Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help ensure that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency webchat facility is always available to the public; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) agent by telephone in each of the last 12 months.
Month | Minutes |
May 22 | 10.5 |
April 22 | 12.4 |
March 22 | 14.5 |
February 22 | 18.0 |
January 22 | 13.2 |
December 21 | 9.9 |
November 21 | 9.1 |
October 21 | 7.3 |
September 21 | 8.7 |
August 21 | 9.8 |
July 21 | 9.9 |
June 21 | 13.2 |
The DVLA contact centre is actively recruiting and training additional staff to help reduce the waiting times for customers.
The DVLA has increased the number of services it offers through webchat, which can be accessed at any time. Advisors are available during the contact centre opening hours. The webchat services have been enhanced to use chatbots, which are also always available to help with general information. These are popular with customers as they reduce the time taken to deal with a query, many of which are answered without the need to speak to an advisor. In the last 12 months over 2 million customer enquiries have been answered either by a webchat advisor or by chatbot.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an estimate of the average time it took to answer calls to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contact centre in the last 12 months; whether he plans to take steps to reduce call waiting times for customers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) agent by telephone in each of the last 12 months.
Month | Minutes |
May 22 | 10.5 |
April 22 | 12.4 |
March 22 | 14.5 |
February 22 | 18.0 |
January 22 | 13.2 |
December 21 | 9.9 |
November 21 | 9.1 |
October 21 | 7.3 |
September 21 | 8.7 |
August 21 | 9.8 |
July 21 | 9.9 |
June 21 | 13.2 |
The DVLA contact centre is actively recruiting and training additional staff to help reduce the waiting times for customers.
The DVLA has increased the number of services it offers through webchat, which can be accessed at any time. Advisors are available during the contact centre opening hours. The webchat services have been enhanced to use chatbots, which are also always available to help with general information. These are popular with customers as they reduce the time taken to deal with a query, many of which are answered without the need to speak to an advisor. In the last 12 months over 2 million customer enquiries have been answered either by a webchat advisor or by chatbot.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of unladen lorries (a) entering the EU from the UK and (b) entering the UK from the EU in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The requested information is set out in the tables below. This information was sourced from the Port Freight statistics which can be found here (Annual statistics for UK port freight traffic for 2020) and here (Downloadable Excel file which summarises UK major port freight traffic statistics from 2000-2020).
Number of unladen lorries entering the EU from the UK | |
Year | Amount |
2010 | 669,316 |
2011 | 599,257 |
2012 | 653,738 |
2013 | 720,417 |
2014 | 751,798 |
2015 | 785,011 |
2016 | 802,465 |
2017 | 806,399 |
2018 | 742,517 |
2019 | 727,517 |
2020 | 666,304 |
In total from 2010-2020 this adds up to be 7,924,739 unladen vehicles entering the EU from the UK.
Number of unladen lorries entering the UK from the EU | |
2010 | 87,225 |
2011 | 69,076 |
2012 | 103,685 |
2013 | 99,367 |
2014 | 112,053 |
2015 | 67,256 |
2016 | 61,855 |
2017 | 71,008 |
2018 | 75,407 |
2019 | 80,783 |
2020 | 70,636 |
In total from 2010-2020 this adds up to be 898,351 unladen vehicles entering the UK from the EU.
Following EU Exit, the market access arrangements allow the vast majority of UK haulage journeys to and from the EU to continue as they did before the end of the transition period.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) provide covid-related advice for travellers and (b) regulate pricing for travel-related PCR testing; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts
The UK removed all mandatory border health measures on 18 March and Gov.uk guidance has been updated. Passengers travelling from the UK should always check the latest FCDO Travel Advice which covers other countries’ entry requirements.
There are no post-arrival tests required for passengers entering the UK but the government’s focus will continue to be on ensuring that there is accuracy and transparency of pricing in the private testing market.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to reply to the enquiry from the hon. Member for Harrow West dated 15 March 2022 regarding his constituent's correspondence of 24 November 2021 and the reinstatement of a driving licence by the DVLA.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
A reply to the correspondence referred to was sent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on 25 March.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time spent waiting in traffic was for a haulier waiting to board a ferry at Dover in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department does not hold data on the average time spent by hauliers waiting in traffic to board a ferry at Dover. The Port of Dover operates a ‘turn up and go service’ meaning HGVs will be placed on to the first available ferry when they arrive at the Port. There may be an occasion when hauliers have to wait which may be due to peak periods of traffic at the Port. The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is responsible for traffic management in Kent.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time spent waiting in traffic was for a haulier waiting to board a ferry at Dover in each during (a) November 2021, (b) December 2021 and (c) January 2022; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department does not hold data on the average time spent by hauliers waiting in traffic to board a ferry at Dover. The Port of Dover operates a ‘turn up and go service’ meaning HGVs will be placed on to the first available ferry when they arrive at the Port. There may be an occasion when hauliers have to wait which may be due to peak periods of traffic at the Port. The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is responsible for traffic management in Kent.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had any (a) financial contract and (b) meetings with (i) Clifford Chance LLP, (ii) FTI Consulting and (iii) Fenchurch Advisory Partners in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Based on the Department for Transport internal database, we have had financial contracts with Clifford Chance LLP to provide legal advice on specific work during this period.
We do not have any record of any financial contract with FTI Consulting and Fenchurch Advisory Partners in the last five years.
With regard to meetings, the Department has no central database of meetings so to try and obtain a complete list of any or all meetings with these three companies across the whole Department over the past five years would incur disproportionate cost. However, Permanent Secretary and Ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) the culture and environment of the public transport network enables women to feel confident about their safety when travelling and (b) sexism, misogyny and harassment are challenged and eradicated on the public transport network; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that progress in both those areas is being monitored; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Everyone has the right to feel safe when travelling and using public spaces. The Department for Transport is working closely with Home Office on the Government’s cross-departmental strategy to address Violence Against Women and Girls.
The rail industry has a well-established strategy and programme of work to target sexual harassment. Tackling incidents of sexual harassment is also a policing priority for British Transport Police who have developed a significant programme of work in recent years. We are working hard to support these work streams and deliver best practice across the whole transport network.
However, we are keen that we do more to ensure everyone is safe when using public transport. This is why I was delighted with the appointment earlier this year of DfT’s first Violence Against Women and Girls Champions.
The Champions will be engaging with campaign groups, industry and Government to understand areas for improvement across the UK’s transport network. By January 2022 they will produce independent recommendations for the department and wider transport network on what best practice should be adopted to improve safety of the transport network for women and girls.