Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 13 February (HL2098), when the consultation on the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling will be published.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced at Spring Budget, the Government will launch the consultation on the impacts of the July 2023 High Court ruling in Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC in April.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) Ltd and (b) the wider industry on the repair capacity for (i) LEVC black cabs and (ii) other electric taxis.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has regular engagement with LEVC and the wider industry on a range of topics, most recently including manufacturing trends and the extension to the Plug In Taxi Grant. However, matters relating to electric taxi repairs have not been raised.
The Government recognises there will be a transitional period for the repair sector as the UK moves to zero emission road transport. Although not specifically on electric taxis, the Government funded research by Thatcham to understand the impact of the electric vehicle transition on the repair sector, which was published in 2023. The number of EV qualified technicians has risen rapidly. Data from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) suggests there are 52,000 qualified electric vehicle technicians in the UK, which is 22% of all UK technicians. This is relative to 3.8% of all vehicles in the UK being a plug-in electric vehicle.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on the amount spent by local authorities on taxis used to transport children with an education, health and care plan to and from school.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The government does not collect the specific information requested. The legal responsibility for providing free home-to-school travel for eligible pupils sits with local authorities, who will hold any data available on the amount spent on taxis for children with an Education, Health and Care plan.
However, the government does publish local authority expenditure data based on Section 251 outturn returns, which includes total expenditure on home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age where the travel is agreed for reasons of the child’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Local authorities spent a total of £1.25 billion in the 2022/23 financial year on this type of home-to-school travel. The data is available via the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed ‘taxi tax’ on rural communities accessing essential services, particularly healthcare.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The VAT treatment of private hire vehicle services has not changed. The Government recognises, however, that the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling may have VAT implications for the private hire vehicle sector. As announced at Autumn Statement 2023, the Government will consult on the potential impacts of this ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Mayor of London about his suspension of the requirement for private hire drivers to pass an English language proficiency exam.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whilst the Government issues guidance to assist local authorities, taxi licensing in London is a matter for the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with (a) Uber and (b) other private hire operators on the matter of driver safety.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade is responsible for employment rights. We are unable to comment on individual circumstances or the working practices of individual companies. However, we are clear that everyone deserves to be treated fairly at work and rewarded for their contribution to the economy, both in terms of fair pay and fair working conditions.
The Uber Supreme Court judgment was clear that those who qualify as workers under existing employment law are entitled to rights such as the minimum wage, and all gig economy businesses should ensure they are fulfilling their legal responsibilities.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of local taxi licensing authorities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government provides guidance to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England to assist them in exercising their licensing function https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/licensing-of-taxis-and-phvs-for-local-authorities-in-england
The Department for Transport uses its annual statistical survey of licensing authorities to help monitor uptake of the guidance.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of support provided to drivers by (a) Uber and (b) other private hire operators.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is unable to comment on individual circumstances or the working practices of individual companies. However, we are clear that everyone deserves to be treated fairly at work and rewarded for their contribution to the economy, both in terms of fair pay and fair working conditions.
An individual’s entitlement to employment rights such as the minimum wage are determined by their employment status (employee, limb (b) worker or self-employed). In 2022, the Government published new employment status guidance, making it easier for businesses to comply with existing regulations and for individuals to understand which employment protections apply to them.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to start a consultation on the VAT treatment of private hire vehicles.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands that, following the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling, the private hire vehicle sector are seeking clarity on the VAT implications of this ruling.
The Government remains committed to consulting on the impacts of this ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) the VAT treatment of private hire vehicles and (b) the potential impact of changes in VAT rates for those vehicles on the viability of that sector.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to consult on the potential impacts of the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.