Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with airlines on additional charges to fly from the UK to EU member states after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Secretary of State and officials from the Department have and will continue to engage with stakeholders from across the aviation industry on all issues relating to EU Exit.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase customer satisfaction in (a) rail and (b) other forms of public transport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Customer satisfaction is an absolute priority for the Department. In rail, we are investing £48 billion to help modernise the network and deliver significant improvements in performance, punctuality and capacity across the country. We are upgrading the East Coast and Great Western Mainlines and introducing brand new trains across the network with orders for over 7,800 new carriages placed since 2010. We have also introduced new measures on compensation, an independent rail ombudsman and commissioned an independent root and branch review of the railway.
Buses already enjoy high customer satisfaction with the latest Transport Focus Bus Passenger Survey revealing that almost nine out of ten passengers saying they are satisfied with their bus service. The Bus Services Act 2017 introduced a number of new tools to help local authorities improve local bus services. Through partnership arrangements we have enabled local authorities and bus operators to work constructively to provide better services for passengers.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to prevent continual fare increases in public transport; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In regard to rail, the Government regulates around one third of all rail fares to protect passengers that rely on trains to get to work from high fare rises. Since 2014, these regulated fares have been capped at inflation.
We want fares to be linked to the more commonly used CPI measure of inflation in the future but, to be sustainable, income and costs to the rail industry, including staffing costs, must change in parallel. The Secretary of State has therefore written to the rail industry and the unions, asking for their help to move rail from RPI to CPI, to reduce costs so that savings can be passed on to passengers.
In regard to buses, in order to mitigate fare increases the Government provides £250 million to support bus services through the Bus Service Operators Grant, with £43 million paid directly to local authorities. In real terms, annual total net support for bus services since 2010/11 has averaged 23 percent more than in the 1996/97 to 2009/10 period.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older drivers are fit to drive.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
All drivers must renew their driving entitlement when they reach the age of 70 and at most every three years after that. This provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving. To renew their entitlement, drivers must make a legal declaration that they can meet the required standards and confirm whether they have any listed medical condition. Drivers who advise the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of a relevant medical condition will be investigated and a driving licence will only be issued if they can meet the appropriate health standards.
The Department announced in June 2018 that it has identified older people as one of four priority road user groups which will be included in the forthcoming Road Safety statement and action plan.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with car manufacturers on the cost of hybrid and electric cars in the UK and incentives to encourage consumers to buy more eco-friendly vehicles.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Ministers have regular discussions with car manufacturers on a range of issues, including the market for ultra low and zero emission vehicles. The Road to Zero strategy, published in July 2018, sets out the Government’s plans to support the transition to zero emission vehicles.
The Government is investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in vehicles and schemes to support chargepoint infrastructure. Along with the measures in the Government’s strategy, this adds up to one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department takes to ensure that MOT tests are being conducted to a satisfactory standard.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supervises the MOT scheme on behalf of the Department. The DVSA authorises testers to conduct MOTs. All testers undergo strict training to become an authorised tester, and must pass an annual assessment to retain that authorised status.
The DVSA uses data analysis, intelligence and inspection visits to carry out targeted checks on garages and testers to ensure testing is conducted in accordance with the MOT inspection manual.
The DVSA ensures that MOT tests are conducted to a satisfactory standard by observing MOT tests, mystery shopper exercises, re-inspecting recently tested vehicles and surveillance operations.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how his Department will measure progress towards the target for all new vehicles to be effectively zero-emission by 2040.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
By setting long term ambitions for 2040 and 2050, the Government has sent a clear signal for the UK’s direction of travel to provide industry and consumers with certainty on the transition to zero emission vehicles. The Government’s Road to Zero strategy, published in July, set out that by 2030 we want to see at least 50% and as many as 70% of new car sales being ultra low emission, alongside up to 40% of new vans. We expect this transition to be industry and consumer led, supported in the coming years by the measures set out in the Road to Zero strategy.
There is significant uncertainty over some of the key drivers of the transition – including battery technology and new mobility services. The Government will be actively tracking market developments, looking at key factors such as uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, deployment of infrastructure, and consumer issues. We will review momentum towards our ambition by 2025, and will consider what interventions are needed if not enough progress is being made.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of motorcycle licences issued in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The specific information requested is not held. However, there are currently around 3.7 million drivers in Great Britain who hold entitlement to drive a motorcycle. The number of licences issued in each of the last three years following a notification of a motorcycle test pass being received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is shown in the table below:
Year | Number of motorcycle licences |
2015 | 36,939 |
2016 | 39,492 |
2017 | 41,150 |
2018 | 30,870 |
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on delivering smart ticketing across the rail network by the end of 2018.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government’s £80m investment in accelerating smart ticketing builds on previous and existing franchise commitments, and sits alongside Government funding for Transport for the North’s smart ticketing programme and the Rail Delivery Group’s investment in barcode technology. Together, these programmes mean that the rail industry is on track to deliver a smart card or barcode option for singles, returns and seasons for journeys across almost all of the rail network by the end of the year.
Rail ticketing in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce hydrogen-powered emission-free trains.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department has made clear it is looking to the rail industry for innovation in considering the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, in the future.
We are aware that Alstom are working with Eversholt on the conversion of class 321 units to bi-modes using hydrogen fuel cells in the UK. Also, Porterbrook have entered into a partnership with the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (‘BCRRE’) to create HydroFlex where Porterbrook will provide a ‘Class 319’ electric unit to BCRRE for conversion into a hydrogen powered train. The introduction of these trains into service will depend on both a positive business case and on the regulatory approvals being given.