Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on vehicles in the UK that have been identified as containing prohibited defeat devices since 2015.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In 2016, the DVSA Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) was established to test vehicle emissions in the real world as well as in labs and investigate suspicious practice, significantly increasing oversight of vehicle emissions. The results of the MSU annual emissions-testing programme are made publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dvsa-vehicle-market-surveillance-unit. Where MSU testing identifies non-compliant emissions, including suspicions of a prohibited defeat device, DVSA works with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans. Where action has been carried out this is explained within the published reports. The plan is monitored through regular updates from the manufacturer.
To restrict the use of illegal emission technologies, the Government was at the forefront of the introduction at a European level of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) requirements for new cars and vans, which came into force in September 2017. This is an emissions test conducted on public roads using portable emissions measurement equipment, which due to its random nature makes it virtually impossible to ‘cheat’. Vehicles are checked to ensure they comply with RDE requirements through in-service testing by type approval authorities, market surveillance authorities and other third-party organisations, including NGOs.
For vehicles type-approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency, the effectiveness of any ‘fixes’ installed is assessed before application.
In 2018 the Government strengthened restrictions against the use of illegal emissions technology by passing legislation making it an offence for manufacturers to place motor vehicles on the market which contain prohibited defeat systems. The Government will also bring forward legislation to enable us to require vehicles to be recalled on environmental grounds, as well as exploring other means of strengthening enforcement.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to restrict the use of illegal emissions technology since 2015.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In 2016, the DVSA Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) was established to test vehicle emissions in the real world as well as in labs and investigate suspicious practice, significantly increasing oversight of vehicle emissions. The results of the MSU annual emissions-testing programme are made publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dvsa-vehicle-market-surveillance-unit. Where MSU testing identifies non-compliant emissions, including suspicions of a prohibited defeat device, DVSA works with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans. Where action has been carried out this is explained within the published reports. The plan is monitored through regular updates from the manufacturer.
To restrict the use of illegal emission technologies, the Government was at the forefront of the introduction at a European level of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) requirements for new cars and vans, which came into force in September 2017. This is an emissions test conducted on public roads using portable emissions measurement equipment, which due to its random nature makes it virtually impossible to ‘cheat’. Vehicles are checked to ensure they comply with RDE requirements through in-service testing by type approval authorities, market surveillance authorities and other third-party organisations, including NGOs.
For vehicles type-approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency, the effectiveness of any ‘fixes’ installed is assessed before application.
In 2018 the Government strengthened restrictions against the use of illegal emissions technology by passing legislation making it an offence for manufacturers to place motor vehicles on the market which contain prohibited defeat systems. The Government will also bring forward legislation to enable us to require vehicles to be recalled on environmental grounds, as well as exploring other means of strengthening enforcement.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure that emission fixes installed in vehicles are effective.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In 2016, the DVSA Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) was established to test vehicle emissions in the real world as well as in labs and investigate suspicious practice, significantly increasing oversight of vehicle emissions. The results of the MSU annual emissions-testing programme are made publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dvsa-vehicle-market-surveillance-unit. Where MSU testing identifies non-compliant emissions, including suspicions of a prohibited defeat device, DVSA works with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans. Where action has been carried out this is explained within the published reports. The plan is monitored through regular updates from the manufacturer.
To restrict the use of illegal emission technologies, the Government was at the forefront of the introduction at a European level of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) requirements for new cars and vans, which came into force in September 2017. This is an emissions test conducted on public roads using portable emissions measurement equipment, which due to its random nature makes it virtually impossible to ‘cheat’. Vehicles are checked to ensure they comply with RDE requirements through in-service testing by type approval authorities, market surveillance authorities and other third-party organisations, including NGOs.
For vehicles type-approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency, the effectiveness of any ‘fixes’ installed is assessed before application.
In 2018 the Government strengthened restrictions against the use of illegal emissions technology by passing legislation making it an offence for manufacturers to place motor vehicles on the market which contain prohibited defeat systems. The Government will also bring forward legislation to enable us to require vehicles to be recalled on environmental grounds, as well as exploring other means of strengthening enforcement.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to publish the results of its e-scooter trials research.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Government intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is distinct from the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first beneficiaries of this new system will be e-scooters. No final decisions about e-scooter regulations have been made and the Department will consult publicly before any new arrangements come into force.
A full set of findings from our evaluation of the e-scooter trials will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on light powered vehicles to enable the creation of appropriate legal standards for e-scooters.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Government intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is distinct from the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first beneficiaries of this new system will be e-scooters. No final decisions about e-scooter regulations have been made and the Department will consult publicly before any new arrangements come into force.
A full set of findings from our evaluation of the e-scooter trials will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department will open the Aviation Consumer Policy consultation as part of the Government’s aviation strategy; and whether changes are planned to the scope of that consultation in response to covid-related events that have affected the sector.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government remains absolutely committed to ensuring consumers are protected when travelling by air. As announced in both the Global Travel Taskforce report in April, and the recent announcement by Government on Regulatory reforms, we will consult on additional, flexible and modern tools to enforce consumer rights. We will publish the consultation in due course at an appropriate time.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Joint Biosecurity Centre's risk assessment in July 2021 found Germany to be a higher risk for international travel than Croatia.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Decisions on border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account Joint Biosecurity Centre risk assessments of countries and territories, alongside wider public health factors.
In July 2021, Germany was on the amber list. Croatia was removed from the amber list and added to the green list from 19 July 2021. The countries and territories on the green list in July 2021 were those that presented the lowest risk to the UK.
From Monday 4 October, the traffic light system was replaced with a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world, depending on vaccination status.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Government Ministers have been exempted from quarantine in a hotel after returning from the UK from a covid-19 red list country to which they have travelled for the purposes of conducting officials business.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Ministers from the Department for Transport have not claimed any exemptions from the requirement to quarantine in a managed quarantine facility that is required after returning from a red list country. The Department for Transport does not hold information on exemption usage by ministers from other government departments.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the economic effect of the downturn in the aviation industry as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Before Covid-19, aviation directly contributed at least £22 billion to GDP to the UK economy and supported around half a million jobs. This included the air transport and aerospace sectors, as well as the wider supply chain. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the aviation sector has been one of the worst affected sectors in the UK. Passenger numbers at UK airports fell by 99% at the height of the pandemic. Overall volumes of flight traffic in the UK is currently around 80% below equivalent 2019 levels. The air transport sector’s contribution to the UK economy dropped by 74% in 2020 compared to 2019 and tens of thousands of redundancy notifications have been made. In addition to the direct impact to the UK air transport sector, the wider supply-chain and economy has also been adversely impacted by the severe reduction in air passenger demand, jobs and air connectivity, with impacts on consumer spending and investment across the rest of the economy.
The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.
Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England.
Through the Global Travel Taskforce, the Government will work closely with the industry to find ways to safely and gradually ease restrictions on international travel. We will set out more detail on this soon.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what stimulus package he plans to implement to incentivise new air routes being set up by airlines after strict travel restrictions are eased after the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.
Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firms can continue to draw upon the package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and VAT deferrals.
In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.