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 plans he has to roll out flexible ticketing across the Midlands to encourage passengers to use public transport.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department is rolling out flexible ticketing and plans to go further. We have already introduced flexible season tickets on rail across England this year. As set out in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail White Paper, we intend to introduce contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing on rail on urban and commuter networks across the country.
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 potential merits of building the Midlands Rail Hub for the region's economy.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail prepared a Strategic Outline Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub scheme in 2019. It showed that this investment would deliver significant benefits to Birmingham and the Midlands.
Network Rail, working with Midlands Connect is progressing an Outline Business Case and I expect to the receive the Outline Business Case in Autumn 2022.
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 potential merits of the Midlands Rail Network scheme for the region's economy.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail prepared a Strategic Outline Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub scheme in 2019. It showed that this investment would deliver significant benefits to Birmingham and the Midlands.
Network Rail, working with Midlands Connect is progressing an Outline Business Case and I expect to the receive the Outline Business Case in Autumn 2022.
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 plans he has to support learner drivers whose theory test certificate has expired over the course of the last year before they have been able to pass their practical test.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
A candidate whose theory test certificate expires will have received the service for which they paid the fee. If a practical test is already booked at the time when the theory test expires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will refund the fee for the practical driving test.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place for road safety reasons; to ensure that a candidate’s knowledge is current. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that they drive unsupervised for the first time. Those with theory test certificates expiring may have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety.
Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.
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 his Department plans to update guidance for public transport providers to ensure that health risks for workers who shielded during the covid-19 lockdown are minimised.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Our priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to keep people, especially vulnerable workers in high risk groups, safe by minimising the risk of transmission in transport settings. We keep our guidance under constant review as COVID-19 incidence and scientific evidence changes. Our safer transport guidance for operators contains detailed advice on communications, crowd management protocols, cleaning regimes and ventilation settings transport providers should use to provide a safe service for all passengers. It also sets out clear steps on how transport employers can protect their workers who are at higher risk from COVID-19, based on recommendations we have received from Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.
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 the timetable is for the completion of the Government's review into the use of a device which performs an interactive communication while driving; and when legislative proposals as a result of that review will be brought forward.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government plans to bring forward proposals arising from its review of the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving very soon. The timing of any resultant legislative changes will be considered in light of feedback on the proposals.
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 for social distancing on the public transport network in Birmingham.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department regularly engages with West Midlands Combined Authority and managing social distancing on public transport is a matter for operators, working with the relevant Local Transport Authority as necessary.
The Department has produced safer transport guidance for transport operators. We recommend that people should remain at 2m where possible, however recognising there are situations where this isn’t possible a 1 metre distance plus suitable mitigations. People are being asked to consider walking and cycling where possible, if using public transport people must wear a face covering (unless exempt), should wash their hands before and after travelling and try to avoid busy times and routes.
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 the timeframe is for opening the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme to members of the public.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department remains committed to launching the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme this summer. Over one thousand bike shops and mechanics are now registered with the scheme and we are ready to make vouchers available to the public when the time is right.
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 discussions he has had with bus companies on compensation for people with bus passes who are not travelling during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Department has been engaging with bus trade organisations and operators to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the bus industry. These discussions, along with the support package announced on 3 April, are ensuring services continue to be provided for essential journeys.
Compensation for people with bus passes or season tickets who are not travelling is a matter for each operator. Bus operators should provide clear information and processes for those seeking compensation or refunds and I would emphasise the operator’s role in providing first class communication on this issue.
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 he will take to ensure that pay rises are distributed equitably among all pay bands at Highways England.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I would like to reassure you that the Secretary of State is placing significant focus on pay in the Department’s arm’s length bodies including Highways England (HE). Responsibility for setting pay levels within HE sits with the company, overseen by its Remuneration Committee. HE manages pay in accordance with public sector pay guidance from Cabinet Office, and a framework set by the Department for Transport, which places controls on the numbers and pay of the highest paid staff.
The 2019 pay awards for all HE employees, including those in the senior cadre, were based on 1%; however, following recently completed negotiations, an additional, backdated award is being made which will mean that employees below senior level will receive awards for 2019 based on a total of 2%. This will mean that using HE’s approach to pay review individuals will receive awards in the range 1.5% to 4% for 2019/20.
Performance Related Pay (PRP), in relation to 2018-19 performance for the grades below the senior group resulted in 4,106 staff receiving a payment, with an average value of £1,392.