Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) funding is available and (b) steps have been taken to support the introduction of a rapid charging network infrastructure for electric vehicles capable of supporting commercial demand for electric vehicles.
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.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many electric vehicle rapid charging points will be introduced in (a) England and (b) London in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018, (iii) 2019 and (iv) 2020; and what methodology was used to determine those figures.
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.
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 the British Road Safety Statement, published in December 2015, what progress has been made on the revision of government buying guidelines to promote the uptake of procuring safer vehicles.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport (DfT) is working with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - who own the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for vehicle procurement - on an update that will promote the purchase of safer and cleaner vehicles where appropriate. New standards are expected by 2017.
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 implementing the conclusions of Working Together to Build a Safer Road System, published December 2015; if he will make it his policy to issue an annual statement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government, and its road safety partners, are making excellent progress in delivering the Road Safety Statement. Highlights include: laying legislation to implement much tougher penalties for drivers using a hand held mobile phone; a £1m drug-driving enforcement grant to police forces in England and Wales; £50m of Bikeability funding; piloting a new practical driving test and developing the hazard perception test. We intend to publish a progress report towards the end of 2017.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on whether the provisions of EU Directive 261/2004, on compensation for denied boarding, cancellation or long delays for air passengers, should continue to apply in the UK (a) until and (b) after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by John Hayes
The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the European Union, including future arrangements for existing legislation. Until the UK leaves, EU law continues to apply, so we continue to comply with the existing directives and regulations, such as the common rules on compensation and assistance under Regulation (EC) 261/2004.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent research his Department has conducted on (a) the merits of static speed cameras and (b) the effect of conspicuously marking such cameras on their effectiveness.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department published “The national safety camera programme: Four-year evaluation report” in December 2005. The Road Safety Observatory, of which the Department is a member, published “Effectiveness Of Speed Cameras In Preventing Road Traffic Collisions And Related Casualties: Systematic Review” in March 2013. No research has been carried out of the effect of conspicuously marking cameras.
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 the Prime Minister's Oral Answer Prime Minister of 8 June 2016, Official Report, column 1189, on airport expansion, whether the term summer includes the September sitting of the House.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The government remains fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects it has set out.