Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in their Department were dedicated to their Department's responsibilities associated with the delivery of the Industrial Strategy in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2021.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Transport plays an important role in supporting the aims of the 2017 Industrial Strategy; central both to the Infrastructure Foundation and the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge. Key areas of activity span the department, for example in areas such as Transport for the North and Midlands Connect, local transport investment through the Transforming Cities Fund and policies on EV infrastructure and incentives. A cross-Department Future of Transport (FoT) programme has also been established to manage changes in transport technology over the decade, including (1) a regulatory review to address barriers to deployment; (2) Future Transport Zones to enable local authorities to actively engage and shape transport innovations; and (3) sector-specific work in zero emission and connected/automated vehicles to secure UK leadership.
DfT contributions to delivery of the Industrial Strategy are not localised within specific teams across the department, and so we are unable to provide officials numbers as requested. However, for example there has been an increase in officials supporting the Office for Low Emission Vehicles programme, and a further increase for officials supporting electric and autonomous vehicles. These programmes share common outcomes with the Industrial Strategy, particularly in meeting the grand challenge set for the Future of Mobility in the UK.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason MOTs have not been extended in the context of the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Garages testing and repairing vehicles are allowed to remain open for business during the English lockdown announced in January, on the basis of Covid-secure working practices. The vast majority (over 95%, in the last week) of the testing network is open for business. There is widespread availability of contact free, pick-up and drop-off MOT services. The MOT test is important to vehicles being roadworthy and dangerous defects being identified and rectified. As with other aspects of the lockdown, the position is subject to review.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review public health guidance on driving instruction to permit practical lessons to continue for key workers during covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
To help stop the spread of coronavirus and save lives it is vital that approved driving instructors respect the national restrictions in England, reduce day-to-day contact with others, and not carry out driver training. Pupils can still have private practice using their own car providing they and the supervising driver are from the same household and it is travel for work, education or for other legally permitted exemptions.
In line with the Government’s national restrictions, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has suspended practical driver testing in England until Thursday 3 December 2020. Given the short period of time the new restrictions are in place, the DVSA will not be offering a critical worker priority service, but the agency will keep this under review.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his news story, Idling drivers could face higher fines under new government crackdown, published 29 June 2019, what progress he has made on proposals to charge idling drivers higher fines.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Existing guidance to Local Authorities makes clear that fines should be dispensed to motorists only as a last resort. The priority must be to change motorists’ behaviour – to encourage them not to idle, which after all is wasting their fuel, and instead to encourage motorists towards using the technological solutions now available.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of air curtains in indoor settings to help prevent the airborne transmission of covid-19.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
DfT is considering a range of potential engineering mitigations for Covid-19 on the transport network. We are following advice from SAGE which has considered the potential benefits of improved ventilation flows, however to date no assessment on the use of air curtains directly has been made.
We are aware that experts are producing guidance such as the CIBSE Covid-19 Ventilation Guidance and the REHVA Covid-19 Guidance.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that road hauliers have access to (a) hot food, (b) toilet facilities, and (c) washing facilities while making long-distance deliveries during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Officials in the Department have been working closely with the freight associations and operators of Motorway Service Areas (MSAs), to ensure that the MSAs continue to provide suitable food, toilets and shower facilities to hauliers travelling on the road network. We have also been working with large Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs), to ensure they have implemented hygiene procedures and social distancing in line with government guidelines.
In a small number of cases, MSA operators have reduced the opening hours of some facilities, but fuel, toilets, and takeaway food and drink currently remain available at all MSAs 24 hours a day. MSAs must provide these amenities as required by the DfT planning circular.
Truck stops and garages may also provide facilities, however, these are private businesses which are subject to different levels of regulation to MSAs.
Where access to toilet or handwashing facilities is denied, and proper social distancing measures are not in place, this can be reported via e-mail to covid19info@rha.uk.net.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people who have applied for a key worker lorry driving test due to the covid-19 outbreak have been able to access such a test.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has booked 302 emergency lorry driving tests for critical workers for the period 23 March to 19 June 2020.
The DVSA does not hold data on the number of people who have applied for a key worker lorry driving test due to the covid-19 outbreak. This is because the booking system that was used between 23 March and 24 April 2020 was a manual system that captured the number of emails received, not number of unique requests received.
The DVSA has now streamlined the process and introduced a new online application form.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of climate change on the work of his Department; and what steps he is taking in response to that effect.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department for Transport (DfT) works closely with its operators on risk assessment and mitigation measures for transport infrastructure. DfT contributed to the Government’s National Adaption Programme 2018 and Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017. These two documents set out Government’s adaptation measures and predicated climate change impacts nationally. DfT is continuing to work with transport operators and delivery partners to increase climate resilience in the planning and design of transport infrastructure and will keep incorporating adaptation into its strategies.
Government is committed to delivering a net zero emission transport system, which will deliver wider benefits for the UK and its citizens, as soon as possible. These benefits include improved air quality and public health, new opportunities for economic growth and high-quality jobs in clean growth, as well as a sustainable and more efficient transport system. The forthcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan will set out our bold and ambitious policies for transport to ensure the transport sector plays its part in ending the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will make an assessment of the merits of the requirement provided for in the Third European Driving Licence Directive for a minimum horizontal visual field of 120 degrees for Group 1 licence eligibility after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As part of our preparations future relationship negotiations with the EU, we will be considering all aspects of applicable EU law. However, we would want to ensure that our high safety standards are maintained on UK roads while considering opportunities that may arise from the UK’s exit from the EU.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to set National Minimum Standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing including a requirement for all taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake disability equality training.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Disability awareness and equality training can provide taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to give disabled passengers the assistance they need. I encourage all licensing authorities to use their existing powers to require drivers to undertaken this in advance of its inclusion in national minimum standards in licensing.
As stated in the Government response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, we will bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows.