Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 6 March 2024 to 16465 on Driving Tests: Waiting Lists, what the average waiting time for DVSA driving tests was across Great Britain as of 6 March 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.
As of 8 April 2024, there were 510,385 car practical driving tests booked, and 119,545 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.
The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Great Britain, in March 2024, was 17.1 weeks.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the safety of (a) horses and (b) horse riders on roads.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the safety of horse riders and other vulnerable road users very seriously and is committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s roads.
Following Parliamentary approval, The Highway Code was updated on 29 January 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that road safety improvements committed to in the register of undertakings and assurances for HS2 will be fulfilled.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State takes compliance with all HS2 undertakings and assurances (U&As), including those which relate to road safety, very seriously. In most cases, day to day responsibility for compliance is delegated to HS2 Ltd or the relevant contractor. HS2 Ltd completes regular reviews of each U&A on the register and ensures that a suitable plan for compliance with each U&A is in place. HS2 Ltd also records evidence to demonstrate compliance and performs risk-based assurance. Overall compliance is monitored by the Department.
Assurance #2047 on the register committed the Government to provide up to £30 million to improve road safety along the HS2 line of route. The Department informed relevant local authorities of their allocations from this HS2 Road Safety Fund in 2017. Since then, local authorities have been drawing down these funds for use in accordance with their own locally agreed priorities.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been allocated from the HS2 Road Safety Fund in (a) total and (b) each local authority area.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The total amount that has been allocated from the HS2 Road Safety Fund is £29,660,000. This has been allocated to local authorities as set out in the table below:
Road Safety Fund | |
Local authority | Allocation |
Camden | £2,425,000 |
Westminster | £1,560,000 |
Ealing | £1,010,000 |
Hillingdon | £645,000 |
Hertfordshire | £1,165,000 |
Oxfordshire | £1,140,000 |
Solihull | £2,435,000 |
Birmingham | £2,660,000 |
Warwickshire | £8,045,000 |
Northamptonshire | £1,650,000 |
Staffordshire | £2,975,000 |
Buckinghamshire | £3,950,000 |
Total | £29,660,000 |
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve safety at the A5 Shotatton Crossroads.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A5 Shotatton Crossroads is already subject to a 40 mile per hour speed limit to reduce accident risk, and this is enforced by fixed cameras. Accidents still do occur, most recently on 27 March. National Highways is currently undertaking a route safety study of the A5, from the A5/A458 Churncote roundabout, west of Shrewsbury as far as the Welsh Border near Chirk. This study will examine collision data and recorded safety issues along the route, with a view to providing a consistent safety approach for users of this route. National Highways expects the work to include improved traffic signage, edge markers/bollards, and road markings. At present, this study has not identified further safety measures, at the Shotatton crossroads junction but this may change as the study develops.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the brightness of LED headlights on local communities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare on a broad range of roads and environments. However, the Government is aware of concerns raised by members of the public and we intend to commission independent research shortly.
While there are clear safety, security and economic benefits associated with the use of LED lighting, the scientific evidence base on its adverse effects is less advanced. The government is committed to improving the evidence base to ensure we understand the effects more fully before making further policy interventions.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Future of Flight Action Plan, published on 18 March, what regulations are being considered to ensure that ‘temporary reserved areas’ do not impact citizens regarding (1) safety, (2) noise, (3) privacy, and (4) environmental impacts; and when they will provide the necessary regulatory frameworks.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The regulatory framework exists and Temporary Reserved Areas (TRAs) are applied for through the Airspace Change Process and are assessed by the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, which under Section 70 of the Transport Act 2000, has a duty to take a number of factors into account. This includes assessing that a high standard of safety is maintained in the provision of air traffic services; specific guidance on environment objectives contained within the Air Navigation Guidance 2017; and the process allows for consultation with potentially impacted stakeholders to raise concerns such as privacy.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to allocate additional (a) funding and (b) resources to local authorities for the (i) installation and (ii) maintenance of new speed enforcement technologies.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport provides funds direct to local authorities which could be used for a range of road safety purposes. The use of any funds is a decision for the local authority, in discussion with the relevant police force.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve safety on the A16 in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A16 is the responsibility of local highway authorities – in this case, Lincolnshire County Council through South Holland and The Deepings. It is for those authorities to assess the benefits of improvements to areas of their networks, and to seek funding, if required.
Almost £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund has been allocated to improve the A16 corridor between Boston and Spalding, and Lincolnshire County Council has recently been allocated just over £262 million from the Local Transport Fund to improve the connections that people rely on every day.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that programmes for improving safety on the strategic road network receive adequate funding.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund, worth £140m in RIS2, is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme and aims to deliver over 150 safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas, to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network.
The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against its performance indicators and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.