Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring all (a) e-bikes and (b) e-scooters to be registered to an owner.
Answered by Guy Opperman
There is already legislation in place that governs the use of e-scooters on public land. E-scooters meet the definition of a ‘motor vehicle’ under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Therefore, as well as having to be registered, taxed, and insured, they must meet all other legal requirements of a motor vehicle to be used on the road. By their design, e-scooters complying with the wide range of requirements is difficult to achieve. Consequentially, most private e-scooters are illegal to use on the road, cycle lanes or pavements (i.e. otherwise than on private land), and rental e-scooters can only be used in rental e-scooter trial area.
The Department considered the potential advantages and disadvantages of a mandatory registration and licensing system for cycle ownership as part of a comprehensive cycling and walking safety review in 2018. This found that the cost and complexity of such a system would outweigh the benefits, and that restricting people’s ability to cycle in this way would mean that many would be likely to choose other modes of transport instead, with negative impacts for congestion, pollution, and health. However all policies are kept under review.
If e-cycles exceed the criteria in the Electrically Pedal Assisted Cycles Regulations (1983), then, among other criteria limits power and speed, they are also classed as motor vehicles, requiring tax, insurance, and similar requirements.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure there are safe road crossing points near schools; and if he will publish all data his Department holds on changes in the number of school crossing guards per local authority in each of the last five years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Traffic management of roads, including provision of road crossing points near schools, is the responsibility of local authorities. The Department and Active Travel England provide funding to local authorities to enable them to make improvements of this sort: funding allocations are on gov.uk.
The Department does not hold any data on the changes in the number of school crossing patrol officers. Decisions about providing funding for school crossing patrols are a matter for individual local authorities.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing noise limits on motor vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Noise limits already apply to motor vehicles. These regulations are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance with noise limits before being placed on the market. Once on the road, exhausts and silencers must be maintained in good working order and not modified to increase noise.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number and proportion of traffic accidents involving (a) mopeds and (b) scooters; and whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing stronger penalties for people who do not obey road safety rules.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The number and proportion of reported personal injury road traffic collisions involving mopeds and scooters in Great Britain between 2011 and 2021 (the latest year for which figures are available) can be found in the table below.
Reported road collisions and proportions and involving mopeds and scooters, Great Britain, 2011 to 2021 | ||||
Year | Collisions involving a moped | Collisions involving a scooter | Proportion of collisions involving a moped | Proportion of collisions involving a scooter |
2011 | 1,701 | 2,672 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
2012 | 1,530 | 2,599 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
2013 | 1,328 | 2,314 | 1.0 | 1.7 |
2014 | 1,370 | 2,456 | 0.9 | 1.7 |
2015 | 1,110 | 1,891 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
2016 | 1,082 | 1,973 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
2017 | 910 | 1,997 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
2018 | 685 | 1,826 | 0.6 | 1.5 |
2019 | 566 | 1,609 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
2020 | 490 | 1,703 | 0.5 | 1.9 |
2021 | 477 | 2,116 | 0.5 | 2.1 |
The Department keeps the law under review and listens to the concerns of those affected by tragic cases of death or serious injury. We have already increased the disqualification period for those who cause death by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timetable is for (a) beginning and (b) completing work to provide step-free access at Queen's Park station.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Queen’s Park station is a constrained site and location, making accessibility works extremely challenging to implement. Network Rail have recently completed a deliverability report on the project which the Department is currently considering. We will provide an update to the hon member and other stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has taken steps to help improve access to (a) the night tube in London and (b) overnight train services across the UK.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL), this includes operation of the London Underground. The Department continues to work closely with TfL to ensure that London’s transport network can support the capital as it recovers from the impacts of the pandemic.
Provision of overnight rail services need to be carefully considered alongside Network Rail’s requirements to inspect and maintain the tracks and the value for money for taxpayers. The Department regularly reviews demand for train services and works with operators to provide services where they provide value for money and can be delivered within the available capacity of the network.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons pickup trucks classed as never transporting tools or equipment are eligible for tax benefits; and if he will make an assessment of the impact of that tax on road safety.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Where an employee is provided with a vehicle by reason of their employment and it is made available for private use, there is a taxable benefit. Cars and vans are taxed different and typically the van benefit charge is lower to account for the limited private use a van can have compared to a company car.
HMRC considers a double cab pick-up that has a payload of one tonne or more as a van for benefits purposes in line with the definitions used for VAT purposes. The one tonne rule only applies to double cab pick-ups, not to any other vehicle. However, it is not possible to give a blanket tax ruling for all double cab pick-ups as the standard vehicle may have been adapted once acquired.
Trends in the level of pick-up truck use are not held by the Department for Transport. However, the Government is committed to ensuring that our roads are safe for all road users. All vehicles for use on the highway are rigorously tested to ensure they do not compromise on road safety.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the results of the consultation on reforming aviation consumer policy: protecting air passenger rights published on 31 January 2022.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department has consulted (Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation) on areas of aviation consumer policy, including additional powers for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to enforce consumer rights, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and accessibility.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department have reviewed the powers the Civil Aviation Authority has to enforce and strengthen regulations.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
An independent review of the Civil Aviation Authority is currently in progress. The review will provide a detailed assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of CAA’s functions and structures, its governance and its accountability to Parliament and the Department. This review was launched on 30 August 2022, and is due to be finalised in Spring 2023.
As part of this process, the Department for Transport held a Call for Evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of the CAA. This asked respondents to provide views on the strength and breadth of powers the CAA has.
In addition, the Department for Transport consulted in January 2022 on whether the CAA should have additional administrative powers to enforce consumer laws. The Department are considering the responses across all proposals and will respond shortly.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety, (b) availability and (c) accessibility of cycling routes in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The responsibility for road management in London is primarily shared between Transport for London, which manages London’s red routes, and London boroughs, which manage the majority of local roads in their areas. It is for those bodies to decide what measures to bring forward.