Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when and with whom he has had discussions on the Business Case for the restoration of Hammersmith Bridge submitted by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in the last six months.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State is currently reviewing the business case to ensure that it provides value for money for the taxpayer and will make a final decision in due course. The Department’s Ministers are continuing to have regular discussions on this matter with officials.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Euro NCAP about the criteria by which certificates are issued.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Euro NCAP does not issue certificates but provides motorists with objective information on the crash safety and driver assistance systems fitted to passenger cars. The 1-5 star rating system helps consumers compare the safety potential of different models, helping to include safety in their purchasing decision.
The testing protocols are reviewed periodically to reflect evolving technologies. As a member of Euro NCAP, the Department for Transport has a place on the Board of Directors, which meets three times per year and has a role in agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation and approving new protocols.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will support any proposal at UNECE’s Working Party 29 in June to re-establish the Informal Working Group on (vehicle headlight) glare.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK will consider any proposals at UNECE Working Party 29 on their merits based on a range of factors, including the availability and assessment of new independent evidence or justification. The UK government has committed to research headlamp glare to identify root causes and potential countermeasures, which may in due course support the establishment of a UNECE Informal Working Group to develop, amend and implement changes to the appropriate international regulations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to receive the results of the evaluation of Future Transport Zones commissioned by his Department from the National Centre for Social Research.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department manages a programme-level evaluation of the Future Transport Zones on how the four Zones designed, procured and implemented their programmes, currently running from 2021-25. The externally commissioned evaluation of Future Transport Zones is still ongoing.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of cars that have been sold in the past five years are fitted with headlights which, once dipped, cause dazzle to oncoming traffic; and what discussions they have had with Euro NCAP on that matter.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Prior to sale and registration all vehicle manufacturers must demonstrate that the mandatory dipped beam headlamps satisfy detailed technical requirements controlling aim and light emitted to minimise the occurrence of glare to oncoming traffic. In addition, the Government recently committed to carrying out independent research to assess the prevalence of headlamp glare and to identify root causes and potential countermeasures. EURO NCAP does not assess vehicle lighting and no associated discussions have taken place.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Mayor of London on the (a) reasons for the duration of time during which an escalator at Paddington Station has been out of service and (b) impact of that on elderly and disabled visitors to that station.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Facilities at Paddington London Underground station are the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL). DfT Ministers and officials meet regularly with TfL on a range of issues.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) compensation and (b) care and assistance expenses that passengers are entitled to claim for in cases of significant flight delays.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to protecting the rights of passengers when travelling by air.
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as retained in UK law establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of long delays, cancellations or denied boarding. In June 2023, the Department published its response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation. This set out a commitment to further consultation on the compensation and payment framework across all forms of disruption including cancellations, delays and denied boarding. Furthermore, a Statutory Instrument came into force in the UK on 14 December 2023 to re-state certain EU case law principles in respect of Regulation (EC) 261/2004, to ensure passengers continued to be protected through additional clarity of their rights in the event of flight disruptions.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the costs associated with driving examiners taking time off work as a result of injuries sustained when conducting driving tests.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of driving examiners who were off work as a result of injuries sustained during the examination of drivers in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of accidents during driving tests (a) in total and (b) in vehicles that lack dual control in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.