Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to stop UK airlines running empty or near-empty flights to retain landing slots at airports.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Government acted swiftly to tackle the risk of empty or near empty aircraft continuing to fly during the pandemic solely to retain their slots. The rules requiring airlines to fly 80% of their slots in order to retain them for the subsequent season were fully suspended for the Summer 2020, Winter 2020/21 and Summer 2021 slot scheduling seasons.
The Government secured more flexible powers through the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft (ATMUA) Act 2021. This allows the Government to amend the usual landing slot rules, where the evidence supports, preventing airlines operating empty or near-empty flights.
For the current Winter 2021/22 season, the Government has used the ATMUA Act 2021 to introduce a package of measures designed to support the recovery of the sector and protect air carriers from operating empty or near-empty flights. For the Summer 2022 season, further alleviation is planned which will support the recovery in passenger demand and give airlines the flexibility not to operate their slots where there are COVID-19 related restrictions.
We will consult with airlines, airports and aviation industry bodies shortly on whether further alleviation is needed for the Winter 2022 season and beyond.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make road insurance mandatory for e-scooter owners driving on roads.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
E-scooters are currently classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means users must comply with the requirements for motor vehicles, which includes having appropriate insurance. It is currently an offence to ride an e-scooter without insurance. The Department is now considering options for a new regulatory framework for e-scooters. This includes working with industry to consider whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will require taxi and minicab drivers to complete disability equality training.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Effective disability awareness training can help ensure that taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers have the knowledge, skills and confidence to provide passengers with appropriate assistance, so that they can travel independently and with confidence.
The Department wants every local licensing authority to require taxi and PHV drivers to complete this training, and will make this clear in updated best practice guidance, due to be published for consultation later in the year.
The Government also remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Air Quality Expert Group's report on Non-Exhaust Emissions from Road Traffic, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report's findings that fully electric cars cause dust pollution from car brakes and tyres.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department for Transport recognises that fully electric cars, in common with all road vehicles, contribute particulate pollution from road, tyre and brake wear.
In February 2021, the Department commissioned a leading UK research provider to investigate the measurement techniques, materials properties and control parameters of brake and tyre wear emissions from road vehicles. The study will report in 2023 and will be used to inform policy decisions and any potential legislation that may be required to control and reduce these emissions, including from electric vehicles.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason Colombia is on the covid-19 red list for international travel.
Answered by Robert Courts
Colombia has been on the red list since 15 January 2021 due to the ongoing presence of variants of concern. Government scientists will continue to engage with countries on the red list and keep the evidence on variants of concern, especially Lambda and Mu, under close review in order to ensure the UK’s approach remains proportionate.
Decisions on red country assignment and associated border measures will continue to be taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments alongside wider public health factors.
The data for all countries and territories will be kept under review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to give priority access to key workers and disabled people to fuel their cars during fuel supply chain pressures.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
This is a matter for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commit to allocating more funding to local authorities to build secure (a) cycle hangars and (b) on-street cycle parking spaces.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
£239 million of capital funding is being made available to local authorities outside London this financial year for active travel measures, including cycle parking infrastructure. Local transport authorities have been invited to bid for this funding and allocations will be announced in the autumn.
In London, Transport for London (TfL) and the London Boroughs are responsible for the provision of public cycle parking. The Government announced a third funding and financing package for TfL in June this year, which includes £100 million to continue the delivery of healthy streets and active travel programmes.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to accelerate the conversion of the world fleet of commercial ships to green propulsion.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Government is working actively to accelerate the transition of the shipping industry to zero emissions operations.
Internationally, the UK has played a key role in the development of the International Maritime Organization’s strategy for climate change, and we will be pushing for a zero emissions international shipping industry by 2050 in future negotiations.
Domestically, we have set out our next steps in the recent Transport Decarbonisation Plan and committed £23m to support research and development through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to local authorities to fund and increase the availability of electric charging points.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department is committed to ensuring consumers have reliable access to a comprehensive vehicle charging network so that they can easily and conveniently charge their vehicles wherever they live and travel. The Government has committed £1.3 billion to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure which will see the installation of more on-street charge points near homes.
Local authorities will have a key role in planning and enabling the delivery of charge points to meet the needs of their local communities and areas, with particular focus on supporting those who do not have access to off-street parking. The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is available to all UK local authorities to provide public chargepoints for their residents without access to private parking. By 01 August 2021, the Scheme had supported 49 different local authorities to install over 1,400 chargepoints, while a further 88 local authorities have also been awarded grant funding to provide more than 3,200 on-street public chargepoints with their installations to be completed. This year, £20 million is available under the Scheme. Free support and expert advice for applications to the Scheme is provided on the Department’s behalf by Energy Saving Trust.
Government also committed at Spending Review a further £90 million to fund local EV charging infrastructure, to support the roll out of larger, on-street charging schemes and rapid hubs in England.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to help tackle road safety issues in respect of e-scooters hired under the Government’s e-scooter rental trials.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
There are a number of ways in which the Department is making the trials as safe as possible. All trial e-scooters must meet minimum construction standards and have at least third-party insurance provided by the e-scooter operator. Trial areas were required to provide evidence of engagement with the local police before a trial could be approved, to ensure the police were aware of the trials and of their role in enforcement. If an e-scooter is ridden into a no-go zone, it will power down to a safe stop, requiring the rider to push it back to an area in which riding is permitted. It is for the police to take action against rider behaviour for offences including drink driving; riding on the footway; contravening red traffic lights and using a mobile phone. Those who ride private e-scooters on the public highway are liable to be issued with fixed penalty notices for offences including contravening cycle lanes, riding without insurance and riding without a driving licence.