Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals for improved driver vehicle safety standards through the implementation of operator roll-over protection for six wheeled off road vehicles.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Requirements for six wheeled off-road vehicles vary according to the exact vehicle type. The most appropriate safety equipment varies according to the wide variety of potential applications for these vehicles. The Health and Safety Executive publish guidance on the safe use of all-terrain vehicles, and is responsible for enforcement of workplace health and safety.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2022 to Question 92981 on Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training, what progress his Department has been made on the urgent review of the Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (DCPC) scheme; and on what date additional information will be provided to the road haulage industry on that review.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The review of the Driver Certification of Professional Competence (DCPC) has now been completed, with the report and associated recommendations expected to be published soon.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what analysis his Department has undertaken on the potential impact of the changes to the Highway Code on single track road users in rural communities regarding (a) the 2m passing distance when overtaking pedestrians walking in the road, (b) the 1.5m road distance when passing cyclists whilst driving under 30mph and (c) giving 2m distance when passing horses or horse drawn vehicles at speeds under 10mph.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The changes introduced to The Highway Code on 29 January are an extension to the previous advice and guidance. They are not expected to pose any major challenges as they simply reinforce the good behaviours that we would expect every road user to adhere to. Rule 163 around safe passing distances and speed limits when overtaking reinforces the Hierarchy of Road Users and the emphasis that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2021 to Question 61160 on Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training, as part of any modifications to the regulations, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of processes to (a) reduce the compunction for experienced professional drivers to successfully complete the same course repeatedly so as to meet their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence course commitments and (b) subsidise costs where a driver has already successfully passed a similar course to the one they are undertaking while seeking to meet the requirements necessary under The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government has been listening to the concerns raised by drivers and industry about Driver CPC and on 8 November announced an urgent review of the scheme.
There is a wide variety of courses available to meet Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (DCPC) requirements. Experienced professional drivers should not feel obliged to complete the same courses repeatedly. Indeed, we encourage taking different courses. For employed drivers, employers not drivers should pay for DCPC courses.
The urgent review of DCPC includes considering surveyed information from drivers and evidence-based work with stakeholders. The requirements for courses and how they are paid for are issues included in the review.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing compensation for B+E Towing training companies for any lost revenues whilst new drivers are unable to gain the ability to undertake B+E Car and Trailer Towing.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government has acted decisively to help address the HGV driver shortage and has announced a range of measures to help the industry recover from the pandemic.
The proposal to remove the requirement for car drivers to take a B+E test if they want to tow a trailer, was subject to a public consultation exercise. The consultation received over 9,500 responses and most respondents supported the proposals. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is exploring options for an industry-led accreditation that could offer a standardised non-statutory testing approach. It has now met with key stakeholders to discuss this issue and will share the outcome of those discussions in due course, once plans have been confirmed.
The Department and the DVSA will continue to encourage people who want to tow a trailer to get professional training to promote road safety and support those businesses.
Businesses who have been affected by these changes are advised to seek further advice and support from the Business Support Line at www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the potential merits of increasing payments offered to GP surgeries for medical information to help ensure that (a) delays are not created when medical evidence is required for the licensing of heavy goods vehicle drivers and (b) costs that have increased as a result of the covid-19 outbreak are met.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Drivers of heavy goods vehicle are required to meet the costs of providing the medical report where it is required when applying for or renewing a driving licence.
The amount charged for completing the medical report is a matter for the individual doctor. The British Medical Association (BMA) advises doctors that fees should be reasonable, transparent and justifiable. The BMA also recommends that the fee should be agreed before the examination takes place.
Where a driver has a medical condition, further evidence may be required to aid the DVLA’s investigation into whether the driver meets the appropriate health standards for driving larger vehicles. The DVLA pays for the provision of this information from a doctor. Discussions are ongoing between DVLA and BMA on the fees paid for this service.
A public consultation was launched on 8 November seeking views on a proposal to change the law to allow a wider pool of medical professionals to provide information. This could potentially remove a burden that currently rests with doctors and will allow GP surgeries and hospital teams greater flexibility to provide information from a wider range of medically qualified staff.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of issuing additional guidance for airlines on lateral flow test age exemptions for passengers flying between the different nations of the UK on onward internal domestic flights.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Eligible fully vaccinated passengers and most under 18s arriving into the UK from non-red list countries are now able to use a cheaper lateral flow test with a free confirmatory PCR test if they receive a positive result.
There are no testing requirements in place for domestic travel between UK nations.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of modifying the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence process for HGV Drivers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) was introduced to improve road safety and provide economic and environmental benefits. Our assessment is that there are merits in modifying the processes, although change to key process issues would require regulatory and legislative changes.
We also appreciate the cost of renewing the Driver CPC can be difficult for some drivers. That is why, at the discretion of local DWP Work Coaches, the Flexible Support Fund is available to those who are currently unemployed or are in receipt of Universal Credit who need to renew their DCPC, where appropriate. In addition, many employers are offering training packages so even if a driver’s CPC has lapsed, they can be supported in updating this through classroom or online courses.
We are further supporting lorry driver training through apprenticeships. This includes the revised Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship standard which is now available and supported by a funding band of £7,000.
We are also developing a driver training pilot through Jobcentre Plus to help jobseekers retrain as HGV drivers.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the DVLA on (a) reducing the backlog in driver license applications that need processing, and (b) the potential merits of prioritising rural communities when tackling that backlog.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is to use the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has led to delays for customers. The DVLA has been working with a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements. The current increased demand for the DVLA’s services has also contributed to delays with paper applications.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services and recruited additional staff. The DVLA is urgently securing extra office space to house more staff to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
The DVLA understands the impact that delays can have on people’s everyday lives and is working as quickly as possible to process paper applications and return people’s documentation to them.
The DVLA is unable to prioritise applications received from those living in rural communities. However, the large majority of drivers applying to renew their licence can continue driving while their application is being processed. Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 allows drivers who have sent a valid application to the DVLA to continue driving while waiting for their application to be processed. Strict criteria apply and these are outlined online here.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on increasing the availability of heavy vehicle ADR tests.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
ADR examinations are delivered by third-party organisations who hold approval from the Secretary of State, so this provision does not use any of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency testing resource. Those providers advise they have capacity to meet the demands for the examinations nationally, including in your constituency and there is no significant backlog of drivers wishing to qualify.
To provide support for fuel deliveries, the Government has granted an extension of ADR validity for those drivers whose certification would expire between 27 September 2021 and 31 December 2021 until 31 January 2022. This is one of a package of measures we have introduced to address vocational driver shortages.
The Government has also enlisted military tanker drivers to assist with fuel deliveries and extended the provision of remote training delivery to help support both ADR drivers and providers in the future.