Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) economic contribution and (b) historic significance of the Hythe ferry service and associated (i) pier and (ii) light railway; what additional assistance is available to that ferry operating company from (A) the provisions of Budget 2021 and (B) other public purse sources; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Department does not have a recent assessment of the economic contribution and historic significance of the Hythe ferry service or associated pier and light rail to the surrounding areas. However, we recognise the important role the Hythe ferry provides to the local area and residents.
We recognise the difficulties companies continue to face as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the unprecedented £330 billion worth of financial guarantees announced last March, the Chancellor has launched a new package of support measures to protect businesses and jobs beyond the spring as part of the 2021 Budget. Amongst them is the Government’s flagship Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which will now be extended until September.
My Department’s officials and I continue to engage closely with all parts of the maritime sector to support them as best we can during this challenging period.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to the French authorities on their recent decision to withdraw access to Roaming Permits to UK abnormal load hauliers for use on the French road network; what assessment his Department has made of the disadvantages to the UK abnormal load hauliers sector of having to apply for Route Specific Permits in lieu of those Roaming Permits; and if he will make it his policy to seek to negotiate a bilateral agreement with French authorities to resume UK access to Roaming Permits on the model of that agreement which exists between France and Switzerland.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department for Transport is working to resolve this disruption as quickly as possible through diplomatic channels and at ministerial level. We are working urgently with our colleagues in the British Embassy in Paris to engage with the French Government on this critical issue.
The Department has been engaging with the Abnormal Loads Haulage Sector to establish the impact that this change in process will have on the industry, and we recognise that the process of applying for Route Specific Permits is more time consuming and provides less flexibility for UK hauliers transporting loads from the UK to France, which will have an immediate impact on the sector.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason solo motorcycle driving tests have been suspended during covid-19 lockdown; whether learner-riders of motorcycles who have already passed their theory tests are liable to financial loss caused by having to re-sit them in future, as a result of the suspension of the practical test modules; and what his policy is on people who have lost their employment because of the covid-19 outbreak being facilitated to retrain as motorcycle dispatch riders.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
While social distancing can be achieved during motorcycle training and testing to an extent, there is still an element of exchanging equipment, such as radio microphones. This cannot be avoided and increases the risk of virus transmission. In addition, attending motorcycle training and tests is not in line with the current Government’s guidance and would be considered non-essential travel. It is also contrary to the ‘stay at home’ message and would increase movement of both people and vehicles.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) pays its contractor, Pearson, per theory test delivered. If candidates were exempted from having to pay for a re-take, then the DVSA, and in turn other fee payers, would incur the costs. This would be unfair to the other fee payers who would not benefit from the arrangement.
When it is safe to resume testing, the DVSA will put measures in place to increase testing availability wherever possible; this will include offering overtime to examiners and buying back annual leave, asking all those qualified but who do not normally do so to carry out tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays). These measures will also enable those wishing to retrain as motorcycle dispatch riders to take a practical test.
The DVSA will continue to assess further options for increasing testing capacity and reducing the backlog as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage airlines with unused supplies of oxygen to make those supplies available to the NHS to help meet reported shortfalls in NHS resources of oxygen to treat patients with covid-19.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Department for Transport has not been approached by the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the use of any unused oxygen in the aviation sector.
DfT Ministers and officials maintain regular contact with their counterparts in DHSC, and with stakeholders in the aviation sector, and were any such approach be made, we would act upon it swiftly.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential safety benefits of requiring yellow box junctions at the intersection of road and rail at small level crossings; and if he will make it his policy to require those yellow boxes to be installed by highway authorities.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail, in its role as the national railway infrastructure manager, is responsible for ensuring the safe operation of public level crossings on the rail network in Great Britain and for assessing what safety measures are suitable at each crossing. It undertakes this in consultation with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the safety regulator, and with local highway authorities. There are no plans to require local highways authorities to install yellow box junctions at level crossings.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April to Question 34894 on renewal of driving licences for volunteers who cannot obtain medical certificates from their general practitioners, if he will make appropriate arrangements for drivers of passenger-carrying vehicles, in addition to the arrangements for bus and lorry drivers.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The temporary provisions for bus and lorry drivers outlined in the answer to Question 34894 extend to drivers of passenger carrying vehicles, providing the licence holder has passed the required driving test.
