Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
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 making all blue badge holders eligible for the Disabled Persons Railcard; and for what reason they are not automatically eligible at the present time.
Answered by Kevin Foster
As per our Inclusive Transport Strategy commitment, the Department, alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and the options to verify entitlement.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the criteria for eligibility for a Disabled Persons Railcard to include people who have mobility issues but are not in receipt of benefits.
Answered by Kevin Foster
As per our Inclusive Transport Strategy commitment, the Department, alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and the options to verify entitlement.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to introduce free off-peak bus travel for the over-60s.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Funding the concessionary bus pass costs around £1 billion annually, so any changes, such as extending free bus travel to those who are not yet eligible would have an impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. In England, the age of eligibility for the concessionary bus pass is linked to the state pension age. This addresses the anomalous position of non-disabled, working age citizens receiving free bus buses, which in turn supports the financial sustainability of the scheme.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he will take to help manage the effect of flight cancellations on the running of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Answered by Robert Courts
My Department has been closely engaging with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, along with Birmingham and Heathrow airports. Both airports have put in place plans in collaboration with the Organising Committee to manage arrivals for the Commonwealth Games. Over the coming week the Organising Committee with support from my Department will be actively monitoring the arrivals of Games Family and athletes.
We know the aviation sector has faced challenges in recent months and we reacted quickly to support the industry, now the sector itself needs to take the appropriate steps to ensure realistic schedules are in place and customers adequately supported. This includes those coming to the UK for the Commonwealth Games.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether someone with an Application Registration Card can apply for a provisional driving licence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
An Application Registration Card is not acceptable for the purposes of applying for a driving licence as it does not evidence that the applicant meets the legal residency requirements. Driving licence applications from non-GB nationals must include evidence of the applicant’s identity and immigration status before a licence can be issued. Acceptable forms of immigration status include a UK issued Biometric Residence Permit, a non-UK Passport with appropriate VISA/Vignette showing the applicant has permission to live in the UK for 185 days or more, or a view and prove your immigration status share code issued by the Home Office.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of increasing the length of MoT certificates from 12 months to 24 months on job retention of (a) MoT testers and (b) service mechanics.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We recognise the cost of living pressures that households face. It is right that we consider measures that can help alleviate such pressures including changes to systems like MOT testing that have been unaltered for a considerable period of time.
However, we have not made any decision to change the frequency of MOT testing. Should we put forward a proposal to amend the MOT legislation, we will provide an assessment of the effects of the proposed changes.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on (a) efficiency of car performance and (b) the environment of increasing the length of MoT certificates from 12 months to 24 months.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We recognise the cost of living pressures that households face. It is right that we consider measures that can help alleviate such pressures including changes to systems like MOT testing that have been unaltered for a considerable period of time.
However, we have not made any decision to change the frequency of MOT testing. Should we put forward a proposal to amend the MOT legislation, we will provide an assessment of the effects of the proposed changes.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of increasing the length of MoT certificates from 12 months to 24 months on motorists' costs; and if he will make an estimate of the potential average annual saving to motorists from such an increase.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We recognise the cost of living pressures that households face. It is right that we consider measures that can help alleviate such pressures including changes to systems like MOT testing that have been unaltered for a considerable period of time.
However, we have not made any decision to change the frequency of MOT testing. Should we put forward a proposal to amend the MOT legislation, we will provide an assessment of the effects of the proposed changes.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the DVLA on reports that staff have been off work on full pay in the context of an application backlog.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to 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.
The delays in processing paper applications were significantly exacerbated by six months of industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union, which was targeted at the areas that would have the most impact on the motoring public. Without this industrial action, the backlog at the DVLA would by now have been cleared.
To reduce waiting times for customers, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham.
These measures are having a positive impact and vehicle paper applications are now being processed within normal timescales as are straightforward vocational driving licence applications and renewals. The DVLA is on track to return to normal turnaround times on all non-medical paper driving licence applications by the end of May.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the causes for the reported backlogs at the DVLA; and what steps he is taking to resolve these issues.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to 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.
The delays in processing paper applications were significantly exacerbated by six months of industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union, which was targeted at the areas that would have the most impact on the motoring public. Without this industrial action, the backlog at the DVLA would by now have been cleared.
To reduce waiting times for customers, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham.
These measures are having a positive impact and vehicle paper applications are now being processed within normal timescales as are straightforward vocational driving licence applications and renewals. The DVLA is on track to return to normal turnaround times on all non-medical paper driving licence applications by the end of May.