of this and other market failures and barriers to the transition to clean maritime is publicly available on GOV.UK[1]
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Clean Maritime Plan, published 11 July 2019, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential amount of (a) public and (b) private investment required to achieve the pathway to zero carbon emissions in the domestic maritime industry.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Department has undertaken extensive research considering the level of investment required for the UK’s domestic maritime sector to achieve net zero by 2050. This research comprises a range of scenarios assessing different policy options, including both costs and benefits, and has been published on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-maritime-plan-maritime-2050-environment-route-map
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the effect of the objectives of the Clean Maritime Plan, published in July 2019, on maritime employment levels in each year to 2035.
Answered by Robert Courts
Alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment of the potential economic opportunities from low and zero emission shipping. While this does not estimate the number of potential new jobs that could be created through the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, it identifies a large potential global market for the elements of alternative maritime fuel production technologies in which the UK has a particular competitive advantage (for example, upfront design), which could result in economic benefits to the UK of around £360–£510 million per year by the middle of the century.
More recently, Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create more than 15 thousand jobs as well as tens of thousands of jobs when considering the wider supply chain[1]. Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220 thousand jobs for UK employees[2].
[1] https://www.maritimeuk.org/spending-review/bid/
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2020 to Question 111511, when he plans to publish the Transport Decarbonisation Plan; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that Plan on the planned review of the Clean Maritime Plan in 2022.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We expect to publish the Transport Decarbonisation Plan in Spring 2021. When reviewing the Clean Maritime Plan in 2022, the Government will consider the actions set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and the progress made towards maritime decarbonisation.