Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Blue Badges were issued in Kent in each year since 2008-09.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The table below shows the total number of valid Blue Badges issued in Kent in each financial year between 2008/09 and 2012/13.
Valid Blue Badges issued: Kent, 2008/09 to 2012/13* | |||||
2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
Valid Blue Badges issued in Kent | 26,300 | 27,144 | 28,558 | 24,902 | 26,492 |
* Issued between 1 April and 31 March
These results are published in table DIS0108, available at:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265895/dis0108.xls
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the outcomes of his Department's South East Flexible Ticketing Programme.
Answered by Claire Perry
The South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme underwent a thorough review in the first half of 2014 to ensure that its approach and scope were designed to deliver the best possible outcomes for passengers and taxpayers.
Since this review, good progress is being made but it is too early to judge the outcomes of the programme at this point in time. The Department is committed, however, to undertaking robust evaluations of its programmes. To this end, officials are already exploring options to ensure that, as SEFT is delivered, a rigorous assessment of its outcomes can be produced and lessons learned where necessary. The earliest emerging outcomes are expected from August 2015.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on provision of on-board refreshments on rail services.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government believes that the provision (or not) of such services is generally best decided by the operator, rather than dictated by central Government, as we believe that the operators are far better placed than we are to understand and react to the demands of their customers.
For example the new Intercity Express trains have been designed to provide the flexibility for the operator to choose the most appropriate catering services - Inter City Railways included plans for introducing standard class buffet facilities on the new trains as part of their bid, and they are discussing this further with the rolling stock provider.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been invested in road infrastructure in (a) Kent, (b) Medway and (c) Gillingham and Rainham constituency in each year since 2010.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Gillingham and Rainham constituency falls within Medway Council’s area of responsibility and therefore we do not allocate any funds separately for road infrastructure in that area.
On the Strategic Road Network the investment in (a) Kent and (b) Medway for the financial years from 2010-11 to 2014-15 is provided in the table below.
Highways Agency Funding
2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 (Year to Date) | |
£m | £m | £m | £m | £m | |
Kent | 8.4 | 8.9 | 46.8 | 111.4 | 58.8 |
Medway | 1.8 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 |
For the local road network the Department for Transport has allocated the following funding to (a) Kent and (b) Medway for road infrastructure:
Local Highways Funding
2010/11* | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | |
| £m | £m | £m | £m | £m |
Kent | 93.9 | 73.1 | 32.7 | 36.3 | 54.8 |
Medway | 5.3 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 5.3 |
The above table includes funding we have provided through the local Highways Maintenance Block, Integrated Transport Block, Severe Weather Funding, Local Major Projects and Local Pinch Point Fund schemes. The table does not include funding provided through the Bus Service Operators Grant, Local Sustainable Transport Fund, or Cycling Grant.
Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding, allocated by the Department of Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant for maintaining their local highways. It is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services that they provide.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Government's first anti-drink drive television advert.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The department’s THINK! road safety campaign recently launched its 50 years of drink drive campaigning on the 7th November. The campaign has used the 50 year milestone to mark the progress made in reducing drink drive deaths on our road while underlining that – with 230 lives lost in 2012 – there is still a long way to go. One death caused by drink driving is one death too many.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of recent trends in road safety statistics.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The figures for 2013 show the lowest number of road deaths since records began.
The Government is working on a range of measures to continue to improve road safety including introducing a new drug driving offence, cycle proofing roads, and removing the “statutory option” to ensure more drink drivers are brought to justice.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he intends to respond to the Law Commission's final report and draft Bill on Taxis and Private Hire Services, published on 23 May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department is considering closely the report and draft Bill concerning taxi and private hire vehicle legislation, which the Law Commission published on 23 May this year. We will be mindful, when responding, of the existing protocol between Government and the Law Commission.