Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help maintain local bus services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Government has provided nearly £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on bus services. On 19 August the Government announced a further £130 million, six-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant to continue to support services until March 2023. Department for Transport Ministers made a written statement to Parliament on this issue on 5 September.
The Department is considering what additional support may be required from April 2023.
The Government also provides support to the sector through the Bus Service Operators Grant every year. Around £200 million is provided annually to bus operators to help them maintain an extensive network and keep fares down, and a further £42 million is provided to Local Transport Authorities every year to subsidise socially necessary bus services
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of poor service complaints made to the Driver and Vehicle License Agency in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
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 and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that people seeking HGV licence renewals from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency receive them in a timely manner.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
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 and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the backlog of enquiries to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency from constituents of Northamptonshire; and what steps he is taking to resolve that matter.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
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 and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the recent performance of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's customer enquiry system.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
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 and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made by the rural roads working group established by the hon. Member for Northampton North; and what steps are being taken to improve road safety in rural areas to reduce fatal accidents.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Rural Roads Working Group was announced as part of the Road Safety Statement 2019 – ‘A Lifetime of Road Safety’. The work to establish the group was well underway but then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope of the group is new being reassessed to ensure it addresses relevant matters in a post-COVID landscape.
The Department’s Safer Roads Fund continues to improve road safety in rural areas. Some of the initial schemes that were funded in 2017/18 have now completed and the final allocation of £35.3m was paid to Local Authorities in March 2021.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people who are waiting for driving licences from the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency receive those licences in a timely manner in the event of planned strike action by staff at that agency.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The quickest and easiest way to apply for or renew a driving licence is online, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are working as normal.
Paper driving licence applications must be dealt with in person and are taking longer to process as the DVLA has a reduced number of staff on-site to comply with social distancing requirements and ensure staff safety. Drivers with a medical condition may experience delays because the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from medical professionals before a licence can be issued to ensure drivers can meet the required medical standards.
Drivers who have submitted an application to renew their driving licence may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, provided they meet certain criteria.
Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the HS2 Environmental Statement was last updated; and what guidance has been given to contractors to encourage the use of 100 per cent renewable diesel in place of fossil diesel.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
An Environmental Statement is prepared by HS2 Ltd to support each hybrid Bill deposit. Statements were prepared in 2013 and 2017 for Phase One and Phase 2a respectively, to summarise the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Beyond the point of Royal Assent environmental surveys continue to be undertaken and are used to inform further decisions, requirements and additional mitigations where appropriate.
In respect of low carbon fuels, HS2 Ltd sets the toughest standards for both site plant and vehicle engine standards as described in Information Paper E31 and the project closely monitors compliance with these standards held here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/672406/E31_-_Air_Quality_v1.5.pdf and here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960731/E14_Air_Quality_v1.3.pdf
HS2 Ltd has set a challenging target to reduce carbon during the construction of Phase 1 by 50% and has asked its contractors to develop plans to improve the quality of their supply chain vehicle fleets as these are renewed over the life of their contract, and issued advice to them regarding the suitability and adoption of new vehicle engine types, fuels and related standards, where there is a business case for their adoption.
HS2 Ltd and the supply chain remain focused on developing and implementing practical ways to improve impacts on air quality, and alternative fuels are one area of consideration. The HS2 Ltd Air Quality team support project delivery partners by making informed choices based on evidenced market offerings, with a view to ensuring that HS2 Ltd takes an industry lead on this subject.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to circumstances where a property was shown as amber for noise levels during the Hybrid Bill Committee stage, and HS2 undertook to provide mitigation to secure that classification, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of HS2 not providing that mitigation with the result that the same property enters the red category for noise disruption.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HS2 Ltd’s civils contractors are updating the predicted noise effects of the scheme, originally published in the Environmental Statement that accompanied the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill, as part of their design process. This is in order to demonstrate that noise from the operational railway, and from altered roads, has been reduced ‘as far as reasonably practicable,’ in accordance with the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements (EMRs). Contractors demonstrate that their mitigation proposals comply with the EMRs using the methodology and tests set out in HS2 Planning Forum Note 14: Operational Noise from the Railway and Altered Roads. HS2 Planning Forum Note 14 provides a framework for considering EMR compliance in situations where there has been a change in the forecast noise levels compared to the Environmental Statement. It is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/833184/PFN_14_Operational_Noise.pdf
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people in South Northamptonshire constituency are awaiting reimbursement of legal costs by HS2.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HS2 Ltd has made forty-eight payments to date on cases in this constituency relating to compulsory purchase. HS2 Ltd has also completed thirty-four statutory blight and discretionary scheme payments.
HS2 Ltd has identified thirty-eight payments on cases in the constituency that are yet to be completed, all relating to compulsory purchase.
Of this thirty-eight: thirty-three are in negotiation (twenty-five permanent possession and eight temporary occupation), three marked as in dispute (all temporary occupation) and two currently rejected (both permanent possession).
Many of these will have legal fees associated with them. Legal fees are paid at particular points in a claim when substantive evidence is provided.