Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Answer on 9 December to UIN 17876 on motor insurance - young people, how many meetings of the cross-government motor insurance taskforce have taken place; and what progress has been made in reducing motor insurance premiums.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are committed to tackling the increased costs of motor insurance, to deliver on our manifesto commitment.
As set out in my previous response, the Taskforce, including the Stakeholder Panel, met for the first time on 16th October. The Taskforce is currently exploring short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover.
As it takes this work forwards, the Taskforce will continue to work closely with the independent Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Competition and Markets Authority. The FCA has launched a market study into the premium finance market and is undertaking work to analyse the cause of increased claims costs in the motor insurance market.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the safety of electric (a) cars, (b) bikes and (c) scooters.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Road safety and the safety of electric vehicles is of paramount importance to the Government and is kept under regular review. The Government monitors road safety for all vehicles, these official statistics are regularly published on Department for Transport's website.
(a) All new cars require approval before they can be registered on the roads of Great Britain, to ensure they meet prescribed safety requirements.
(b) E-cycles are regulated under product safety laws and manufacturers must ensure they are safe and provide instructions for safe use before they are placed on the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, alongside Trading Standards, have the powers to remove unsafe or non-compliant products from the market.
(c) Safety is our top priority as we consider next steps and potential policy solutions for micromobility, including e-scooters
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of not making the 38.4 tonnes and 44 tonne weight arrangement permanent for volumetric concrete mobile plants.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the temporary 38.4 tonnes and 44 tonnes weight arrangement permanent for volumetric concrete mobile plants.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering free bus travel for homeless (a) children and (b) adults living in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local authorities have responsibility for support for homeless people in their areas and are best placed to assess the needs of their communities.
At the Budget, the government confirmed over £1 billion in funding to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIP) and through the Bus Service Operators Grant. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver BSIPs can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for all passengers, including introducing targeted local fares initiatives.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of motor insurance premiums for young drivers in (a) Runcorn postcodes and (b) England.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of adequacy of the support provided for people with mobility issues to access train stations in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since its launch in 2006, the Access for All programme has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations across Britain.
Ministers are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. We are unable to comment on next steps regarding specific stations, including stations in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency. Once we can confirm our approach to Access for All programme, we will ensure MPs and stakeholders are informed.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of improving bus services on social isolation.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows a modern transport network is vital to preventing social isolation and providing access to services. That is why the government has committed to improving bus services to ensure they meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce the Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of (a) the average mileage of buses and (b) bus passenger numbers in the last (i) 12 months, (ii) two years, (iii) five years and (iv) 10 years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The number of vehicle miles and passenger journeys on local bus services is available in the Annual Bus Statistics. In the table below we have calculated the average annual vehicle miles and passenger journeys on local bus services in England for the past year, past two year, past five year and past ten year periods, where the past year is the year ending March 2024.
| Past year | Past two years | Past five years | Past ten years |
Average annual vehicle mileage (millions) | 1,009 | 1,007 | 1,039 | 1,133 |
Average annual passenger Journeys (millions) | 3,629 | 3,504 | 3,096 | 3,771 |
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on supporting the repair of potholes in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. This Government has a manifesto commitment to enable local highway authorities to fix up to a million extra potholes a year, and it will say more on this in due course after the forthcoming Budget and Spending Review.
Cheshire West and Chester Council and Halton Council are the local highway authorities for different parts of the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, and they are therefore responsible for the condition and maintenance of their local road networks.
Cheshire West and Chester Council will receive £11.1 million from this Department during 2024/25 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities, and it is their responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities.
Halton Council is a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). LCRCA will receive £142.9 million from this Department during 2024/25 for investment in local transport networks in the Liverpool City Region as outlined in their programme business case and delivery plan. It is for LCRCA to decide how much of that funding is used for highway maintenance in Halton and its other five member authorities.