Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of rail connectivity to each of the UK's 20 busiest airports.
Answered by John Hayes
This Government recognises the importance of high quality, efficient and reliable road and rail access to airports as it contributes to the experience of passengers, freight operators and people working at the airport, but also contributes to the local, regional and national economy.
The government’s plans for the strategic rail connections to airports are taken forward through its High Level Output Specification (HLOS). This defines, following assessment, the railway that the government wishes to see by 2019 and includes four strategic priorities, one of which is to improve railway links to major ports and airports.
For clarity in respect of airports across the UK, surface access to airports is a devolved matter and therefore the responsibility of the respective administrations.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA takes to notify the public that poppy seed consumption could lead to a positive result in a drugs test.
Answered by Andrew Jones
There is no need to notify the public about the consumption of poppy seeds as the limit for 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) – heroin and diamorphine – was set to rule out accidental exposure. All the drugs most associated with illegal use have been set at accidental exposure limits.
The Government has produced a range of guidance for pharmacies, healthcare professionals and the general public about medications and non-illegal use of drugs when driving, which is available at the following address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-driving
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of people refused a driving licence after testing positive for poppy seeds during a drugs screening.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold data on how many people have been refused a driving licence after testing positive for poppy seeds during a drug screening.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the fall in the DVLA's revenue from vehicle excise duty between 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collects around £6billion in vehicle excise duty annually and also recovers almost £30million from enforcement activities. The DVLA annual audited accounts showed a reduction in the amount of vehicle excise duty collected of £93million for 2015-16, a decrease of around 1.5% of total revenue raised the previous year. However, this figure was better than the Office of Budget Responsibility forecasts.
It is widely recognised that the amount of vehicle tax collected varies year on year. The decrease in revenue for the last financial year has been attributed to three main causes; more efficient vehicles emitting less carbon dioxide resulting in lower tax bands, over 10 million direct debits which moves the revenue across months rather than being collected up front as before and a small increase in evasion.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects Network Rail to publish an update to its industry electrification strategy.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Network Rail is now evaluating electrification of routes on a case by case basis as one of the ways of delivering enhanced train services to meet the forecast growth in rail usage.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the electrification of the Leeds-Harrogate-York railway line.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Later this year the rail industry will present its initial advice to Government on investment needs for the national network in the next Control Period (2019-2024), drawing on the outputs of Network Rail’s long term planning process, including its review of the national electrification strategy. Taking account of this advice and other inputs – including from Transport for the North - the Government intends to articulate its emerging priorities for improvement to the national network during 2017.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to mark National Road Victim Month which falls in August of each year.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department supports the purpose of National Road Victim Month. We recognise every death is a tragedy and we regularly attend the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. We are determined to do more to make our roads safer. That’s why this Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce road deaths and injuries every year. We are prioritising our efforts on delivering the actions set out in the British Road Safety Statement which we published on 21 December 2015 which is available on gov.uk and copies are in both libraries of the house.