Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support businesses that manufacture (a) cycle and (b) e-cycles.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses that manufacture, retail and service cycles and e-cycles. This support takes many forms including unprecedented investment in safe cycling infrastructure which enables more people to cycle safely; and initiatives such as the Cycle to Work scheme which allows many people to access cycles more cheaply. These and other measures help increase the demand for new cycles and e-cycles, and for the servicing of existing cycles and e-cycles.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of his Department's capital grants to local authorities have been spent on internal (a) administration and (b) other management costs in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Anthony Browne
In line with the guidance issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, capital grants to local authorities are non-ringfenced, and not subject to any restrictions on how local authorities spend the grant money. However, to ensure capital grants are spent on delivering the schemes for which they are intended, my department requires a declaration to be made by the recipient local authorities that the conditions of each grant have been complied with.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to tackle pavement parking.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking. The Department has undertaken a consultation on additional options to help councils tackle this problem and we will publish a formal response in due course.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help ensure national oversight of new Local Transport Plans to ensure that they are meeting the (a) access and (b) environmental requirements of a more accessible integrated transport system.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Transport is considering the need for guidance to local authorities on this and other matters in the light of the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement in October, which represents a significant change in the Government’s funding of local transport schemes. Local authorities are already required under the Public Sector Equality Duty to consider the impacts of their plans and policies on those with protected characteristics. The Department’s ‘Inclusive Mobility’ guidance, published on GOV.UK, provides advice and best practice to them on the development of accessible transport and pedestrian environments.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an e-bike subsidy scheme.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government already supports e-bikes through the Cycle to Work scheme.
In addition, the Government has been trialling a national e-cycle programme to provide opportunities to try e-cycles through short term loans. Active Travel England is also funding local authority-led cycle loan and share schemes and continues to support authorities to implement e-cycle initiatives in their local communities.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage delivery companies to switch to cargo bikes in urban areas.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government recognises the role of e-cargo bikes in helping to decarbonise the freight sector and has outlined its support for moving freight to innovative modes such as e-cargo bikes in the Future of Freight plan. Since 2019, we have invested nearly £4 million in supporting businesses and local authorities to transition to more sustainable business travel and last mile deliveries through e-cargo bike grants, helping nearly 300 businesses and over 30 local authorities to replace car and van journeys with e-cargo bikes.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the recycling and repair of old bicycles.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Active Travel England is providing £4 million across 2023/24 and 2024/25 to Cycling UK’s ongoing Big Bike Revival project, which includes cycle repairs and maintenance workshops, including for onward sale or donation of second-hand cycles.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the results of rental e-scooter trials; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the regulation of such scooters.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Department has collected robust evidence on the e-scooter trials, but with what is still relatively new technology there remains things that can be learnt. The Department will extend e-scooter trials to 31 May 2026, and use this additional time to supplement our evidence and draw on further experience. The Government remains committed to legislating when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to extend rental e-scooter trials beyond May 2024.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Government will extend e-scooter trials beyond May 2024 for a further two years, to 31 May 2026.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 providing dedicated parking locations for (a) shared bikes, (b) e-bikes and (c) scooters.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Dedicated locations for cycle parking is a matter for local authorities. In 2020 the Department published guidance on cycle infrastructure design, which includes guidance for local authorities on providing cycle parking.
Local authorities, in partnership with e-scooter rental operators, are responsible for running the e-scooter trials and are able to control how they run in their areas. This can include specifying where e-scooters should be parked or docked.