Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to make face coverings mandatory with exemptions for people who cannot wear them on public transport to reduce transmission of covid-19; by what means he is assessing the extent to which the Government recommendation to continue wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t usually meet is being adhered to on public transport; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The success of the vaccination programme meant that at Step 4 of the Roadmap we were able to move away from legal restrictions. However, Government guidance sets out that members of the public should wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed areas where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 58 section 8.48 of the 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy, and the commitment to explore by 2020 the feasibility of amending legislation to recognise the use of cycles as a mobility aid to increase the number of disabled people cycling, what steps he has taken to fulfil that commitment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
A feasibility review has now been completed and the Department is taking forward a number of actions. These include a planned trial of permit schemes in some local authority areas as part of an Active Travel Social Prescription Pilot which the Department will be rolling out shortly; further policy and data analysis to understand the scale of the problem for disabled cyclists; and exploring options for amending legislation. Further advice will be sought from relevant stakeholders as part of the development of the Active Travel Social Prescription Pilot.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the backlog is at the DVLA for HGV licence applications; how many staff currently process HGV licence applications; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staff resources available to tackle application delays; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
On 22 September, there were 56,144 applications for vocational driving licences awaiting processing. These are a mix of first applications for a provisional vocational licence and renewals and include those applying for entitlement to drive both HGVs and buses. It is not possible to separate them out.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is prioritising applications for provisional vocational licences so these drivers can take their training quickly. Applications for provisional vocational licences are currently being processed within around 10 days of receipt.
It is important to note that the majority of those applying to renew their vocational licence will be able to continue to drive while their application is being processed.
It is not possible to specify how many staff are working on applications for HGV licences as most Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) operational roles require employees to carry out a range of tasks.
The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times for paper applications. Extra staff have been recruited and the DVLA is seeking extra office space to house more staff to help reduce backlogs and provide future resilience and business continuity.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what type of covid-19 test someone should take on day 2 of arrival back in the UK from a green or amber list country in the event that, prior to travelling, they have contracted and recovered from covid-19 in the previous 90 days; if he will set out the rationale for the type of test required; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts
The UK does not accept recent recovery from Covid-19 as proof of immunity. All passengers are currently required to take a PCR test on arrival in the UK, as PCR tests ensure that positive results can be genomically sequenced to prevent the importation of variants of concern. The government will continue to review the testing measures in place, with the next Checkpoint review taking place later this month.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allocate additional funding to improve disability access at (a) Moulsecoomb, (b) Preston Park Road and (c) other railway stations that did not receive funding under the last round of Access for All programme funding; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
We are in the process of setting the funding envelopes for the next rail control period (2024-29). When further funding is available, any station without an accessible route into the station and to all platforms will be a potential candidate.
Further measures to improve rail accessibility were included in the recent rail reform White Paper.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's consultation on managing pavement parking that closed on 22 November 2020, when his Department plans to publish its response to that consultation; whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend existing pavement parking legislation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department received over 15,000 responses to the consultation. We are carefully considering the consultation findings and the results will inform our policy decisions. We will be publishing a response when we have completed this work, which is a priority.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the benefits and savings available to commuters travelling from Brighton to London and back in a day using (a) a flexible season season ticket and (b) single tickets with a network card; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The flexible season ticket is a national product, priced to provide better value and convenience for commuters travelling two to three days a week.
For most 2 and 3 day a week commuters, the flexible season ticket will offer savings against buying daily tickets or traditional seasons, provided that they are following this commuting pattern.
For those with different commuting patterns, existing tickets such as traditional seasons or dailies may be the best choice.
Commuters should always consider which product best suits their journey and travel pattern. This is easier than ever with the updated season ticket calculator.