Drivers who have passed a car test and wish to drive a minibus as a volunteer can do so without obtaining a medical report, provided they can meet certain criteria. These are:
that they are driving on behalf of a non-commercial body for social purposes but not for hire or reward (unless operating under a permit)
they are 21 years old or over
they have held a category B (car) licence for at least two years
they are providing their services on a voluntary basis
the minibus has a maximum weight of no more than 3.5 tonnes (excluding any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers) and is not towing a trailer.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the expiry dates for (a) passenger carrying vehicle and (b) other higher categories of driving licences for volunteer specialist drivers (i) whose age requires a medical certificate to accompany their licence renewal application and (ii) who cannot access a GP appointment to obtain a medical certificate to accompany that licence renewal application during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
To keep bus and lorry drivers on the road, the Government has made temporary provisions for bus and lorry drivers aged 45 and over. A D4 medical report will not be required when applying to renew a bus or lorry driving licence until further notice. Provided they have no notifiable medical conditions, drivers will be issued a licence that is valid for one year instead of the usual five. This will only apply if the licence is due to expire or has expired since 1 January 2020.
As is always the case, drivers must ensure they are medically fit to drive and they are legally obliged to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of any onset or worsening medical conditions.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made in providing frontline supply-chain logistics personnel with (a) hand sanitiser, (b) anti-bacterial wipes and (c) relevant protective clothing in order to maintain reliable deliveries to supermarkets and other distribution outlets.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We are working very closely with the logistics industry to keep supply chains moving, including to address this and other matters to keep workers safe. Public Health England updated advice on 24th March and 7th April. Advice is at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will conduct a public consultation on the (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of making compulsory the equipping of bicycles with an effective auditory warning device whenever ridden on public roads or paths.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010 require a bell to be fitted to an assembled bicycle at the point of sale, but there is currently no legal requirement for bicycles to be fitted with bells when in use on public roads or paths. Rule 66 of the Highway Code recommends that a bell should be fitted to all bicycles, and advises cyclists to be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians, and to use the bell where appropriate to signal to others that they are nearby.
The Department has received representations from various stakeholders on this matter as part of the recent wide-ranging Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review call for evidence. Some respondents have suggested changing the current legislation to require all bikes to be fitted with bells when in use. The Department is currently analysing the 13,000 or so responses to the call for evidence, and will announce next steps later this year. In considering the case for any change to the current legislation on bike bells, the Department will consider matters such as how effectively any new requirement could be enforced.
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010 are primarily designed to ensure consumer protection at the point of sale, and they do not cover the use of bicycles. They were introduced following a consultation in 2009.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons were for the policy decisions that led to it being illegal for a new bicycle to be sold without an auditory warning device but not illegal for the purchaser of a new bicycle to remove such a device after purchase.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010 require a bell to be fitted to an assembled bicycle at the point of sale, but there is currently no legal requirement for bicycles to be fitted with bells when in use on public roads or paths. Rule 66 of the Highway Code recommends that a bell should be fitted to all bicycles, and advises cyclists to be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians, and to use the bell where appropriate to signal to others that they are nearby.
The Department has received representations from various stakeholders on this matter as part of the recent wide-ranging Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review call for evidence. Some respondents have suggested changing the current legislation to require all bikes to be fitted with bells when in use. The Department is currently analysing the 13,000 or so responses to the call for evidence, and will announce next steps later this year. In considering the case for any change to the current legislation on bike bells, the Department will consider matters such as how effectively any new requirement could be enforced.
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010 are primarily designed to ensure consumer protection at the point of sale, and they do not cover the use of bicycles. They were introduced following a consultation in 2009.