Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) Clacton constituency and (b) deprived coastal areas in the South are included in the Government's levelling up agenda.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
We are committed to levelling up opportunity across the UK – by boosting jobs, wages and prospects for all communities. The government is launching a new Levelling Up Fund worth £4bn for England. This will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities and will support economic recovery. We will publish more detail on the criteria for assessing bids in the prospectus.
The Department is also working to implement the findings of the Green Book Review to better reflect the government's strategic objectives in business cases, particularly on levelling up.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce incentives to increase the number of electric vehicles purchased by consumers.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government’s Road to Zero strategy published in July 2018 sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions. We are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug-in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. We are also considering the introduction of green number plates. To improve consumer attitudes towards electric vehicles, in collaboration with industry, Government also founded the Go Ultra Low communications campaign to promote the benefits of electric vehicles and enable consumers and businesses to make the switch. This comprises of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero emission vehicles.
As the Manifesto set out, and the Secretary of State spoke about in October, the Government intends to consult on the earliest date that we can phase out the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars, while minimising the impact on drivers and businesses.
Government is supporting further growth of the public network through the launch of the Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund. £200 million of Government funding is matched-funded by private investment to install chargepoints. The first investment round, worth a total of £70 million, will ensure the delivery of a further 3,000 rapid charging devices by 2024, more than doubling the current number of rapid charging devices
Our Manifesto last year stated that, along with the private sector, the Government will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure – making sure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station for electric vehicles.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that electric vehicle charging infrastructure is made available in (a) Clacton and (b) the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
Zero emission motorists in Clacton can benefit from grants under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and Work Place Chargepoint Schemes and Tendring District Council can apply for funding under the On-street Residential Charging scheme.
We want to encourage private sector investment to build and operate a self-sustaining public network that is affordable, reliable and accessible.
Government funding, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 22,500 places to charge, including 2,100 rapid devices– creating one of the largest networks in Europe. In August the Secretary of State announced that funding for this year’s on street residential charging scheme, which offers grants to local authorities to support investment at a local level, would be doubled from £2.5 to £5 million. Highways England has also committed £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020.
This is in addition to the £400m Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund , with the first tranche of funding launched in September 2019.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the letters of 17 May 2018 and 3 July 2018 from the hon. Member for Clacton regarding infrastructure improvements in Essex.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
I apologise for the delay in responding to your letters. I understand that my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State will be meeting with you shortly to discuss the specific issues you raised in your letters.