Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the next annual update of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government will report regularly to Parliament on the progress it is making in delivering the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, as required by section 21 of the Infrastructure Act 2015. A decision on the timing of the first such progress report will be made in due course.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of minimum (a) kerb heights and (b) levels of provision of crossings required for shared space schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department’s guidance on shared space, Local Transport Note 1/11 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shared-space), includes advice on the use of kerbs and provision of crossings.
The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation recently published its review of shared space schemes, which makes recommendations to Government for further work (www.ciht.org.uk/en/knowledge/streets-and-transport-in-the-urban-environment/index.cfm) including in relation to kerb heights and crossings. The Department is considering these recommendations.
Local authorities are responsible for the design of their streets. It is for them to ensure any public realm scheme, including a shared space, is inclusive and meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has plans to introduce a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme for people on low incomes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
On 22 November 2017 the Government launched a consultation on additional measures to support individuals and businesses affected by local NO2 plans. Options considered include retrofitting vehicles, support for car clubs, vehicle scrappage and improved public transport offers. The consultation closed on 5 January 2018 and the Government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on bringing forward a new southern rail access link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 25 October 2016, this Government announced that a Northwest Runaway at Heathrow Airport, combined with a package of supporting measures, was its preferred scheme to deliver additional airport capacity in the South East of England. The supporting measures would include improved rail access to the airport and we are actively looking at what we could do to accelerate these.
The next step for the proposed Southern Rail Access is a GRIP 1-2 study to permit informed option appraisal. This is being considered alongside the detailed development of Western Rail Access plans for the airport, in order to ensure that we provide maximum benefit for airport and non-airport passengers and exploit the new journey opportunities this may provide.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his oral statement of 5 July 2017, Official Report, column 153WH, when his Department plans to publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) names of the chair and members of the working party on working conditions in the private hire industry.
Answered by John Hayes
The working group on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, as announced on 5 July 2017, will have its first meeting on 26 September 2017. The group’s membership and terms of reference will be formally confirmed at that meeting, and copies of those documents will subsequently be deposited in the library of the House.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of electric vehicle charging points that will be required to meet the predicted demand for (a) commercial and (b) consumer electric vehicles in London.
Answered by John Hayes
The Government is supporting an increase in provision of electric vehicle chargepoints as part of its programme for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs). At Autumn Statement 2016, the Chancellor announced additional funding of £80m for charging infrastructure (including rapid charge points) for the period 2017 to 2020 and Government is considering how best to allocate this funding to meet the needs of drivers and deliver value for money.
Alongside this, Highways England has £15m to expand the existing rapid chargepoint network to ensure that across 95 per cent of the strategic road network there will be a chargepoint at least every 20 miles. As part of this, Government will be working with Highways England to understand current and future demand on England’s strategic road network.
Transport for London’s July 2015 ULEV Delivery Plan committed to deliver 300 rapid charge points by 2020, with 150 by 2018, to meet the expected demand from taxis and commercial fleets. The government is supporting this ambition with a total of £12.6m of funding. Many chargepoints will be introduced by Local Authorities and the private market in England or London in the coming years.
In order to help meet demand from commercial vehicles, fleets and employee cars, the Government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (£7.5m) provides funding towards the purchase and installation costs of electric vehicle chargepoints for eligible UK companies. This support is in addition to the Government’s UK-wide Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, to provide funding towards the installation of a dedicated domestic chargepoint, for electric vehicle drivers with access to off-street parking. The Government’s On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (£2.5m), is also available to Local Authorities in the UK to provide up to 75% of the funding towards the installation of on-street chargepoint in residential areas without off-street.