Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to create jobs in hydrogen transport technology.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The UK is particularly well placed to be a leader in hydrogen and fuel cell powered transportation due to our high-quality engineering and manufacturing capability in relevant supply chains creating opportunities for investment and jobs. The Government’s approach to delivering long-term ambitions for greener transport is technology neutral and we are supporting hydrogen where the market favours its use.
In road transport, hydrogen is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation following changes made to the scheme in April 2018. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Advanced Propulsion Centre are funding a wide range of development projects in hydrogen roads vehicles across technology readiness levels. Government is also supporting the technology through the £23m Hydrogen for Transport programme and £2m FCEV fleet support scheme. The Clean Maritime Plan published last year recognised hydrogen as one of a number of the key fuels on a pathway to zero-emission shipping. Our innovation programmes have supported the development of hydrogen technology, such as the ‘Hydroflex’ train, and continue to provide funding opportunities for innovative environmental projects. These trials may provide a springboard for industry growth and commercial exploitation. In support of the Clean Maritime Plan (2019) the Department has published research into the economic opportunities afforded by the transition to alternative fuels in shipping, and has undertaken an assessment of uptake scenarios for such fuels, including hydrogen and hydrogen carriers.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential of hydrogen electric vehicles to provide sustainable, greener transport in rural areas.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions. Like battery electric vehicles, their well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions depend on the method of energy production. A range of production pathways and technological improvements in hydrogen production are under development, with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the Department for Transport published the outputs of the Transport Energy Model. The model provides a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of a range of fuel and powertrain options for cars, vans, buses and heavy goods vehicles over the period to 2050. This assessment does not distinguish between urban and rural scenarios with regard to the potential for greener transport in rural areas. Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy that will examine which parts of the network are best suited to use of hydrogen trains, as well as battery and electrification. This will inform Government decisions in 2020.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance has been issued to HS2 Ltd on the placing of CCTV cameras around enabling works sites.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There has been no specific guidance issued to HS2 Ltd by the Secretary of State for Transport in regards to the placement of CCTV cameras around site. HS2 Ltd’s Tier 1 contractors need to comply with all legislation around the use of CCTV on their sites, which has been provided to them by HS2 Ltd.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what communications his Department have undertaken with (a) HS2 Ltd and (b) Buckinghamshire Country Council on the designs for the Addison Road Bridge in Steeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The design of the HS2 railway, including associated features such as the Addison Road Bridge, is a matter for HS2 Ltd, the company charged with the project’s delivery, and its contractors. The design of the Addison Road bridge was developed by the main works contractor to Scheme Design stage during 2019. This was shared with the HS2 project team at Buckinghamshire County Council in July 2019 and feedback was received from them in October 2019. The design for the highway is expected to be finalised in May 2020, where further review and pre-application discussions are planned with the local authority. The Department is not directly involved in the detail of this process, but was involved in establishing the overall framework and continues to monitor it.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential effect of inaccessible rail infrastructure on (a) employment, (b) education and (c) community inclusion for disabled people.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The cross-government Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office has been established to reduce the barriers that disabled people face in their lives.
The National Strategy for Disabled People due to be published later this year will focus on the issues that most affect disabled people: housing, education, transport and jobs. As part of this, departments across Whitehall are considering how they can make the greatest contribution to the lives of disabled people in our nation.
More widely, the Department continues to deliver the Access for All programme which provides accessibility improvements over and above those being delivered as part of other major projects or whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure. We have recently allocated £350 million to add another 209 stations to this programme during Control Period 6.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendation in the Oakervee Review that passive provision be made for a High Speed Two station at Calvert.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is still in the process of considering all of the conclusions in the Oakervee Report and their implications. It is looking at providing its response, including on question of passive provision for an additional station, in due course.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for issuing new guidance for the operation of community buses under sections 19 and 22 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department will update its guidance on the ‘exclusively non-commercial purposes’ exemption to EU Regulation 1071/2009 on operator licensing in line with the High Court judgement in due course.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents have been recorded as taking place on or in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The number of reported road accidents with a personal injury within 50 metres of a pedestrian crossings in Great Britain between 2016 and 2018 can be found in the below table.
Reported road accidents with a personal injury within 50 metres of pedestrian crossings¹,², Great Britain, 2016-2018 | ||||||||||
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Year | Accidents |
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2016 | 25,829 |
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2017 | 25,348 |
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2018 | 25,235 |
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Source: DfT, STATS19 |
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1. Includes human controlled crossings by school crossing patrols and by other authorised | ||||||||||
persons, zebra crossings, pelicans, puffins, toucans or other similar non-junctions, | ||||||||||
pedestrian phases at traffic signal junctions, footbridges or subways, and central refuges | ||||||||||
2. Excludes cases where road crossing type was undefined |
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Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps HS2 Ltd takes to assess barn owl activity on sites under construction as part of High Speed Two enabling works.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
HS2 Ltd has undertaken extensive wildlife surveys across the route, which includes barn owls. In addition, HS2 Ltd has a Barn Owl Mitigation Plan (developed after consultation with wildlife groups including the RSPB) to ensure that best practice guidelines are followed to minimise any adverse effects of HS2 on barn owls and maximise potential benefits.