Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of grid capacity in relation to electric vehicle charging; and what plans he has to increase grid capacity to accommodate the electric vehicle charging infrastructure needed ahead of Government plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Electricity network operators at both the distribution and transmission levels are responsible for assessing the need for new investment to support electric vehicle charging as part of their business plans, which are then approved by Ofgem, the independent regulator. My officials regularly meet with network operators across Great Britain to discuss the impacts of the electric vehicle transition, including how the increasing demand will be managed whilst minimising the impact on businesses, workers and consumers.
‘Smart’ charging can help reduce constraints on the network by allowing electricity demand to be shifted throughout the day. In 2019 the Government consulted on mandating that all private charge points sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled. We intend to lay the relevant legislation this year.
The UK electricity market is already set up to bring forward investment in generation to meet demand. For example, the Contracts for Difference scheme supports significant investment in low carbon generation. The Government is also investing more than £1.3bn to support new EV charging infrastructure, including £950m on future proofing electricity network capacity along the Strategic Road Network. The necessary investment in infrastructure and the adoption of smart charging will ensure that the electricity network is able to support the mass charging of electric vehicles.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to support private sector investment into electric vehicle charging infrastructure in advance of the proposed ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is not proposing to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans, merely to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, this would not affect the second hand market in these vehicles. The Ten Point Plan confirmed £1.3 billion in funding to support the rapid expansion of the charging network in the 2020s, which includes £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network. One of the aims of this funding is to support the growing private sector investment and expanding market opportunities in electric vehicle infrastructure. As set out in the National Infrastructure Strategy, we will produce an electric vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy in 2021 to facilitate this further. We will be engaging with local authorities and stakeholders across the EV and energy sector to identify opportunities to harness private sector investment to deliver comprehensive UK EV charging infrastructure arrangements. This will ensure chargepoint infrastructure is rolled-out efficiently across all regions to deliver on the government’s levelling up agenda.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the financial incentives that will be required to support large fleet owners with the (a) cost of electric vehicle charging units and (b) infrastructure upgrades which will be needed to install rapid electric vehicle chargers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government recognises the scope for fleets to be at the vanguard of the transition to zero emission driving, including the recently announced 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans and the phasing out of the sale of new diesel heavy goods vehicles, which we will be consulting on. We will continue to work with fleet operators towards this. Fleet operators are able to take advantage of a range of grant funding schemes for cars and vans which are provided through the £1.5 billion the Government committed to support the early market.
To continue to accelerate the transition we have now pledged a further £2.8 billion package of measures to support industry and consumers to make the switch to cleaner vehicles. This includes £1.3 billion to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years, targeting £950m support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads to around long journeys, and £365m for installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. We will consider what additional support might be appropriate to support large fleet operators and publish a clear delivery plan in 2021.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of Ministerial vehicles are electric.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
With the support of the Department for Transport, the Government Car Service (GCS) is replacing its fleet with Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles as they become due for replacement. Currently 50% of the GCS fleet is now either battery electric or petrol/electric hybrid and we are actively looking at options to accelerate this transition.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received representations from representatives of the coach sector on the reasons for the low compliance by that sector with the requirement for coaches to be fully accessible by 1 January 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government supports the creation of an inclusive transport network, and ensuring that disabled and non-disabled people can travel together onboard bus and coach services is key to making this a reality.
Officials engage regularly with stakeholders and we have received a range of representations concerning the impact of the application of the Regulations and of the exemptions we have issued, including from coach operators and bus and coach industry representatives.
It is the Government’s view that it is wrong to require a child to travel in a separate vehicle, segregated from their peers, simply because they are disabled. Every delay in achieving full compliance prevents disabled people from travelling with the same freedom, dignity and choice that others take for granted.
We have provided temporary exemptions to help ease the implementation of the Regulations, but once these have expired we expect all vehicles subject to the Regulations and used on home to school services to comply with them.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to allow fully electric bikes to be registered as a category with the DVLA.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
A power-assisted bicycle, which is propelled solely by electricity and intended for use on public roads, must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. However, there is an exemption from registration and licensing in Great Britain for low powered bicycles, which cannot exceed 15 mph and have a battery of 250 watts or lower.
The Department for Transport is reviewing the regulations that apply to small, electric vehicles known as micromobility vehicles as part of its review into regulation of innovative transport technologies and business models. A call for evidence is due to be published in the next few weeks. This will include questions about how small, electric vehicles such as fully electric cycles should be regulated in the future.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allow rail season ticket holders to reclaim a sum calculated by applying the basic rate of tax to the cost of their season ticket.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
There are no ongoing discussions between the Department and Her Majesty’s Treasury about allowing rail season ticket holders to reclaim a sum calculated by applying the basic rate of tax to the cost of their season ticket. Government recognises the concerns people have about the cost of rail fares, and that is why we have ensured that regulated rail fares can rise by no more than inflation since 2014. Many employers also offer loans for season tickets or salary sacrifice schemes.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to allow the use of electronic scooters on roads and cycle paths.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In the UK, it is illegal to use an electric scooter on public roads and pavements. Electric scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act. This means they are subject to laws requiring them to conform to technical standards and be used safely. This includes requirements for users to have insurance, driving licences, number plates, and helmets. At present, it is difficult for electric scooters to meet these requirements. They are legal for use on private land with the landowners’ permission.
The Department recognises that people want to take advantage of the opportunities e-scooters can offer. The Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published on 19 March 2019 includes a Regulatory Review to address the challenges of ensuring our transport infrastructure and regulation are fit for the future.
The regulatory review will include e-scooters and other micromobility devices. This is a broad programme of work, and we expect to publish an initial consultation in autumn this year.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that passengers who have to travel on a bus replacement service in lieu of a planned rail journey are compensated; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Passengers rightly demand improvements to our railway services. That is why we are currently investing billions each year across the network. However, from time to time, it may be necessary to replace a train service with a bus or coach. Train companies’ responsibilities to passengers who have purchased a rail ticket are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCoT). The NRCoT apply on rail replacement services as for other train services, including the entitlement to compensation for any delayed journey, which is based on the advertised timetable. There is no specific entitlement to compensation relating to journeys involving the use of a rail replacement bus which run to the advertised timetable.
Wherever engineering work is planned in advance, the train company or retailer will make passengers aware of any need to use a rail replacement service, including any altered times in timetable information, so that they may make an informed decision about their travel plans. If the replacement is at short notice, and the person wishing to travel cannot complete their journey because the company is unable to transport their luggage, articles, animals and/or cycles by road vehicle, and they therefore decide not to travel, they are entitled to claim a refund without any administration charge.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a consumer satisfaction threshold for rail franchises; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
My Department is committed to driving improvements in the passenger’s experience. That is why we are including challenging customer satisfaction targets in Franchise Agreements which are based on the results of the National Rail Passenger Survey. Where the targets are not met, train companies are required to make financial investments to make sure that passengers get the standards of service that they rightly deserve. We are also continuing to review our policies in this area to ensure that passengers are placed at the heart of our franchise objectives and incentives.