Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorcyclists were (a) injured and (b) killed on roads in 2017.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Figures for 2017 will be published later this year. Figures on motorcycling casualties in reported road accidents involving personal injury in Great Britain in 2016 can be found in table RAS30001 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665201/ras30001.ods
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the fines which were imposed on rail operators that failed to reach the expected level of service in 2017.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
In most cases, the Department for Transport (DfT) does not issue fines to Train Operating Companies as this will not necessarily help improve the passenger experience. Instead, the Department usually requires penalties to be reinvested, the value of which are commercially sensitive. DfT has robust processes in place to monitor and enforce this spend to ensure the costs incurred are genuine passenger benefits.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential means of encouraging local authorities to use part-solar-powered street lighting.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The management and maintenance of street lighting on the local road network in England is the responsibility of each local highway authority. Highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, and this duty includes street lighting. Some authorities have introduced energy efficient LED street lighting, but decisions on which technologies to adopt, including the use of LED or part-solar powered street lighting, are matters for the relevant local highway authority.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of cars which use (a) diesel, (b) petrol, (c) hybrid power and (d) electric power which were sold in the UK in (i) 2017 and (ii) 2016.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government does not hold information on the number of cars sold in the UK.
However, the Department does have information on the number of cars registered for the first time in the UK in 2017 and 2016 from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The following table includes the number of cars registered for the first time in the requested categories:
| (i) 2017 | (ii) 2016 |
(a) Diesel | 1,047,446 | 1,262,167 |
(b) Petrol | 1,342,166 | 1,313,365 |
(c) Hybrid power | 100,642 | 78,667 |
(d) Electric power | 19,024 | 10,998 |
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 up-grading charging points for electric vehicles from slow charge to rapid charge.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Such an assessment has not been undertaken. The Government recognises that a range of both rapid and slower chargepoints are needed in different locations to meet various charging needs and user behaviour.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to ensure universal coverage of (a) audio and (b) visual assistance to (i) deaf or (ii) blind travellers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Clear, accessible information can help people to feel more confident when travelling on public transport, particularly those who have visual or hearing impairments. In respect of buses, the Department plans to consult later this year on detailed proposals for the introduction of an accessible information requirement, mandating the provision of audible and visible route and “next stop” information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.
In respect of trains, all new trains built since 1999 have had to meet mandatory accessibility standards, which include audio visual passenger information systems. Rail vehicles built before 1999 must have passenger information systems fitted by 31 December 2019. Any new or replacement station infrastructure must comply with current EU and UK accessibility standards. Failure to comply with these requirement can lead to enforcement action by the Office of Rail and Roads.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the capacity of Larne Port.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Under devolution arrangements, policy relating to ports and harbours in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
Officials at the Department for Transport have, however, been in contact with ports in Northern Ireland as well as ports elsewhere in the UK to discuss issues relating to EU exit.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has conducted a recent review of the capacity of Belfast Port.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Under devolution arrangements, policy relating to ports and harbours in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
Officials at the Department for Transport have, however, been in contact with ports in Northern Ireland as well as ports elsewhere in the UK to discuss issues relating to EU exit.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to subsidise domestic and business-based charging points for high capacity battery electric cars; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government already has in place a range of grant funding schemes to assist with the cost of installing dedicated domestic chargepoints in the homes of electric vehicle drivers as well as in workplaces, for the use of employees and fleets. Grant support also exists for Local Authorities to support the installation of chargepoints in residential areas without access to off-street parking. These grants are available to support chargepoints for all types of battery electric vehicles.