Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department provides additional guidance for people fitted with stoma bags on airport security checks.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Secretary of State for Transport sets the security standards with which the aviation industry must comply. This includes the requirement for people to be searched. My department provides guidance to the industry on the need for consideration of those with fitted with medical devices when undertaking security searches and we would expect all passengers to be treated in a respectful and dignified manner. It is the airport’s responsibility to ensure that their security personnel conduct searches appropriately and with a sensitive regard to the person being screened.
My department works closely with the CAA which provides advice for passengers who have medical devices. This includes a Medical Device Awareness Card for passengers to use when travelling. This outlines what documentation passenger may wish to present (such as a medical letter) when arriving at the security checkpoint. It also acts as a reminder to security officers that alternative processes should be used for screening passengers with medical devices.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking in response to reports of discrimination by (a) bus, (b) taxi and (c) minicab drivers against (i) assistance dog owners and (ii) wheelchair users.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
All drivers of regular bus and coach services have been legally required to undertake disability awareness training since 2018. We expect all operators to comply with this requirement and the DVSA is responsible for identifying and investigating non-compliance.
We also remain committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we will shortly publish for consultation updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities, including a strengthened recommendation to require all taxi and PHV drivers to complete such training.
In December 2020, we launched the REAL disability equality training package to improve the transport sector’s confidence and skills in delivering inclusive journeys for disabled passengers.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring all (a) bus, (b) taxi and (c) minicab drivers to undertake disability equality training.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
All drivers of regular bus and coach services have been legally required to undertake disability awareness training since 2018. We expect all operators to comply with this requirement and the DVSA is responsible for identifying and investigating non-compliance.
We also remain committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we will shortly publish for consultation updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities, including a strengthened recommendation to require all taxi and PHV drivers to complete such training.
In December 2020, we launched the REAL disability equality training package to improve the transport sector’s confidence and skills in delivering inclusive journeys for disabled passengers.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will investigate his Department’s delayed response time in replying to cases brought forward to DVLA by (a) constituents and (b) Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Information on the average time taken to respond to correspondence received from members of the public and Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working hard to answer correspondence as quickly as possible and has also added extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the DVLA is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Throughout the pandemic the DVLA’s contact centre has actively managed its operation and flexed the services for customers in line with the available resources. This has included procuring the use of an additional building to increase the number of staff able to take calls within the social distancing guidelines. Remote working has been increased and additional staff are being recruited.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure calls made by the public to DVLA’s phone lines are answered.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Information on the average time taken to respond to correspondence received from members of the public and Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working hard to answer correspondence as quickly as possible and has also added extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the DVLA is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Throughout the pandemic the DVLA’s contact centre has actively managed its operation and flexed the services for customers in line with the available resources. This has included procuring the use of an additional building to increase the number of staff able to take calls within the social distancing guidelines. Remote working has been increased and additional staff are being recruited.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to help tackle the backlog of licence applications at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Information on the average time taken to respond to correspondence received from members of the public and Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working hard to answer correspondence as quickly as possible and has also added extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the DVLA is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Throughout the pandemic the DVLA’s contact centre has actively managed its operation and flexed the services for customers in line with the available resources. This has included procuring the use of an additional building to increase the number of staff able to take calls within the social distancing guidelines. Remote working has been increased and additional staff are being recruited.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the DVLAs average response time for correspondence received from (a) members of the public and (b) Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Information on the average time taken to respond to correspondence received from members of the public and Members of Parliament writing on behalf of constituents is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working hard to answer correspondence as quickly as possible and has also added extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members.
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the DVLA is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Throughout the pandemic the DVLA’s contact centre has actively managed its operation and flexed the services for customers in line with the available resources. This has included procuring the use of an additional building to increase the number of staff able to take calls within the social distancing guidelines. Remote working has been increased and additional staff are being recruited.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of (a) suicide and (b) non-suicide fatalities on the mainline railway network in Great Britain.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
There were 268 incidents of suicide on the national rail network during 2018/19. The level has been relatively static over the past five years, with approximately 250 incidents of suicide each year. This represents 4% of the total number of suicides nationally.
The trauma and devastation caused by suicide and the social impact on all those affected is immense. In addition, there is a significant operational and financial impact to the industry. There were 846,740 delay minutes linked to fatalities (which includes non-intentional deaths as well as suicide) on the railway during 2018/19, with associated costs more than £68m.
There is concerted activity by the rail industry to manage the risk and put in place suicide prevention strategies.
The industry’s suicide prevention programme is a partnership between Network Rail (NR), the Samaritans, the British Transport Police (BTP) and the wider industry. The programme also works closely with other suicide prevention experts, national agencies and charities such as Public Health England and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance to develop and maximise its impact. This programme has been recognised as an exemplar externally, and the previous Suicide Prevention Minister met rail representatives to discuss how learning from it can be shared more widely.
As a result of this work, there were nearly 2,000 lifesaving interventions on rail last year. Six people were saved for every one that took their life.
I was also pleased to see that over one hundred railway stations across England, Scotland and Wales took part in the Samaritans’ Brew Monday earlier this week, with volunteers handing out teabags to commuters and people passing by so they can share a cup of tea with someone they care about and to help people become better listeners.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require electronic devices used by car passengers to be securely fixed to prevent injury, harm or death.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There are currently no plans to make it a mandatory requirement for electronic devices used by car passengers to be fixed to the vehicle.
It is a legal requirement for drivers to ensure that their vision is not obscured or their control of the vehicle affected, including by electronic devices.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with rail operators to ensure that the electrification of the Preston to Manchester via Bolton line experiences no delays.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Officials at the Department meet regularly with Network Rail to receive updates on progress to upgrade the route between Manchester and Preston via Bolton. Network Rail are on target to complete the scheme by the end of this year.