Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May to Question 185942 on Shipping: Inspections, what steps his Department is taking to shorten the time taken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to undertake surveys and safety inspections on fishing vessels for first time applicants.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
All surveys on fishing vessels require a full check of compliance against Statutory requirements. As these requirements are safety related, all areas of compliance are required to be checked prior to issuing a certificate, the scope of the survey cannot be reduced.
Waiting times around the country for a survey vary depending on the time of year and local demand for this activity. The MCA work closely with applicants to arrange a convenient time and consider other external factors such as tide times.
In 2022, the MCA carried out over 1200 inspections on small fishing vessels and remains committed to reducing fatalities within the sector.
Significant time savings in completing a survey can however be made when a vessel is properly prepared in advance of surveyor attendance.
For this reason, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have produced guidance on how to prepare a vessel for survey. This guidance, which is available online, is of particular value to first time applicants who may be unfamiliar with the requirements and the survey process and if followed will ensure their survey is completed in the most efficient timescale. Links to this guidance along with other useful information related to their vessel is sent to owners of small fishing vessels when they request a survey.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to shorten the time taken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to undertake surveys and safety inspections on fishing vessels.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) monitor the expiry dates for all small fishing vessel certificates. The MCA allows owners of small fishing vessels to book their renewal inspection up to 6 months before their certificate expires and still retain the anniversary date of the certificate.
The MCA send the owner/operator a reminder letter five months prior to their certificate expiring to prompt and encourage them to book an inspection well in advance of their certificate expiry date and to ensure there is no lapse in validity of the certificate that would affect their ability to commercially fish.
The MCA includes links to guidance within the reminder letter on how to prepare for your survey, reducing the length of time to complete the survey process.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will review the provision of countryside safety in driving theory tests in response to the recent increase in livestock deaths on roads.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keep the content of the theory test under regular review to ensure that it reflects changing real-world conditions and hazards that new drivers need to be aware of. The DVSA consult with stakeholders such as the British Horse Society in developing the test.
The theory test includes a hazard perception test (HPT), where candidates must respond appropriately to developing hazards, such as livestock and wild animals crossing the road. The CGI version of the hazard perception test was introduced in 2015, in response to the need to create more varied hazards that could not be replicated easily by filming hazards. Since 2015, the number of clips depicting animal hazards has been increased, meaning that every candidate who takes the test is presented with at least one animal hazard to respond to.
The theory test also includes a multiple-choice test where candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of the Highway Code. These tests candidates’ knowledge of road signs, road markings and hazards that are relevant to rural driving, such as the increased likelihood of encountering animals, farm vehicles and vulnerable road users like horse riders and cyclists, and how to safely approach and navigate these hazards.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the delays in the renewal of driving licences (a) for people with long term health conditions who need to renew their licence regularly and (b) in general.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
The DVLA has accelerated the development of additional online services to reduce the number of paper applications and supported their take up through a publicity campaign. Further digital service enhancements are underway.
The time taken to issue a licence to drivers with a medical condition will vary depending on the medical condition involved and any further information that may be needed from third parties. Industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union specifically targeted at the area that deals with applications from drivers with a medical condition has also contributed to delays. The DVLA is working with the relevant NHS bodies to explore ways of reducing the time taken to receive the information needed to make licensing decisions. The DVLA has also recently trialled a simplified renewal process for some medical conditions and this is helping to reduce the turnaround times for some drivers.
To improve the length of time taken to process medical licensing applications, the DVLA has recruited additional administrative and medical staff. The DVLA is urgently securing extra office space to house more staff to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing since 1 March 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Communications activity spend by the Department’s Group Communications directorate for the period 1 March 2020 to 31 October 2020 was £3,729,428.
This figure includes communications, marketing and advertising costs for communications campaigns: THINK! Road Safety, EU Transition, Engineering Take a Closer Look and Covid-19 related campaigns Safer Transport and Enjoy Summer Safely.
Covid-19 and the UK's preparations for the end of the EU transition period are two of the biggest issues currently facing the country. It is vital people receive the information they need on these important areas, and we're using a range of channels including TV, radio, print and social media to reach as many people as we can.
Information for the wider department and executive agencies for the two part financial years requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the development of The Global Centre of Rail Excellence on the site of Nant Helen Open Cast Mine in Onllwyn.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State for Transport with the Welsh Government on this subject. The Welsh Government and its partners in the project have approached a number of UK Government Departments for support, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The proposal will be considered alongside other options in the context of the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with train operating companies on the compensation payable to people when trains are cancelled but do not cause a delay of over an hour.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Secretary of State meets train operating companies regularly to discuss a range of issues.
The majority of train operating companies on Department for Transport franchises currently offer the Delay Repay scheme which provides compensation for delays to journeys from 30 minutes, whatever the cause of the delay or cancellation. In addition, four train operating companies offer compensation for delays of 15 to 29 minutes. The Department has had a number of discussions with franchises about extending Delay Repay, including to offer compensation for delays from 15 minutes.
The minority of franchises that have not yet introduced Delay Repay, including Arriva Trains Wales, set out their compensation arrangements in their Passenger’s Charter. These include discounts for holders of monthly and annual season tickets, if performance falls below a pre-determined threshold. For other passengers, compensation of no less than 50% of the ticket price is payable for delays of 60 minutes or more, and some of these train operators also offer compensation for delays of 30 to 59 minutes; this compensation is generally not payable for delays outside the control of the rail industry.
The Arriva Trains Wales franchise is managed by the Welsh Government under the 2006 Welsh rail devolution arrangements. The next Wales and Borders franchise has been let by the Welsh Government under the new Welsh rail devolution arrangements. Transport for Wales has announced that they will introduce Delay Repay for delays of 15 minutes or more from January 2019.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of breakdowns which have affected bi-mode trains since their introduction in October 2017.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
As we said in a previous answer of 20 February 2018, UIN 126979, there is no accepted rail industry definition of ‘broken down’, and train-related incidents may be for a variety of reasons and durations together with a variety of journey implications. We are therefore unable to state how many ‘breakdowns’ have affected bi-mode trains since their introduction.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on electrification of the rail line to Swansea.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On the Great Western Mainline, electrification works continue along the route to Wales and new intercity trains will start to be delivered later this year.