Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 13 October 2022 to Question 59432 on Armed Forces and Veterans: Railways, what appropriate verification of veteran status to gain free train travel for military personnel and veterans on remembrance includes.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Appropriate verification for Veterans seeking to use free rail travel to Remembrance events includes: the Ministry of Defence-issued Veterans ID, Veterans Railcard, Veterans Oyster photocard or other forms of identification, such as proof of pension. Station staff will be able to help Veterans who are unable to provide the listed forms of verification.
Further information can be found on the National Rail website at the following link:
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/remembrance-sunday.aspx
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of providing free train travel for serving and former Armed Forces personnel to attend remembrance services.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of Veterans or Military Personnel using free rail travel to Remembrance events in previous years. Those travelling in their uniform or who held appropriate verification will have been able to travel for free without requiring a ticket to be issued.
We will continue to offer free rail travel to Military Personnel and Veterans travelling to Remembrance events this year.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) former and (b) current Armed Forces personnel have claimed free allowances for free train travel for Remembrance in each year since his Department has offered it.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of Veterans or Military Personnel using free rail travel to Remembrance events in previous years. Those travelling in their uniform or who held appropriate verification will have been able to travel for free without requiring a ticket to be issued.
We will continue to offer free rail travel to Military Personnel and Veterans travelling to Remembrance events this year.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 74893, how much HS2 Ltd spent to acquire the 609 residential properties through Statutory and Discretionary Schemes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, HS2 Ltd has spent £199,179,925 on all acquisitions for Phase 2b. This figure is based on purchase price only of land and property acquisitions between 2014 and the end of October 2021 acquired through statutory and discretionary schemes. HS2 Ltd does not record how many residential properties have been acquired, as a property can have mixed usage.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 74893, how many residential properties were acquired through Statutory Discretion Schemes by constituency.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, HS2 Ltd has spent £199,179,925 on all acquisitions for Phase 2b. This figure is based on purchase price only of land and property acquisitions between 2014 and the end of October 2021 acquired through statutory and discretionary schemes. HS2 Ltd does not record how many residential properties have been acquired, as a property can have mixed usage.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of July 14 2021 to Question 29790 on High Speed Two: Compulsory Purchase, how many residential properties have been compulsory purchased by HS2 Ltd as part of plans to construct HS2 2b.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HS2 Ltd is yet to deposit a Hybrid Bill for Phase 2b, and therefore has not acquired any properties on that part of the route under Compulsory Purchase powers. However, the company has confirmed that, as of October 2021, it has acquired 609 properties through Statutory and Discretionary Schemes. These are properties that have been acquired at the previous owners’ request.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether legal agreements have been signed by private sector partners to help ensure UK rocket launches are consistent with climate change emissions reduction targets.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
All applicants for a launch or spaceport licence under the Space Industry Act 2018 are required to submit an assessment of environmental effects. The spaceflight regulator will take account of these assessments and the Government’s environmental objectives when deciding licence applications and setting licence conditions. The Government will set environmental objectives for the regulator, including minimising emissions contributing to climate change resulting from spaceflight activities.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2021 to Question HL12641 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, in which local authority areas the 3,800 chargepoints funded by the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme have been installed; and how many of the potential 7,200 charging device installations have been funded from his Department’s doubling of funding to that scheme.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The doubling of funding for the ORCS to £20 million announced in May last year by the Transport Secretary will allow local authorities to install up to 7,200 charging devices, making charging at home and overnight easier for those without an off-street parking space.
The attached document details the local authorities which have received grant awards under the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, to date. In financial year 2020/21 almost 2,000 chargepoints were approved under the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). ORCS is a demand-led fund open to all UK local authorities. As the Scheme moves into financial year 2021/22, amendments have been made, taking into account local authority feedback and the experience of previous years, in order to improve access to funding for as many local authorities as possible.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Civil Aviation Authority consultation (CAP1775), what steps he has taken to ensure that model aircraft users will not be unfairly targeted through the regulation of motorised drones.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with developing and operating the Unmanned Aircraft Operator Registration and Education Scheme to improve the accountability of all users of small unmanned aircraft, whether they be drones or model aircraft, and their awareness of how to fly them safely. The Government recognises the importance of supporting those participating in model aircraft flying, and the strong safety culture fostered by the majority of model aircraft flyers and clubs.
However, as set out in the Government’s drone consultation response in January 2019, any alternative approach for model flyers must be achieved without imposing undue burden on the state and the taxpayer, whilst also being efficient and enforceable, without compromising the integrity of the policy.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Civil Aviation Authority consultation (CAP1775), what steps he is taking to ensure the cost of registration does not reduce numbers participating in model aircraft flight.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with developing and operating the Unmanned Aircraft Operator Registration and Education Scheme to improve the accountability of all users of small unmanned aircraft, whether they be drones or model aircraft, and their awareness of how to fly them safely. The Government recognises the importance of supporting those participating in model aircraft flying, and the strong safety culture fostered by the majority of model aircraft flyers and clubs.
However, as set out in the Government’s drone consultation response in January 2019, any alternative approach for model flyers must be achieved without imposing undue burden on the state and the taxpayer, whilst also being efficient and enforceable, without compromising the integrity of the policy.