Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sewage leaks have been recorded within their Department's estate in the last twelve months.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
There were five minor sewage leaks recorded within the Department for Transport estate during the last 12 months.
For one instance, the leak was identified and resolved quickly by the facilities management team.
For the four other instances, these were contained within the building or within the property demise and did not enter the surface water drainage system.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeline is for (a) announcing the outcome of Access for All applications for 2024-26 and (b) applying for future funding under the Access for All scheme.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department is currently assessing over 300 stations nominated for Access for All funding beyond 2024. I hope to be in a position to announce successful projects later this year. Funding on any subsequent funding for Access for All will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Personal Independence Payment appeals found in favour of the claimant that confirm mobility restrictions are accepted as evidence for blue badge applications.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department for Transport has issued clear non-statutory guidance to local authorities who are solely responsible for administering the scheme at a local level. It is for each local authority to assess on a case-by-case basis to decide whether applicants meet the conditions of eligibility. Local authorities must determine and implement assessment procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Expenditure figures are available from the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dft-annual-reports-and-accounts.
We are in the process of producing the Department’s Annual Report which will be published in July, this will include our audited consultancy spend for 2021-22.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the waiting period is for (a) a PCV theory test and (b) the granting of a PCV licence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency offers a six-month window for people to book theory tests so people can book appointments at the time they choose. There is no backlog for theory tests as capacity is available for more people to book.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has focused extra resource on vocational driving licence applications. Routine applications and renewals of vocational licences, including passenger carrying vehicles, are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. Applications where medical investigations are needed will take longer.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason applicants with a PIP score of 10 out of 12 for planning and following a journey are automatically eligible for a Blue Badge while those applicants with a score of 12 out of 12 are required to provide additional evidence of eligibility.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department for Transport is responsible for the legislative and policy framework of the Blue Badge Scheme in England only, where applicants with scores other than 10 under PIP descriptor ‘e’ would only be eligible for a badge following further assessment.
The rules relating to Blue Badges in England, Scotland and Wales differ as each country runs its own Blue Badge scheme and is responsible for determining the eligibility criteria that will apply. Questions about how the scheme operates outside England should be addressed to the Government of the relevant nation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Ministers regularly meet with departmental officials and external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what effect the plans set out in the Integrated Rail Plan published on 18 November 2021 will have on transport connectivity within Wales.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Integrated Rail Plan confirms that HS2 will be built from Crewe to Manchester, enabling improved onward connectivity to Wales. Crewe Northern Connection would improve connections from North Wales to the HS2 network, potentially bringing many passengers within 2 hours 15 minutes of London. Work to progress options on completing the Midlands Rail Hub could also give passengers from South Wales easy access to the HS2 network at Birmingham Curzon Street.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the implementation of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, published on 18 November 2021, on transport connectivity within Scotland.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The core pipeline set out in the Integrated Rail Plan, which includes completing HS2 Phases One and 2a and completing HS2 Phase 2b from Crewe to Manchester, including the link to the West Coast Main Line, will help reduce journey times between England and Scotland. Birmingham and London to Glasgow and Edinburgh could be cut by between 40 and 50 minutes compared to today. In addition, the package of upgrades to the East Coast Main Line will separately improve journey times for services to Edinburgh from London King’s Cross. Journey times could be cut by 25 minutes compared to today depending on stopping patterns. The recent Union Connectivity Review also considered the reduction of rail journey times to Scotland.