Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate the use of face coverings on public transport for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
From Monday 15 June passengers must wear a face covering when travelling on public transport in England by bus, coach, tram, ferry, hovercraft, cable car, aircraft and domestic and international train.
Government has published updated Safer Transport guidance for passengers and for operators which sets out the requirements. The guidance sets out steps that operators can take to ensure passenger compliance with the face covering regulations, as well as making clear that specific exemptions apply, including for health, equality or age reasons.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing at airports and other points of entry into the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government does not currently advise virus testing for asymptomatic people, apart from in certain settings, such as hospitals, care homes, and prisons.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessments they are undertaking to consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future (1) working patterns, (2) transport use, and (3) leisure.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The pandemic is having a profound impact on the lives of everyone in the country and the Government’s focus has been on managing the immediate situation. As part of this, the Government continues to monitor behaviour in terms of working patterns, transport use and social distancing measures, and will continue to do so as the situation develops in the coming weeks.
Given the scale of this pandemic, it is likely that we will see some changes in the way people do things in the longer term and the Government is working to understand this. For example, to help understand future demand on transport, we are commissioning research to understand how the pandemic has impacted on people’s transport behaviours and the factors that will influence their behaviour as restrictions are lifted.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the use of electric cars by the public sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Budget 2017 included a commitment to “electrify 25% of cars in central Government department fleets by 2022” and, as part of the Road to Zero Strategy published in July 2018, the Government announced a further commitment to make 100% of the central Government car fleet ultra-low emission vehicles (zero emission or plug in hybrid) by 2030. Public sector organisations must use the product specifications set out in the Government Buying Standards (GBS) when procuring goods or services. For all vehicles the default is zero or ultra-low emission at the tailpipe. As a minimum, vehicles should meet Euro 6 emission standards.
We are investing nearly £2.5 billion?, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, as well schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. This includes extra funding announced at Budget 2020 of £532 million for consumer incentives for ultra-low emission vehicles, made up of £403 million for the plug-in car grant (PICG), extending it to 2022-23; and £129.5 million to extend the plug-in grants for vans, taxis and motorcycles to 2022-23. Central Government and the wider public sector are able to take advantage of these schemes.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 26 February (HL1555), when they intend to consult on bringing forward the ending of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035 or earlier if a faster transition appears possible.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
On the 4 February the Prime Minister announced a consultation on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible. The consultation was published on 20 February.
This follows our manifesto commitment and reflects the independent Committee on Climate Change advice that the phase out date should be 2035 or ideally 2030, and that only battery electric or other zero emission vehicles should be permitted to be sold after this point.
As part of this consultation, we are asking what the accompanying package of support will need to be to enable the transition and to minimise the impacts on businesses and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply side measures already in place. We are already engaging with stakeholders on this issue and plan to conclude the consultation in the summer.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new charge points for electric vehicles have been introduced in the UK in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many are to be introduced in each of the next three years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Figures for new chargepoints for electric vehicles that have been introduced in the UK in each of the last three years are available in the table below:
| Pre-2017 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Public Devices | 5039 | 2073 | 3060 | 6333 |
Domestic Devices (EVHS/DRS funded) | 68132 | 17870 | 20858 | 19989 |
We will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure, ensuring that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station. Our jointly funded £400 million Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund’s first investment round, worth a total of £70 million, will ensure the delivery of a further 3,000 rapid charging devices by 2024, more than doubling the current number of rapid charging devices. Last year work commenced to determine a vision for a core rapid charger network on England’s Strategic Road Network and we aim to report on this in Spring 2020.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 11 February (HL830), when they intend to announce whether charge points for electric vehicles will be installed in all newly built homes.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is carefully considering the stakeholders responses we have received to the recent consultation on this matter and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial incentives they are considering for those purchasing low emission vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are investing nearly £1.5bn? between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. This adds up to one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero emission vehicles.
On 4 February, the Prime Minister announced our intention to consult on bringing forward ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time. We will be asking what the accompanying package of support will need to be to enable the transition to zero emission motoring while minimising the impacts on businesses and consumers across the UK, and building on the significant demand and supply side measures already in place.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce road casualties.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users. Reducing the numbers of those needlessly killed and injured on our roads is a key priority for the Department. Our recent publication of the Road Safety Statement – ‘A Lifetime of Road Safety’ describes in some detail the Department’s intention to undertake a set of actions in the coming years aimed at improving road safety.
The effectiveness of these measures will be kept under review.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage the take up of electric cars.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Road to Zero strategy, published in July 2018, set out the Government’s mission to put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles, and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. Going beyond this, we will now consult on the earliest date we can phase out the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars, while minimising the impact on drivers and businesses.
We are investing nearly £1.5bn? between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles. We also operate schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets. Our grant schemes and our £400m public-private Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle chargepoints installed across the UK. Along with the private sector Government will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure – making sure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station for electric vehicles.
We have consulted on proposals for chargepoints to be installed with all newly built homes in England, where appropriate, and will set out a vision in early 2020 for a core network of rapid and high powered chargepoints along England’s key road network. We have also consulted on the introduction of Green Number Plates for ultra low emission vehicles to raise awareness and help normalise cleaner vehicles and increase their uptake. The Go Ultra Low comms campaign is now into its fifth year. This joint government-industry campaign aims to inform vehicle purchasers about the benefits of ULEVs and to dispel widespread myths.