Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the strength of the steel industry of the commitment by Heathrow Airport Limited to follow public sector procurement rules on steel purchasing as part of its expansion programme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government welcomes Heathrow Airport Limited’s (HAL) commitment to follow public sector procurement rules for its purchases of steel. It is one of a number of commitments HAL has already made to British industry, including the development of supply chain hubs across the country and that 95 per cent of the procurement spend will be with the UK supply chain. The Government has not made an assessment of the effect that this commitment will have on the strength of the UK steel industry. HAL’s own assessment is that expansion at Heathrow will require tens of thousands of tonnes of steel, securing hundreds of jobs across the industry.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Public and Commercial Services Union on the implications for public safety of the new satellite navigation test.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) introduced the new practical driving test on 4 December 2017. Senior officials engaged with representatives from the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union throughout the development of the new driving test and considered any concerns raised by PCS.
The new elements of the test were trialled extensively. No incidents were recorded during the trial of in excess of 3,000 candidates.
In July 2017, the DVSA carried out a risk assessment of the new test and conducted further evaluations in September 2017, which did not identify any unacceptable risk. It also commissioned an independent assessment of the test from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The RoSPA report concluded that all new parts of the driving test were low risk.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that railway stations on the Tees Valley Line are accessible to passengers with assistant dogs.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The National Rail Conditions of Travel permit the carriage of assistance dogs. Whilst it is not essential, it is recommended that advance notification of travel is provided to ensure that any required assistance is in place at stations. Northern and Transpennine franchise agreements contain a number of relevant obligations such as Minor Works budget expenditure, to make improvements such as new handrails, level access and tactile surfaces. Other obligations include a map covering station accessibility and the installation of ‘Harrington Humps’ to support making stations more accessible in general.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are adequate levels of coastguard patrols and provision for (a) Redcar and (b) North Yorkshire.
Answered by John Hayes
Coastguard patrols in Redcar, North Yorkshire and the rest of the UK are undertaken by volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers. These patrols support the delivery of search, mud, cliff, and water rescue by enabling the volunteers to enhance their local geographical knowledge.
Each volunteer undertakes a minimum of eight hours patrolling a year and are encouraged to take as many voluntary patrols as they believe are necessary to meet these operational requirements.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to publish its response to the consultation on the proposed changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
We plan to publish the Government’s response later this year. We recognise the need to provide the UK biofuel industry with certainty if it is to realise the industrial opportunities highlighted in the consultation. It is therefore our intention to implement changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation as soon as possible.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to Mode Shift Revenue Support grants on the volume of rail and road freight in the UK; and what steps he is taking to ensure that roads across the UK are able to handle increased volumes of HGV transportation as a result of those changes.
Answered by John Hayes
The final number of lorry journeys that the Department for Transport’s Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) funding will have helped to remove from Britain’s roads in 2016/17 is not yet known. The maximum number is 983,162, but current estimates are that it will be about 17,000 fewer.
Funding allocated at the Department’s first bid round for 2017/18 and 2018/19 will help to remove up to 796,854 and 776,497 lorry journeys respectively. There are further bid rounds to come, which may increase the figures or alter what is covered by this grant and the parallel Waterborne Freight Grant scheme.
Since applications for grant are prioritised on the basis of value for money, the services that are allocated funding, and therefore the potential impact on the road network, varies from one bid round to another.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passenger journeys have (a) started and (b) ended at British Steel Redcar Railway Station in the last five years.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The number of passenger journeys starting and ending at British Steel Redcar railway station over the last five years is as follows:
Year | Starting at British Steel Redcar station | Ending at British Steel Redcar station |
2015/16 | 370 | 370 |
2014/15 | 785 | 785 |
2013/14 | 709 | 709 |
2012/13 | 445 | 445 |
2011/12 | 411 | 411 |
Source: Office of Rail and Road, Estimates of Station Usage
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department provides to communities seeking to establish their own not-for-profit bus operator.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Community bus services can provide valuable connections for people living in areas where commercial services are not viable, helping people who might otherwise be isolated. Bodies who wish to run a local bus service on a non-profit basis may apply to the Traffic Commissioner for a Section 22 Community Bus Permit, which allows the holder to operate without the need for a full public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence.