Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of covid-19 restrictions on learner drivers since March 2020.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises there is a high demand for learners who are wanting to take their practical driving test following the suspension of routine driver training and testing during the pandemic.
The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as possible and has a number of measures in place to do this.
These include:
As of 31 March 2022, driving test waiting times at Llanelli is 3 weeks.
The DVSA has a live recruitment campaign covering Llanelli, and has recently completed a campaign to recruit Welsh speaking driving examiners. The DVSA is also launching a new national campaign to recruit an extra 161 examiners across Great Britain to help meet the increasing demand for driving tests. This is in addition to its previous campaign to recruit more than 300 additional examiners.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the Senior Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
As set out in franchise agreements with train operators, the Department for Transport will receive a premium from them or pay out a subsidy based on a range of measures that the franchisee is asked to deliver, including the Senior and 16-25 railcards. It is not possible to disentangle all of the individual elements that contribute to a TOC’s subsidy or premium. As such the department does not undertake ongoing financial assessments of these individual products.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the 16-25 Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
As set out in franchise agreements with train operators, the Department for Transport will receive a premium from them or pay out a subsidy based on a range of measures that the franchisee is asked to deliver, including the Senior and 16-25 railcards. It is not possible to disentangle all of the individual elements that contribute to a TOC’s subsidy or premium. As such the department does not undertake ongoing financial assessments of these individual products.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his Department’s policy to include in contracts for motorway maintenance and upgrade work (a) penalty clauses for contractors failing to complete work within an agreed time frame and (b) set hours during which such work is to be carried out in order to (i) minimise disruption at peak times and (ii) ensure timely completion of that work.
Answered by George Freeman
Highways England’s contractual arrangements for contractors that maintain and repair the Strategic Road Network provides for both financial reward and penalty depending on performance against the agreed cost for work undertaken. There is also redress for poor quality including non-compliance with contract, standards, or statutory obligation, and for failure to deliver to agreed timetables; ranging from contractors having to bear the cost of correcting defective work through to contract termination.
Works are planned and scheduled so as to minimize disruption whilst not compromising value for money.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the UK has plans to be a signatory to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The UK is a strong supporter of action to improve the international standards for ship recycling.
The Hong Kong Convention is not expected to enter into force internationally in the near term, so the UK alongside other states, has implemented a Europe wide regime that seeks to immediately improve standards in ship recycling.
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 – which will be retained in UK law after we leave the EU – entered into force on 1 January 2019. It establishes a list of acceptable yards for ship recycling, and creates controls on ships flagged to, or calling at, the UK that are intended for recycling.
The deadline for States to become a signatory to the Hong Kong Convention passed in August 2010. The Government’s current focus is on the effective implementation of the European Ship Recycling regime, but we will shortly turn to the implementation of the Convention, with a target of ratification in the next five years as set out in our strategy, ‘Maritime 2050: navigating the future’.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of co-locating the Loughor Coastguard with (a) Llanelli Fire Station, (b) Wales Air Ambulance in Dafen and (c) any other co-location option within the Llanelli area.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
HM Coastguard is reviewing the locations of volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams in this area. This process is in a very early stage and HM Coastguard will consider all options to find the most operationally appropriate location.