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Written Question
Transport for London: Concessions
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with the Mayor of London on extending the eligibility for Freedom Passes for the (a) Elizabeth Line and (b) London Underground to (i) pensioners and (ii) people with disabilities who live outside London but whose local services are connected to Transport for London services.

Answered by Karl McCartney

Transport in London is devolved and responsibility for it lies with the Mayor of London and Transport for London, including decisions on concessions offered and the terms attached to those concessions.

Local authorities can choose to make cross border arrangements with neighbouring authorities for discretionary concessions.


Written Question
Driving Tests: High Wycombe
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with (a) Buckinghamshire Council and (b) DVSA on the re-opening of High Wycombe's Driving Test Centre.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was served notice by its landlords at High Wycombe driving test centre, which meant that testing there had to end on 29 April 2022. This short notice closure was outside of the DVSA’s control.

As part of its initial site search for an alternative driving test location from which to conduct practical driving tests, the DVSA had discussions with Buckinghamshire Council. The DVSA is now conducting a detailed suitability assessment of alternative locations and will announce further details once that has concluded.


Written Question
Cycling: Infrastructure
Friday 22nd April 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include impact on motorcyclists as an additional factor in the Cycling Level of Service Tool audit as set out in his Department's paper entitled Cycle Infrastructure Design, published in July 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The Department’s Cycle Infrastructure Design Guidance (Local Transport Note 1/20) provides guidance to local authorities on building good quality cycle infrastructure and integrating it safely into their local roads. It includes advice on safely managing interactions between cyclists and other road users, including motorcyclists, and suggests ways of reducing the particular risks to motorcyclists that can arise from the use of certain types of light segregation features.


Written Question
Parking: Pedestrian Areas
Friday 1st April 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Pavement parking: options for change consultation which closed in November 2020, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce pavement parking.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible. The formal consultation response will be available to view on the Gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.


Written Question
Blue Badge Scheme: Motor Neurone Disease
Friday 1st April 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will permit individuals with motor neurone disease to renew their blue badge parking permits automatically without renewal application forms.

Answered by Wendy Morton

Applications to the Blue Badge scheme are not dependent upon condition but are based on the need of the applicant to park closer to their destination. Local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme locally and all local authority administrators have the discretion to add a ‘not for reassessment’ marker to individual Blue Badge records, including for applicants with Motor Neurone Disease.

The Department has recently made changes to the online application process and operates a continuous improvement programme based on user research to make it easier for all applicants to apply for a badge.


Written Question
Blue Badge Scheme: Motor Neurone Disease
Friday 1st April 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ease the application process for individuals with motor neurone disease renewing their blue badge parking permits.

Answered by Wendy Morton

Applications to the Blue Badge scheme are not dependent upon condition but are based on the need of the applicant to park closer to their destination. Local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme locally and all local authority administrators have the discretion to add a ‘not for reassessment’ marker to individual Blue Badge records, including for applicants with Motor Neurone Disease.

The Department has recently made changes to the online application process and operates a continuous improvement programme based on user research to make it easier for all applicants to apply for a badge.


Written Question
Biofuels
Wednesday 2nd March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the effect of E10 fuel on (a) emissions and (b) fuel consumption.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

E10 has been the industry agreed standard for petrol since 2013, and the reference fuel against which new cars are tested for emissions and performance since 2016. The impact assessment published alongside the Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) and the Biofuel (Labelling) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, which introduced E10, estimates that the change from E5 unleaded petrol to E10 is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by around 0.7 to 0.8 megatonnes per year. Switching from E5 to E10 is understood to have a relatively small impact on fuel economy of around 1-2 % and this was factored into the impact assessment. There are many factors that influence fuel consumption, making the effect of E10 difficult to assess on the basis of anecdotal evidence or monitoring. The Regulations mandating E10 petrol across Great Britain came into force just last September and will be the subject of a regulatory review considering its impacts, conducted within five years.


Written Question
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Standards
Wednesday 23rd February 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to improve the performance of the DVLA.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The quickest and easiest way to transact with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. These measures are having a positive impact and customers should continue to see an improving picture in terms of waiting times for paper applications.


Written Question
Travel: Coronavirus
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies and the formation of his covid-19 international travel policies of the WHO document entitled Policy considerations for implementing a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-19, published on 2 July 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The UK Government’s international travel policies are aligned with the WHO recommendations on a range of issues, including regular risk assessments; proof of COVID-19 vaccination not being a condition of entry; and testing and quarantine.

The UK Government also takes into consideration recommendations from guidance documents issued by relevant multilateral organisations, including the OECD’s Blueprint for safe international mobility, and the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force’s (CART) recommendations. The government will continue to engage with multilateral organisations to inform its policymaking.


Written Question
Bus Services: Finance
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans announce allocations to local transport authorities for bus service improvement plans.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

At the Budget we announced £1.2 billion of dedicated funding for bus transformation deals, part of over £3 billion of new spend on buses over this Parliament. We will announce details of how that funding will be allocated in due course.