Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Plymouth Freeport on existing (a) road, (b) rail and (c) ports infrastructure.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
I would like to congratulate the Plymouth and South Devon on its successful Freeport bid. My Department recognises that appropriate links will be vital to ensure the success of the UK’s newly established Freeports. My Department will consider the implications of the Freeport business cases for our transport networks and future infrastructure investment decisions.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish guidance on the covid-19 secure operation of charter boats for recreational fishing
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department for Transport has published Safer Transport Guidance on the GOV.UK website, which is regularly updated. This guidance provides advice for operators on measures to assess and address the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19), ensuring safer workplaces and services for themselves, their workers and passengers.
Government works closely with industry stakeholders including charter and leisure vessel operators, to ensure there is a clear, shared understanding of Government guidance. This approach enables operators to rapidly put in place their own bespoke guidance to meet their specific needs.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the quality of work on the recently completed Dawlish Sea Wall in response to the separation of neoprene lining from the wall and its discharge into the sea.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The structural integrity of the new section of sea wall at Dawlish was not affected by the neoprene foam becoming dislodged from the structure. The neoprene was installed during construction to help the concrete set correctly.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the damage to the Dawlish Sea Wall from the closed-cell neoprene coming dislodged from the structure in December 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The effectiveness and structural integrity of the new sea wall was demonstrated during the severe weather and flooding of part of the railway in Dawlish on 16 December 2020, with the new wall preventing this section of track from flooding. Network Rail’s contractors will continue to remove any dislodged neoprene as well as any material found on the beach.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have had their driving licences revoked following a declaration of autism.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Drivers who have an autistic spectrum condition do not need to declare their condition to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) unless it affects their ability to control a vehicle safely.
When the DVLA receives such a notification it will carry out an appropriate medical investigation. A driving licence will only be revoked if the licence holder is unable to meet the required medical standards of fitness to drive.
In 2020 (up to 18 November), 23 driving licences have been revoked on medical grounds for drivers who notified the DVLA of an autistic spectrum condition.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people who have been diagnosed with autism have had their driving licences revoked following a report to the DVLA from the Police in each of the last three years.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The information requested is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will not revoke a driver’s licence on the strength of a notification from the police. If the DVLA receives such a notification, it will examine the information provided to determine if there is sufficient reason to begin an investigation into the person’s fitness to drive.
The DVLA will only revoke a driving licence for medical reasons if, following an appropriate medical investigation, the licence holder is unable to meet the required medical standards of fitness to drive.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Treasury on the effect the announcement of a one-year spending review will have on investment in maritime decarbonisation.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
I am sure the honourable gentlemen will understand that I cannot discuss detail of the Spending Review at this time. As he will be already aware, the Government has decided to conduct a one-year spending review, prioritising its response to Covid-19 and focusing on supporting jobs.
Government remains fully committed to achieving Net Zero green House gas emissions by 2050, including from domestic maritime activity. Decarbonising shipping is essential to achieve the target of net zero emissions across the economy by 2050.
The Clean Maritime Plan, published in July 2019, outlines the UK’s pathway to zero carbon emissions in domestic maritime. Further plans on the decarbonisation of the maritime sector will be included in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, to be published later this year.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with local government leaders in coastal communities on the potential merits of investing in maritime decarbonisation.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department has published its assessment of the potential merits of investing in maritime decarbonisation.
In 2015, the Department published the Maritime Growth Study, which considered all aspects of the maritime sector and identified where action could be taken to generate growth. Following the publication of Maritime 2050 in 2019, which builds on the findings of the Maritime Growth Study, the Department published the Clean Maritime Plan, which identified the potential for clean economic growth in the UK as a result of the transition to zero emission shipping.
Alongside the Plan, the Department published an assessment of the value of potential economic opportunities from low and zero emission shipping. This review provided a framework for assessing the scale of the opportunity generated by emission reduction technologies, including a mapping of the relevant supply chain, an assessment of the global uptake of these technologies, the economic footprint of the UK firms in the supply chain and the UK’s share of global export of these technologies.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to support open access rail operators during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Unlike franchised passenger services, Open Access Operators run services without a contractual relationship with Government and there is no obligation on the Secretary of State under Section 30 of the Railways Act to run those services. Open access operators were therefore not offered Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs). However, during the COVID-19 outbreak, Open Access Operators have drawn upon business support measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Other substantial measures, including the Covid Corporate Financing Facility, have also been put in place. Government also provided support for more bespoke measures, such as applications for extensions to track access contracts and deferrals of payments to the British Transport Police. We will continue to engage closely with Open Access Operators as they respond to the current situation, including highlighting the support available through the recently announced Job Support Scheme.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential job losses in open access rail operators due to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Unlike franchised passenger services, Open Access Operators run services without a contractual relationship with Government and there is no obligation on the Secretary of State under Section 30 of the Railways Act to run those services. Open access operators were therefore not offered Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs). However, during the COVID-19 outbreak, Open Access Operators have drawn upon business support measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Other substantial measures, including the Covid Corporate Financing Facility, have also been put in place. Government also provided support for more bespoke measures, such as applications for extensions to track access contracts and deferrals of payments to the British Transport Police. We will continue to engage closely with Open Access Operators as they respond to the current situation, including highlighting the support available through the recently announced Job Support Scheme.