Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s competitive advantage in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, compared to European counterparts.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is optimally positioned to support a thriving hydrogen economy with UK companies at the forefront of hydrogen technology development.
Our approach to hydrogen balances comprehensive funding support with long-term stability, which continues to unlock significant investment.
The EU, and individual EU member states, are important partners for our shared ambitions to scale up our hydrogen sectors quickly and create opportunities for UK companies. And, as the UK Trade Strategy makes clear, supporting our businesses to grow through trade is key to future economic growth.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the consultation on expanding the Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out in the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, we are considering expanding the Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen and will consult on any proposals. We are currently developing a new Hydrogen Strategy and will provide an update on this in due course.
In addition to considering the Clean Industry Bonus, we have a strong offer for domestic manufacturing including support from our Public Finance Institutions and deployment certainty through Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs). Additionally, we welcome the industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content for hydrogen across the value chain from 2030.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether South Western Railway, Greater Anglia or c2c will run Boxing Day services this year, following the nationalisation of those companies.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Greater Anglia plans to run Stansted Express services on Boxing Day this year. Services are expected to operate every 30 minutes and due to engineering work these services will start and terminate from Tottenham Hale.
South Western Railway and c2c are not running Boxing Day services this year.
The Department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer.
Typically, demand for services on Boxing Day is low and much of the network is closed to provide opportunity for essential maintenance. We expect operators and in future, Great British Railways, to continue to consider the case for Boxing Day services where there is demand and they do not further increase the burden on taxpayers.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to help with the infrastructure needed for future electric or hydrogen heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is supporting the uptake of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their supporting charging and fuelling infrastructure through initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck Grant, which is reducing the upfront cost of zero emission HGVs, the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme and the up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID). ZEHID has already funded over 300 Zero Emission HGVs and 73 planned infrastructure locations, representing over 360 chargers which will be operational by March 2026. We will set out further detail on our strategic approach to infrastructure, in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for supporting the decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government is supporting the uptake of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their supporting charging and fuelling infrastructure through initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck Grant, which is reducing the upfront cost of zero emission HGVs, the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme and the up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID). ZEHID has already funded over 300 Zero Emission HGVs and 73 planned infrastructure locations, representing over 360 chargers which will be operational by March 2026. We will set out further detail on our strategic approach to infrastructure, in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with technology companies about how to improve road safety; and which technology companies they have engaged with on this issue.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
DfT are working to realise the potential of road safety data from a wide range of sources, from emerging vehicle technologies and connected vehicle data, to health data and more traditional datasets. By collecting and linking this data, and applying advanced analytical techniques, we aim to generate insights which support evidence-based improvements across the safe system. Our objective is to ensure that data is used for public good, strengthening safety outcomes while maintaining constructive collaboration with industry partners.
Following external analysis of the specific benefits and costs of a range of new vehicle safety technologies, the Government is exploring options for updates to our national type-approval legislation to mandate fitment of these safety technologies and vehicle design features in Great Britain. My department will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the use of automatic crash notification systems by motorists, including vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Emergency call (eCall), an automatic crash notification system, is a legal requirement in all new cars and light vans since 2018. Whilst several aftermarket systems are available, the Government has no current plans to extend this requirement to other vehicle types.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the number of motorcycle deaths.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Improving road safety is a key priority of this Government. For road users who choose to travel by motorcycle, the Department remains committed to ensuring that they are equipped with the specialist skills necessary to stay safe on the road.
Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the MOT system to ensure it fully reflects the technological advances in modern vehicles, and, if so, to set out any timescale for such a review.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The MOT test is a vital part of the systems that keep our roads safe by ensuring drivers maintain their vehicles to a minimum standard. At the heart of the MOT are fundamental mechanical parts such as tyres, brakes, lights, and suspension.
Given the importance of the MOT the Government keeps the content under continual review, both to account for new technology and improve the service. In 2023 a call for evidence asked for views on the future of the MOT. This included areas such as electric vehicles, emissions testing, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Officials have been collecting further evidence on these areas.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of introducing a national prohibition on pavement parking, except in areas explicitly designated by local authorities.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairment. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.
In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate. Recent reforms that the Department has implemented to the process by which Traffic Regulation Orders are made will make it easier for them to do so.