Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reduce queue waiting times for users attempting to access the DVSA theory test online booking system.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) launched the new theory test booking service on 19 July 2021.
To allow the prompt deployment of critical fixes, the DVSA introduced a maintenance window of 8pm to 8am running until 29 July 2021 to resolve issues faced by customers and to improve system stability. Whilst the system performed below expectations on its first two days of operation it stabilised quickly and has performed in line with expectations since.
To ensure technical issues are resolved quickly and effectively mitigated, further overnight maintenance is being carried out during August and may continue during September. To minimise disruption to customers, the service will be unavailable overnight only when absolutely necessary with customers notified in advance.
The DVSA uses a queuing system to protect the new service from being overloaded. As at 23 July 2021, no customers using the booking system had to queue.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that technical issues with the DVSA theory test online booking system that prevent users from booking a test are (a) resolved quickly and (b) effectively mitigated going forward.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) launched the new theory test booking service on 19 July 2021.
To allow the prompt deployment of critical fixes, the DVSA introduced a maintenance window of 8pm to 8am running until 29 July 2021 to resolve issues faced by customers and to improve system stability. Whilst the system performed below expectations on its first two days of operation it stabilised quickly and has performed in line with expectations since.
To ensure technical issues are resolved quickly and effectively mitigated, further overnight maintenance is being carried out during August and may continue during September. To minimise disruption to customers, the service will be unavailable overnight only when absolutely necessary with customers notified in advance.
The DVSA uses a queuing system to protect the new service from being overloaded. As at 23 July 2021, no customers using the booking system had to queue.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) Scotland and (v) Wales in each month from August 2020 to December 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Please see below estimates of spend by month and territory for the Department for Transport, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. There is no recorded spend for the Vehicle Certification Agency or for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency during this period.
Department for Transport
England Only
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £102,389.00 | £276,496.00 | £286,563.00 | £100,628.96 | £44,619.00 | £810,695.96 |
Of which Advertising | £0.00 | £178,537.00 | £192,409.00 | £100,039.00 | £24,122.00 | £495,107.00 |
England and Wales Only
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £186,035.45 | £287,500.00 | £137,352.00 | £50,922.00 | £177,135.00 | £838,944.00 |
Of which Advertising | £12,819.45 | £138,287.00 | £71,988.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £223,094.45 |
UK – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £107.81 | £346.92 | £25,719.97 | £51,271.40 | £1,382.59 | £78,828.69 |
Of which Advertising | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency
UK – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £1,453.00 | £1,500.00 | £63,226.05 | £451,930.082 | £256,588.49 | £774,668.46 |
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
England, Wales and Scotland only
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £32,000.00 | £32,000.00 |
Of which Advertising | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £32,000.00 | £32,000.00 |
UK – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
| August | September | October | November | December | TOTAL |
Communications/ marketing spend | £70,706.00 | £16,235.00 | £4,726.00 | £3,321.00 | £1,770.00 | £96,758.00 |
Of which Advertising | £63,000.00 | £9,000.00 | £1,150.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £73,150.00 |
To note:
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that bicycle lights fitted to bicycles at the manufacturing stage which are integral to the bicycle itself comply with the standards in the Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010 protects consumers by regulating the supply of bicycles. It requires a retro reflector or lamp to be fitted to the front, and a retro reflector to the rear.
All lamps fitted to bicycles are also covered by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, and the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to fit a part which would contravene those regulations.
Enforcement of consumer protection requirements for products being placed on the market is generally the responsibility of local authority trading standards officers and enforcement of road traffic law for cyclists is a matter for the Police.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to establish a standard mandatory (a) brightness and (b) width of flood for bicycle lights.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The lighting of road vehicles, including bicycles, is regulated by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 (as amended). To control light output bicycle lamps emitting a steady light must comply with British Standard 6102: Part 3 or an equivalent European standard. The standard includes maximum and minimum luminous intensity requirements, and defines the beam pattern to ensure the road surface is adequately lit whilst minimising glare to other road users. Flashing lamps may also be used provided they comply with the mandatory minimum luminous intensity requirement.
It is an offence to dazzle other road users with bicycle lamps. There are no current plans to change these provisions.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has responded to the letter sent to the Prime Minister on 27 August 2020 from the British Educational Travel Association; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues copied into that letter on its contents.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The letter copied to the Secretary of State has been received. However due to the high number of correspondence the Department has received we have been unable to respond. However, I would like to assure the honourable member for Midlothian, that a response will be sent shortly.
The Department for Transport is in regular contact with the travel industry regarding the challenges facing the sector as a result of COVID-19. The sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry are able to draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time.
This includes a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, two business interruption loan guarantee schemes for different sizes of business, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on transport decarbonisation of hydrogen lorries; and what discussions he has had with the transport industry on the introduction of those lorries to the UK.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2018, the Department for Transport published the outputs of the Transport Energy Model. The model provides a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of a range of fuel and powertrain options for road vehicles over the period to 2050, including hydrogen fuel cell heavy goods vehicles. Transport Ministers and officials regularly meet with sector representatives on a range of issues, including the use of hydrogen in the freight industry. During July and August officials engaged with over 700 key stakeholders to support the development of our Transport Decarbonisation Plan which will be published later this year and set out options and support for green hydrogen across road, rail, maritime and aviation.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the list of countries that the Government asked the Scottish Government to agree to categorising as low risk on 2 July 2020 was different to that announced on 3 July 2020.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government shared the list of the countries it intended to exempt from the requirement for passengers to self-isolate with the Devolved Administrations at regular intervals as the policy developed. An updated country list was shared with the Devolved Administrations on 3 July, ahead of the public announcement.
The Government will keep the conditions in these countries and territories under review. If they worsen we will not hesitate to reintroduce self-isolation requirements. The Government will continue to work closely alongside the Devolved Administrations on this policy.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether UK citizens travelling to countries rated (a) green and (b) amber under the Government's proposed traffic light travel system will face mandatory testing for covid-19 on (i) leaving and (ii) returning to the UK.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
UK citizens returning to the UK will not face mandatory testing for COVID-19. All passengers flying into the UK are provided with the latest public health advice at various stages in their journey and we expect them to follow the latest guidance, including around social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
In relation to UK citizens leaving the UK, it is the responsibility for all countries to set their own entry and public health requirements. Each country will have its own approach depending on their individual circumstances.
These measures will be subject to regular review and we will continue to explore further measures at airports in line with the latest scientific evidence and data.
The Government expects other countries to follow best practice in relation to aviation guidance and Covid-19, such as our own UK guidance or ICAO and EASA guidance.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on extending provisional driving licence expiry dates in response to the unavailability of driving tests during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Provisional driving entitlement is usually valid until a driver reaches the age of 70 and the photocard must be renewed every ten years. There are no plans to extend these dates.
Customers can renew their photocard licence online or by post. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services have continued to operate as normal throughout the pandemic. However, paper applications are taking longer to process as they must be dealt with in person and the DVLA currently has a reduced number of staff on-site to comply with social distancing requirements and ensure staff safety.