Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the UK insurance sector regarding insurance cover for the users of e-scooters.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As part of The Future of Transport Regulatory Review, the Department is reviewing regulations for micromobility vehicles, including e-scooters. Further conversations will be held as more evidence from e-scooter trials and wider sources is collected. These will feed into considerations for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce compulsory insurance for e-scooters; and if so, how that measure would be enforced.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Users are required to scan their driving licence via the operator’s app in order to verify their eligibility to ride an e-scooter. In some cases this is done via facial-recognition technology where the user must scan their driving licence and then take a clear photo of themselves on the operator’s app. This allows the operator to verify that the user is using a valid driving licence and is at least 16 years old. Some operators use manual verification of driving licences before allowing users to rent an e-scooter.
Additionally, the police have powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 and seize e-scooters, if an individual is found to be driving without a driving licence or is under the age of 16.
As part of its stakeholder engagement, the Department is in continuous contact with representatives of the motor insurance industry and as part of that, does discuss e-scooters to understand their views.
Ministers are currently considering options for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks are undertaken in e-scooter rental trials to ensure that those who use the e-scooters (1) hold the appropriate driving licence, and (2) are at least 16 years old.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Users are required to scan their driving licence via the operator’s app in order to verify their eligibility to ride an e-scooter. In some cases this is done via facial-recognition technology where the user must scan their driving licence and then take a clear photo of themselves on the operator’s app. This allows the operator to verify that the user is using a valid driving licence and is at least 16 years old. Some operators use manual verification of driving licences before allowing users to rent an e-scooter.
Additionally, the police have powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 and seize e-scooters, if an individual is found to be driving without a driving licence or is under the age of 16.
As part of its stakeholder engagement, the Department is in continuous contact with representatives of the motor insurance industry and as part of that, does discuss e-scooters to understand their views.
Ministers are currently considering options for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend road traffic legislation to make causing death or serious injury by dangerous cycling an offence; and whether any such changes would cover (1) electrically assisted pedal cycles, and (2) e-scooters.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Transport is working on addressing concerns around dangerous cycling and will publish conclusions in due course. Decisions on which modes of transport might be covered by any new legislation will be taken at the time.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) motoring organisations, and (2) other road users, regarding the imminent changes to the Highway Code.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
When carrying out the review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, the Department for Transport worked closely with an expert stakeholder group from the outset representing different users of the road. All road users had the opportunity to shape the changes to The Highway Code through a 12-week formal consultation process.
The Department has been and continues to work with a broad range of stakeholders including Cycling UK, the AA, RAC, Road Haulage Association and the British Horse Society on a communications campaign to raise awareness of the changes that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of all road users.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate use of e-scooters, including compulsory insurance cover on their use.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department is running trials of rental e-scooters to assess their safety and wider impacts. Some 32 trials are underway and will run across the year, with final trial schemes due to conclude by 31 March 2022. The evidence gathered during the trials will inform whether e-scooters should be legalised in the future and how we can ensure their use is as safe as possible. Until we have that evidence, we do not want to speculate on the future legal status of e-scooters or on specific issues like insurance.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on facilitating international travel; and what plans they have (1) to clarify the status of countries on the green list, and (2) to reduce the cost of PCR tests.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Global Travel Taskforce outlined plans for the safe and sustainable reopening of international travel using a traffic light system. The traffic light system categorises countries based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Country categorisation is published on gov.uk.
The Government continues to work with the travel industry and private testing providers to further reduce testing costs, while ensuring travel is as safe as possible. The price of tests has reduced significantly over recent weeks, and several providers are offering Day 2 tests for green arrivals for under £50.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a hard copy passenger locator form on all (1) flights, (2) ferry journeys, and (3) Eurostar train journeys, arriving into the UK, to improve tracking of passengers and their compliance with self-isolation rules.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The passenger locator form is designed to track and trace those individuals who may have come into contact with another person who has, or goes on to develop, coronavirus. It is also used to monitor self-isolation of those individuals who have been abroad and returned to the UK and who are not exempt from self-isolation measures.
The PLF was introduced as an electronic form, and allows Public Health England to conduct fast and efficient contact tracing.
The vast majority of arriving passengers are complying with all the requirements of the Covid-19 related health regulations at the border.
Border Force Officers are on hand at the Border to help passengers who may struggle to submit an electronic form.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the sale of alcohol airside at international airports in the UK; and what plans they have to bring such sales into line with the sale of alcohol landside.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government keeps the matter of licencing at airports under consideration. There are tough penalties in place for drunk and disruptive behaviour onboard an aircraft, including imprisonment for up to two years or an unlimited fine. Pilots also have the power to deny boarding or force passengers to disembark a plane if they are drunk and threaten the safety of the aircraft or its passengers.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to keep the public service obligation for Belfast International Airport under review.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is vital, which is why we secured a £5.7 million support package in May this year to temporarily support the last remaining service from Belfast to London during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK policy on public service obligations (PSO) is to protect existing routes into London that are in danger of being lost. It is for the relevant local authority or devolved administration to determine the need for a PSO on a route and to submit a business case to DfT for consideration. The local authority must also hold a full and open tender to select an airline to operate the route on an exclusive basis. Airlines select the airports they wish to operate from, if there is more than one option available, as part of their bid.