Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement contingency plans to manage the impact of the upcoming train strikes in April across multiple rail companies.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 20 March, ASLEF announced a further rolling programme of one-day strikes and action short of strike on the National Rail network. The rail industry is working on contingency planning and will do all it can to minimise the impacts for passengers. During periods of strike action, rail operators deploy measures such as implementing amended timetables to ensure services can be delivered reliably and safely. To minimise impacts and keep passengers informed during periods of strike action, the rail industry uses widespread passenger messaging to publicise disruption and the latest travel information in stations, through websites, and on social media channels.

The government has also put in place legislation to enable train operators to plan for a 40% minimum level of service during strikes. It is a decision for individual employers whether to use this new tool to mitigate the impact of strikes, but we expect operators to be ready and able to do so, and to make that decision in the best interests of passengers.

The Rail Delivery Group has presented a fair and reasonable offer to ASLEF which it rejected without allowing its members to vote on their future. We continue to urge ASLEF to put the offer to their members in the train companies to give them a say on their future.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the Euston ministerial task force was created; what are its terms of reference; who are its members; on what dates has it met; and whether it intends to publish minutes of its meetings or other relevant papers.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The establishment of the Euston Quarter Ministerial Task Force was announced at Spring Budget on 6 March 2024. It will oversee the next stages of delivery at Euston, set strategic direction and facilitate decision making. Membership of the Task Force will include Ministers from the Department for Transport, HM Treasury and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Officials from these Government Departments and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority will also attend. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), what assessment they have made of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposals to reform compulsory basic training.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to reviewing all aspects of motorcycle training and testing, and is in the process of assessing the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposals to reform compulsory basic training (CBT).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the issue of increased operating costs for hauliers, including those related to (1) fluctuating fuel prices, and (2) administrative requirements relating to the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has continued its support for haulage companies by freezing HGV Vehicle Excise Duty and the HGV Levy for 2024-25, as announced at Autumn Statement 2023. This has resulted in a tax saving for one of the most popular HGVs (a 38-44 tonne articulated lorry with 3 axles, EURO VI) of £47 per annum. These measures form a package of support for hauliers, alongside the freezing of Fuel Duty as announced at Spring Budget 2024.

More broadly, at Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced that full expensing would be made permanent, meaning companies can claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments, so that for every pound invested its taxes is cut by up to 25p. Following representations from industry – including the haulage sector – at Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor confirmed that draft legislation on extending full expensing to assets for leasing will soon be published for a period of technical consultation. The extension will remain under consideration for a future fiscal event.

Additionally, the Windsor Framework will ensure the smooth flow of goods within the UK internal market. Under the new UK internal market system, which will come into force later this year, there will be no checks save those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease. The requirements in the old Protocol for both international customs paperwork and supplementary declarations will also be scrapped.

The Department for Transport does not hold a formal assessment of the specific impacts of fuel prices on businesses, nor on haulage and transport industries. However, the department is in regular contact with haulage and other transport sectors where discussions include the impact of fuel prices among other economic factors.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly fuel prices and the Office for National Statistics conducts a regular survey of business sectors on concerns such as energy prices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average time a business waits for the payment of an invoice from the Department for Transport.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

For the 23-24 Financial Year thus far, the average time a business waits for the payment of a valid invoice from the Department for Transport is 3.41 working days.

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 manufacturing standards will be in place for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and when, to ensure compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/947 which requires operators to ensure UAS are capable of performing intended flights safely.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Regulation (EU) 2019/945 sets out the product standard requirements for uncrewed aircraft systems, which will come into force on the 1 January 2026 (as set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/947).

The CAA recently consulted on product standards and will be providing the department with recommendations on potential regulatory amendments. There are four areas that DfT particularly intend to focus on: remote ID, geo-awareness/fencing, lighting requirements and manufacturer requirements.

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a legislative control framework before implementing the Future of Flight Action Plan.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We already have a regulatory framework for drones and eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing). Key legislation includes Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 on common rules in the field of civil aviation, Regulation (EU) 2019/945 on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft, the Air Navigation Order 2016 and the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021.

The Action Plan outlines activities to identify and develop any further regulation as needed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Future of Flight Action Plan, published on 18 March, when they anticipate that the British Standards Institute will report on recommended performance standards for uncrewed aircraft systems for testing in operational non-segregated airspace environments known as ‘temporary reserved areas’.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is within the Action Plan for CAA to start an Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) sandbox this year to allows testing in non-segregated airspace environments.

Any recommended performance standards for uncrewed aircraft system testing will need to meet the expectations of the CAA, to ensure that all airspace users meet the necessary safety requirements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cause of the fire at Terminal 2 of Luton Airport on 10 October 2023; and whether the cause has been established to be a diesel or an electric car.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A joint investigation by Bedfordshire Police and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has concluded, indicating that the fire started accidentally, with the most likely cause being an electrical fault or component failure that originated in the engine bay of a diesel vehicle while it was in motion.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Future of Flight Action Plan, published on 18 March, where the ‘temporary reserved areas’ will operate; and what will be the size of those areas.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Details of location and size are proposed by the industry, before assessment by the CAA on a case-by-case basis, to consider safety in the proposed operational environment.

Temporary Reserved Areas (TRAs) are applied for through the Airspace Change Process, which allows for consultation with potentially impacted stakeholders.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of hydrogen technology in reducing aviation carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and what steps they are taking to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government’s Jet Zero Strategy, published in July 2022, set out our approach to achieving net zero UK aviation by 2050 through multiple different measures. The use of hydrogen is considered in the Zero Emission Flight chapter of the Strategy.

