Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends level of the pass rate for LGV driver practical tests.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due to re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 LGV tests per week.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of people newly passing an LGV driver practical test.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due to re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 LGV tests per week.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number and proportion of EU nationals who are qualified LGV drivers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not collect data on the nationality of those taking an LGV driving test.
Logistics UK estimate that there were around 25,000 EU nationals working as LGV drivers in the UK in 2020.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number and proportion of EU nationals newly qualifying as LGV drivers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not collect data on the nationality of those taking an LGV driving test.
Logistics UK estimate that there were around 25,000 EU nationals working as LGV drivers in the UK in 2020.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the UK having left the EU on (a) freedom of movement and (b) interoperability of transport skills qualifications in the transport sector.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Free movement between the UK and the European Union ended on 31 December 2020 and on 1 January 2021, and the UK implemented a points-based immigration system that prioritises skills and talent over where a person comes from.
The UK and the EU have agreed a framework for the recognition of professional qualifications between the Parties which is based on the EU’s recent free trade agreements. It makes improvements on those agreements, which are designed to make the system more flexible and easier for regulatory authorities to use. EU driving licence holders residing in the UK will be able to exchange their licence without the need for a re-test. They can use their EU licence as long as it is valid, subject to UK licence renewal requirements. Certificates of professional competence for drivers and transport managers issued by EU Member States remain valid for use in the UK.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what conclusions were reached on the causes of ethnic disparities in maternal mortality, following the roundtable of 2 September 2020.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the roundtable on 2 September, leading experts in the field clarified that underlying health conditions and comorbidities largely explain ethnic disparities in maternal mortality rates.
Maternity experts also linked this to a reluctance by some women from minority backgrounds to attend routine appointments and check-ups where many of these conditions are typically identified.
The government continues to work with maternal health practitioners and ethnic minority women to drive positive actions and interventions in this area so that our actions can benefit more women. This includes the recently launched NHS campaign ‘Help us Help You’, informing pregnant women about the importance of attending check-ups, and providing reassurance that the NHS is there to see them safely.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the covid-19 social distancing measures implemented by Great Western Rail.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department issues guidance to transport organisations in England to help them understand how to provide safer workplaces and services for themselves, their workers and passengers. It outlines measures to assess and address the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19). The Department published updated guidance on 5 November:
The guidance makes clear that it does not supersede any legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment or equalities and that it is important that businesses and employers continue to comply with their existing obligations.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what penalties are applicable to train companies in the event that they fail to facilitate adequate covid-19 social distancing measures.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
We have issued comprehensive guidance on the steps transport operators should take to assess and address the risks of coronavirus in the transport sector across England. While we strongly advise passengers to practice social distancing to help limit the spread of COVID-19, we acknowledge that this might not always be possible. We have been working closely with operators to ensure appropriate procedures are in place and that they are clearly communicated to passengers. Some stations have natural ‘pinch-points’, which makes maintaining social distancing difficult. Passengers are urged to use the whole length of the train to board, avoid travelling at busy times and follow government guidance.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing legal obligations for train operators to ensure that customers are able to socially distance on their services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
We have issued comprehensive guidance on the steps transport operators should take to assess and address the risks of coronavirus in the transport sector across England. While we strongly advise passengers to practice social distancing to help limit the spread of COVID-19, we acknowledge that this might not always be possible. We have been working closely with operators to ensure appropriate procedures are in place and that they are clearly communicated to passengers. Some stations have natural ‘pinch-points’, which makes maintaining social distancing difficult. Passengers are urged to use the whole length of the train to board, avoid travelling at busy times and follow government guidance.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits for (a) reducing the risk of covid-19 transmission and (b) consumer welfare of mandating that airlines seat groups of people who are travelling together are seated closely together during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government has published guidance specifically for both aviation operators and for air passengers on safer travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This operator guidance maps out the measures airlines can take to protect passengers and staff on board aircraft, and includes advice on hygiene measures, face coverings, and social distancing in the aircraft setting. On the specific issue of seating passengers travelling in a group together, the guidance states ‘where possible and where mass and balance allow, enable social distancing among passengers of different households or support bubbles, where relevant.’
The Government expects all airlines to manage the risks of coronavirus as far as possible in order to provide safer workplaces and services for workers and passengers. For further information, the operator guidance is available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-aviation-guidance-for-operators