Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents involving (a) serious injury and (b) death occurred between Junctions 32 and 35A of the M1 in (i) each year since March 2017 and (ii) each of the three years before March 2017.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
Any death on our roads is one too many. We want our roads to be as safe as possible. That is why I’ve asked the Department to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about the safety of smart motorways and make recommendations. The Department will present the findings of the stocktake shortly.
While I would not want to pre-judge the results of that work, what I can say is that we will continue to prioritise improving safety – making conditions safer for everyone on our roads. The Roads Minister will write to you as soon as the stocktake is completed to answer your specific question.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department undertook a public consultation before to the decision to proceed with the conversion of Junctions 34-35A of the M1 to an all lanes running system.
Answered by George Freeman
The Highways Agency held a public consultation, from 17 December 2012 to 11 February 2013, on the proposed regulations to introduce variable mandatory speed limits on the M1 junctions 32 to 35A smart motorway scheme.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the all lane running system became operational between Junctions 34 and 35A of the M1.
Answered by George Freeman
The M1 J32 to 35a scheme opened to traffic in March 2017.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what public consultation was undertaken prior to the decision to proceed with the conversion of junctions 34 to 35A of the M1 to an all lane running scheme; and on what date that all lane running scheme became operational.
Answered by George Freeman
The Highways Agency held a public consultation on the proposals regarding the regulation to introduce variable mandatory speed limits on the all lane running smart motorways on the M1 junction 32 to 35A from 17 December 2012 to 11 February 2013.
The scheme was delivered by Highways England and became operational in March 2017.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information he holds on the number of serious incidents associated with all-lane-running motorway schemes.
Answered by George Freeman
The table below reflects the number of collisions where a casualty was recorded as serious on all lane running smart motorways between 2015-2017
Smart Motorway Type | Collision severity | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
All Lane Running (ALR) | Serious | 12 | 35 | 33 |
All data used is validated STATS19 data and includes collisions on main carriageways and slip roads from 2015-2017 (3 years). 2018 STATS19 data has recently been released and we are currently analysing the data, hence it not being included above.
The figures include all incidents where a collision was recorded / classified as including a serious injury regardless of causation, contributory factors or circumstances of the incident.
It should be noted that the total length of ALR smart motorways increased during the 3-year period; from two schemes in 2015 to eight schemes in 2017. Highways England continues to deliver the Smart Motorway Programme, increasing the number of schemes year on year.
The Secretary of State, as set out in the House on 24 October 2019, has asked the Department to carry out, at pace, an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about smart motorway safety.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in the taxi and private hire sector.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing issued on 12 February committed to bring forward legislation to enable national minimum standards in licensing, enable greater enforcement powers for licensing officers and to establish a national licensing database to assist in the sharing of relevant information.
The Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation on draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities on how they can use their extensive existing powers to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm when using taxi and private hire vehicle services.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken stop private hire cab drivers operating in areas in which they do not have a licence.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority.
As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislating.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of including horse riders and carriage drivers in the forthcoming review of the highway code.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government announced on 18 October 2018 that, as part of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) Safety Review, The Highway Code would be reviewed to help keep cyclists and pedestrians safe on the roads. The Government recognises that horse riders and carriage drivers are also vulnerable road users and that advice on, for example, overtaking or passing cyclists applies equally to them.
The full scope of the review has yet to be determined but in accordance with normal practice it will be conducted in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including those representing equestrians.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the decision on whether to create a (a) parkway station on the M18 route and (b) northern loop from Sheffield connecting to the main High Speed 2 railway.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Together with TfN, the government is continuing to work with HS2 Ltd and Network Rail in support of aspirations including Sheffield to Leeds connectivity; and work is also continuing on a parkway station. Details are set out in paras 6.4 and 6.14 of the “HS2 – Concept to Reality” document (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-from-concept-to-reality).
We are looking to develop a clear set of proposals on these options - which relate directly to the HS2 network - before the end of 2017.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter of the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Rotherham on 8 July 2016, on clause 145 of the Policing and Crime Bill, when the Government expects to publish a timetable for its (a) consultation on tax and private hire vehicle licensing and (b) publication of guidance.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government expects to publish the timetable for the full public consultation on the local authority Best Practice Guidance for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles in advance of Royal Assent of the Policing and Crime Bill. The government aims to launch the full public consultation upon Royal Assent of the Bill.
The Guidance will be published following completion of the full public consultation and once any amendments have been made.