Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ceasing food services on trains while ensuring that all food service staff are retained on full pay during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Our priority is to ensure the safety of both employees and passengers, as well as the ongoing provision of passenger and freight services. Operators and their suppliers, including those to whom catering is subcontracted, are working to resource trains appropriately, protect staff wellbeing and provide essential services for those who must travel, such as key workers who may have accessibility requirements. On-board catering services should cease, unless it is possible to serve pre-packed food that requires minimal contact. Catering staff can and have been deployed to do other tasks on our railways.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative assessment of the terms of support offered to similar SME leaseholders by (a) Network Rail, (b) Transport for London and (c) the Arch Company to protect those SMEs during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail has offered SME commercial estate tenants a three-month zero-rent period between April and June 2020.
In deciding on this course of action, Network Rail worked to understand the offers of support proposed by those in similar situations, including the Arch Company and Transport for London.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the necessity of commencing planned works in preparation for High Speed 2 around Steeple Claydon in Buckinghamshire, including the clearance of 500 acres of land, in advance of Notice to Proceed.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Notice to Proceed is the formal contractual process whereby HS2 Ltd will authorise its main works civils contractors to move from the design, development and enabling works stage, into full construction. Government authorisation is required before Notice-to-Proceed takes place.
The enabling works that are taking place now, including those at Steeple Claydon, are necessary to enable the construction of HS2 to proceed in accordance with the programme, following Notice to Proceed.
The Prime Minister has also made clear that the independent review of HS2, which is currently underway, should not unnecessarily delay progress with the project should the Government decide to continue with it.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for conducting and publishing research on why taxi and PHV drivers continue to refuse to transport assistance dogs.
Answered by Grant Shapps
It is unlawful for Taxi and PHV drivers to refuse to carry passengers accompanied by assistance dogs and it is unacceptable that a minority continue to discriminate in this way. The Government’s response to the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV licensing committed to introduce legislation when time allows to require drivers to complete disability awareness training as part of national minimum standards. The eventual requirement and supporting guidance will be informed by public consultation and appropriate research.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for carrying out and publishing a consultation on revised best practice guidance to support local licensing authorities to use their powers more effectively when dealing with Taxi and PHV drivers refusing to transport assistance dogs.
Answered by Grant Shapps
It is unlawful for Taxi and PHV drivers to refuse to carry passengers accompanied by assistance dogs and it is unacceptable that a minority continue to discriminate in this way. The Government’s response to the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV licensing committed to introduce legislation when time allows to require drivers to complete disability awareness training as part of national minimum standards. The eventual requirement and supporting guidance will be informed by public consultation and appropriate research.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the age of service vehicles in (a) London and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) holds technical records for public service vehicles (PSV) which includes the date of manufacture and the date of first registration. However, PSV operators are not required to specify to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) where vehicles on their operator licence are geographically based. Neither the DVSA nor the OTC can therefore differentiate between vehicles based in London and England and Wales.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the age of service vehicles in (a) London and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) holds technical records for public service vehicles (PSV) which includes the date of manufacture and the date of first registration. However, PSV operators are not required to specify to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) where vehicles on their operator licence are geographically based. Neither the DVSA nor the OTC can therefore differentiate between vehicles based in London and England and Wales.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ePassport gates are in place at St Pancras International Station; and what proportion of those gates have been fully functional for each day since their introduction.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of ePassport gates present at St Pancras International, or on their operation. Passports and immigration are the responsibility of the Home Office and UK Border Agency.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the change in the amount of time taken to access the platforms at St. Pancras International station since the introduction of e-Passport gates.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of ePassport gates present at St Pancras International, or on their operation. Passports and immigration are the responsibility of the Home Office and UK Border Agency.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve passenger services through Woodgrange Park rail station.
Answered by Claire Perry
In the September 2013 Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced funding to electrify the Barking to Gospel Oak line on which Woodgrange Park station is situated. Network Rail has already begun the extensive infrastructure work required to achieve this, and expects to complete the work in mid 2017. This upgrade will enable higher capacity electric trains to operate, facilitating more reliable services for passengers and freight, as well as reduced noise and pollution for line side neighbours.
Network Rail will also be working with Transport for London (TfL) to extend the platforms along the route. This means that London Overground will be able to operate new four-car electric trains as opposed to the current two-car diesel stock. TfL has now placed the order for the new trains and, following the route upgrade, it expects to introduce them onto the network from early 2018. This will almost double the passenger capacity of the existing service.