Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents have been reported on the A15 between Lincoln and the M180 in each of the last five years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The number of personal injury road collisions reported to police on the A15 between Lincoln and the M180 for each year since 2017 is shown in the table.
Year | Number of collisions on the A15 |
2017 | 18 |
2018 | 30 |
2019 | 15 |
2020 | 9 |
2021 | 13 |
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Westbound carriageway of the A46 between Lincoln and Newark was last inspected for defects; when he expects this stretch of highway to be resurfaced; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
This section of the A46 was last inspected on Thursday 24 November.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the UK to produce (a) sustainable and (b) synthetic fuel to power RAF flights.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a key technology to achieve Jet Zero, being supported by three key policy pillars: the SAF mandate; the capital grant programmes; and considerations on support for longer-term commercialisation. The MoD is proactively engaged in the Jet Zero Strategy and the proposed UK SAF Mandate strategy.
The MoD will use increasingly greater aviation fuel SAF blends (which are currently limited to 50% blends) as they become more commercially available and cost effective, are supplied in the aviation fuel supply chain via SAF mandates, equal or enhance operational output and tasks, and support wider government requirements. DfT, MoD and UK civil aviation stakeholders are developing options to increase UK SAF production capacity.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for law enforcement of requiring e-bikes to display identification or registration numbers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has no current plans to introduce identification or registration numbers for any type of pedal cycle, including e-bikes. Such a requirement would be likely to lead to a significant reduction in the number of people cycling, and the costs would be likely to outweigh the benefits that cycling brings, both for cyclists themselves and for wider society.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of e-bikes used on public highways that have been modified to travel at speeds higher than those permitted; what steps he plans to take to help ensure the safety of road users impacted by modified e-bikes; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department does not hold an estimate for the number of e-bikes that have been modified to travel at higher speeds. Modifications of this sort are only permitted if the vehicle meets the relevant type approval requirements and is registered, taxed and insured. The rider must also hold an appropriate driving licence and wear an approved motorcycle helmet. Enforcement of these requirements on the road is a matter for the police, while the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is responsible for ensuring that illegally modified e-bikes are not offered for sale for use on the public highway. Various penalties apply for these different offences: for example, riding without insurance could result in a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points. There have also been a number of successful prosecutions for the sale of illegally modified e-bikes, resulting in criminal convictions, substantial fines, and recalling the e-bikes.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits to the economy of the Yorkshire and the Humber region of further improvements to the A1079, including (a) improving sections of the A165 and A614 and (b) dualling parts of the A15 between Lincoln and Scunthorpe; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The roads raised by the Right Honourable Gentleman are the responsibility of local highway authorities – Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It is for those authorities to prioritise areas of their networks for improvements, and to seek funding, if required.
A scheme to improve the A1079 at Wilberfoss is in the Department’s Major Road Network programme. Earlier this year, officials reviewed a strategic outline business case submitted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and we are waiting for the Council to respond to a number of clarification questions. Once these are resolved, advice will be provided to Ministers on whether the business case for the scheme should be developed further. An additional scheme, the A164 Jock's Lodge Junction Improvement Scheme which would improve the A164/A1079 junction, is also in our programme of Local Authority promoted schemes. The full business case is scheduled to be submitted in late December 2022.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the impact of 20mph speed limits on the number of road accidents occurring in those areas since the introduction of that speed limit; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
The Department published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits on 22 November 2018.
The research substantially strengthens the evidence base on perceptions, speeds and early outcomes associated with 20mph speed limits, and is the only major UK study to consider multiple case study areas and provide a national view.
The headline findings were:
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will require local highway authorities to conduct an annual review the effect of the introduction of 20 mile per hour speed limit zones on (a) road accidents and (b) traffic flows in those areas.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
The Department for Transport does not have any plans to impose any new requirements on local traffic authorities. They are responsible for taking the decisions in respect to the speed limits on their roads, because they have the local knowledge making them the best placed to do so.
The Department for Transport issues non-mandatory guidance to English local authorities on setting speed limits, to assist their decision making. The guidance suggests that they keep their speed limits under review with changing circumstances.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will put in place guidelines for local authorities requiring them to base all local speed limits on traffic-engineering principles and not to impose lower speed limits merely as a local traffic deterrent or for other reasons.
Answered by Katherine Fletcher
Local traffic authorities are responsible for taking decisions about setting speed limits on their roads as they have the local knowledge making them the best placed to do so.
The Department for Transport issues non-mandatory guidance to English local authorities on setting speed limits.
Factors authorities are advised to take into account include history of collisions; road environment, geometry and engineering; road function and types of road users (including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users); and existing traffic speeds.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason a 40mph speed limit in place on the stretch of dual carriageway of the A1 near Carpenter's Lodge where no visible work was undertaken on or adjacent to the highway or any of the carriageways until several miles further South on 11 July 2022.
Answered by Karl McCartney
The temporary 40mph speed limit on this stretch of the A1 is currently in place whilst National Highways carry out a range of carriageway maintenance activities on the A1 between Wothorpe and Wansford. Whilst all work is being carried out during week nights, the temporary speed limit is in place for safety reasons whilst the safety barriers are removed and rebuilt.
The works are due to continue until December when all the work is expected to be finished, following which the temporary restrictions will be lifted and the national speed limit reinstated. Please feel free to make contact directly with National Highways who will be happy to answer any detailed questions on this and any other roadworks.