Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the West Coast Main Line to meet anticipated future passenger and freight usage in the context of the decision not to proceed the northern section of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the potential increase in freight that will be transported along the West Coast Main Line in the context of not proceeding with the northern section of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of not proceeding with the northern leg of HS2 on the number of lorries on UK roads.
Answered by Huw Merriman
No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources available to the DVLA to seize untaxed vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make vehicle excise duty easy to pay but hard to avoid.
A comprehensive package of measures is in place to tackle vehicle excise duty evasion, ranging from reminder letters, penalties and court prosecutions through to the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, wheelclamping and the removal of unlicensed vehicles. The DVLA holds monthly meetings with their wheelclamping and removal partners to ensure resources are maximised and performance targets are being met.
The DVLA also have devolved powers partners (DPPs) who adopt the DVLA’s legal powers to clamp and remove untaxed vehicles. These include various local authorities and police forces across the UK.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to require all electric vehicle charging points to display the cost of electricity per kWh before use of the machine.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government will soon lay the regulations to improve the consumer experience at public electric vehicle chargepoints across the UK. Subject to progress made in Parliament, the regulations will mandate a pricing metric using pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) to ensure price transparency. This should make it easier for consumers to compare prices across the different charging networks in the UK.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2022 to Question 24582 on Motorcycles: Registration, whether it remains the position of his Department that it does not support a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
There are no plans to introduce a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes. Such a scheme would place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements. It is also unlikely to tackle dangerous or anti-social use.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to require bus operators to install air conditioning systems on their fleet.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The 2021 National Bus Strategy set out a bold vision for bus services across England and was clear that comfortable, modern buses would help make using the bus more appealing.
Current regulation states that adequate ventilation should be provided on board buses for passengers and the driver without the necessity for opening any main window or windscreen.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other Local Authorities to tackle parking outside schools.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
For many years we have been giving local authorities the powers to enforce parking restrictions civilly and issue penalty charge notices (PCN) for contraventions of these restrictions. Now around 98% of local authorities have these powers, including Birmingham City Council, with more expected to follow. We have also made it legally possible for local authorities with civil enforcement powers to use CCTV cameras to enforce parking on a ‘Keep Clear’ zig-zag area outside a school.
Local authorities with civil parking enforcement powers may also apply to the Department for a Designation Order to civilly enforce moving traffic contraventions, including school street restrictions which are signed using existing 'no motor vehicle' or 'pedestrian and cycle zone' signs. The Designation Order granting Birmingham City Council these powers is due to be laid in Parliament on 27 June 2023.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the sale of modified exhaust parts.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department is committed to ensuring that vehicles meet relevant safety, environmental and construction standards, which are periodically updated. These have been important in reducing air and noise pollution from vehicles and improving vehicle safety.
Vehicle owners have relative freedom to modify their vehicles, subject to ongoing compliance with relevant standards. This includes stringent standards, known as type approval, which apply to aftermarket parts being placed on the market. Compliance is monitored by the Department’s Market Surveillance Unit based in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Current and past market surveillance activity includes targeted investigation of both illegal vehicle modifications in respect of exhaust replacement and of type approval and markings of aftermarket pollution control devices and silencers; part of the exhaust system. Prosecutions will be taken where there is sufficient evidence to do so.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take steps to allow (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other local authorities to keep the revenue collected from speeding fines.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Government has no plans to take steps to allow (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other local authorities to keep the revenue collected from speeding fines.