Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which stakeholders he and officials in his Department have recently met to discuss the introduction of a consistent national standard for bike-share schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Department for Transport officials have met representatives from most of the major dockless bike-share companies operating in the UK, as well as from some local authorities and boroughs where they are trading. The question of a possible national standard has been raised at several of these meetings. The Department is also inviting various stakeholders to a workshop in January where this matter will be discussed further.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote bike-share schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Bike-share schemes have the potential to bring mass cycle hire to many areas at low cost, supporting the delivery of the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The Department continues to discuss the practical issues associated with bike-share schemes with various stakeholders, but it would not be appropriate for it to promote individual bike-share schemes.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's current review of cycle safety will include bike-share schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department will be considering a wide range of issues as part of the review, and is currently finalising the terms of reference for it. A call for evidence is due to be published in early 2018.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to support the pedestrianisation of more town and city centres to encourage walking and tackle poor air quality.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Local authorities are responsible for managing their road networks and have a wide range of tools available to enable them to do so. Pedestrianisation is one option already available for local authorities to consider, but it is for them to determine if it is appropriate at individual sites.
On 26 July the Government launched “The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations”. This document is the UK air quality plan for bringing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution within statutory limits in the shortest possible time. The plan sets out a wide range of measures that local authorities can consider when developing schemes to address their air quality challenge. The Government’s aim is to make cycling and walking the natural choices for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey. To help achieve this, the Department published a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in April 2017 which identified £1.2 billion of investment from 2016-21.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a), Northern Lincolnshire, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) other rural areas have suitable road infrastructure to encourage economic growth.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department and Highways England both recognise the importance of connecting rural areas to the rest of the country and invest in the strategic road network accordingly. Highways England’s strategic economic growth plan has identified the reliance of rural tourism and firms that deal with agricultural, raw materials or other large manufactured goods on its network. In Northern Lincolnshire, Highways England completed a £93million scheme to improve the A160/A180 Brocklesby interchange. In East Yorkshire, Highways England plans to improve the A63 Castle Street in Hull; a consultation on this scheme was undertaken in January 2017.
Other roads in rural areas are the responsibility of local highway authorities. The Department announced in July that it would define a Major Road Network, improvements to which could be funded from the National Roads Fund. A public consultation on the details of the Major Road Network and how funds will be allocated is due to commence before the end of the year.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of local trains in Northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.
Answered by Paul Maynard
As part of the competition for the next East Midlands rail franchise we have recently consulted passengers and stakeholders about their priorities for improvements to local rail services. We are currently considering their responses. These will inform what we ask bidders to deliver for the next franchise when we issue Invitations to Tender in April 2018.
The Northern and TransPennine Express franchises will deliver more than 500 new carriages, room for 40,000 extra passengers and more than 2,000 extra services a week. By 2020 all the trains will be brand new or completely refurbished, and all the Pacer trains will be gone.
The new intercity express trains will be introduced to the East Coast mainline from late 2018, replacing the InterCity 125 and 225 fleets.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support elderly people in rural areas who rely on public transport when they can no longer drive a car.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Local transport policy is ultimately a matter for local authorities.
Government recognises that local buses are the most commonly used mode of public transport, particularly for older people; and therefore provides for free local bus travel across England to ensure that no older person in England needs to be prevented from bus travel by cost alone.
The Government also funds the thirteen Mobility Centres of England, which support elderly people to keep driving safely or retain mobility. There are also 44 outreach centres.
The Government published its draft Accessibility Action Plan in August for public consultation, which includes a commitment by the Mobility Centres to extend their range of services by creating community ‘hubs’ of knowledge and services that provide advice on how to use public transport in the local area and on disability rail cards, as well as developing dedicated advice staff. The Department will publish its Final Accessibility Action Plan in 2018, following consideration of consultation feedback.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further steps are being taken to encourage people to cycle to work.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government’s Cycle to Work scheme allows employers to loan bicycle and bicycle safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. The Department has produced guidelines to encourage employers to take advantage of this scheme.
The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, published in April 2017, sets out the other steps the Government is taking to support cycling, and the funding available to improve local cycling provisions, provide safer cycle routes and increase cycle parking facilities.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further steps are being taken to assist employers in encouraging employees to cycle to work.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government’s Cycle to Work scheme allows employers to loan bicycle and bicycle safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. The Department has produced guidelines to encourage employers to take advantage of this scheme.
The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, published in April 2017, sets out the other steps the Government is taking to support cycling, and the funding available to improve local cycling provisions, provide safer cycle routes and increase cycle parking facilities.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of installing Hyperloop technology on national transport infrastructure.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Department’s Scientific Advisory Council recently published its assessment of the Hyperloop concept on the 9th November 2017.
This concluded that, while Hyperloop has the potential to transform transport globally, a number of considerable technical and commercial challenges remain which mean that its implementation is likely to be several decades away.