The Strategy anticipates that hydrogen will be first deployed in short haul aviation with recognised uncertainty on the potential for and timing of its scaling up for use in long haul. As with all measures in the Jet Zero Strategy the Government keeps the evidence base under regular review and any changes will be reflected in future updates to the Strategy.

Between 2013 and 2030, industry and government will invest over £5 billion to develop transformational aircraft technology through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme. This includes co-investment in industry led projects to develop hydrogen aircraft in the UK.

In 2022 a Delivery Group of the government and industry forum the Jet Zero Council was established to accelerate the adoption of zero emission flight.

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 is their timeline to achieve operational ‘temporary reserved areas’ by end of 2024.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Operational temporary reserved areas (TRAs) are in use now and throughout 2024 for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) trials, enabling the CAA to validate the use of airspace policy concepts with real world use cases.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (17105), what discussions have taken place between the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency regarding the Motorcycle Industry Association’s 'A Licence to Net Zero' campaign.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is committed to reviewing all aspects of motorcycle training and testing. It is working with key industry representatives, including the Motorcycle Industry Association, to plan the next roundtable meeting scheduled for 8 May 2024. The roundtable meeting will explore reforms to motorcycle training and testing, and licensing for L category vehicles as set out in the ‘A Net Licence to Zero’ action plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a Special Order under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an abnormal load, or loads, at a gross weight exceeding 150 tonnes in the most recent 12-month period for which the figures are available.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, between April 2023 and March 2024 issued 20 hauliers with a Special-Order permit for vehicles with a S.O. weight exceeding 150,000kgs. Data for roads managed by local authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a VR1 Authorisation under an order made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an exceptionally wide load in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, between April 2023 and March 2024 issued 86 hauliers with a VR1 permit (widths exceeding 5.0m and up to and including 6.1m). Data for roads managed by local authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), whether the 8 May round table will discuss (1) the timeline for implementation of L-Category licence reform or (2) the parliamentary process for L-Category licensing.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are continuing to review these proposals, and will respond in due course. They will be covered at the proposed meeting.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the  Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), whether they will publish a response to the Motorcycle Industry Association's "A Net Licence to  Zero" proposals ahead of the scheduled roundtable.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are continuing to review these proposals, and will respond in due course. They will be covered at the proposed meeting.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 12 February (12929), when they will publish the chapter on zero emission powered light vehicles for the Local Authority Transport Decarbonisation Toolkit.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The guidance for Local Authorities on zero emission powered light vehicles is being finalised and is expected to be published shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses, or their obvious subsidiaries, have been granted a Special Order made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to move an exceptionally wide load in excess of 6.1 metres wide in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

National Highways, who manage motorways and major A roads in England, issued 23 hauliers with a Special-Order permit for vehicles with a width exceeding 6.1m. Data for roads managed by Local Authorities is not held by the Department for Transport.

Improve road safety by:
1) requiring all cars to be painted with hi-vis colours (yellow or orange)
2) requiring cars to have technology to limit the maximum speed of a vehicle to the applicable speed limit
3) requiring cameras and AI in cars to help stop mobile phone use while driving.

HM Government in the UK has reciprocal agreements with the EU, and countries including the UAE, Canada, Japan, Australia and South Africa for exchange of driving licenses. We think it would be a great initiative if Omani licenses are also allowed to convert to a GB License.

We want more bike lanes for cyclists who need to get places, such as get to trails, or get to work. This could help reduce car use, and so carbon dioxide levels. This could also mean road cyclists have less fear of getting hit by a car and may feel more inclined to go on their bike.

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Found: pipeline with my counterparts, but I am also working very closely with Minister Opperman in the DfT

Found: active design principles that have been prepared by Active Travel England, which is an ALB of the Department

Found: £314k DWP, DEFRA, DfE, DfT Durham Horden Together programme The pilot aimed to i mprove

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Found: Outcome % of adults that cycle/walk, by frequency, purpose (region) Headline Department for Transport

Found: Public Body Review of Homes England, independently led by Tony Poulter, a Non-Executive Director of the Department

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Found: government’s portfolio and include the Restart Programme led by DWP, the Department for Transport’s (DfT

Found: Public Body Review of Homes England, independently led by Tony Poulter, a Non-Executive Director of the Department

Found: I continue to meet regularly with HS2 Ltd, its contractors and with the Department for Transport.

Found: RPC -DfT-5335 (1) 1 26/03/2024 Draft Rail Reform Bill Lead department Department for Transport

Found: Alan Thorne © Crown copyright 2022 ISSN 0309-4278 Published by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, Department

Found: DfT Item Action Owner 1.

Found: .• Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the

Found: to TNAP delivery is to work collaboratively in partnership with others, and we have highlighted the DfT

Found: ) and Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving (DfT).

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) how and (b) where the budget allocated for active travel was spent, in each financial year from 2020-21 to 2023-24.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The Active Travel Budget is an annually set allocation from the overall Scottish Transport Budget. The Active Travel Programme contains a blend of Grants awarded in accordance with the Scottish public Finance Manual, contracts drawn down from Scottish Government procurement frameworks, and budget transfers to support investments managed in other areas of the portfolio. A breakdown of years 2020-21 to 2023-24 is set out in the following table;