Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of unsold vocational driving test appointments in the last month.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The table below shows the numbers of available slots for vocational testing (Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) & Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV).
| Available slots | Booked slots | % Available |
w/c 01.11.21 | 394 | 2,461 | 14% |
w/c 08.11.21 | 321 | 2,617 | 11% |
w/c 15.11.21 | 299 | 2,621 | 10% |
w/c 22.11.21 | 226 | 2,595 | 8% |
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold on the safety impact of the B+E car and trailer test; and what criteria they will use to review the impact on safety of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021 after three years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There is not currently any statistical evidence to categorically say that competence and skills will worsen if drivers do not take a statutory test to tow a trailer. Road safety has significantly improved over recent decades for several reasons, and it is therefore difficult to identify how much the car trailer test (Category B+E) has made a difference since it was introduced in 1997 or that there is a causal link between road safety and the test. The number of trailer accidents is low, with the proportion of accidents of cars/vans towing a trailer compared to all car/van accidents, as roughly 0.45% in 2019.
Over recent decades, there has been a decline in the number of personal injury accidents for cars/vans towing trailers (with current 2019 accident figures of 474 being around a third of the total in 1997, 1442 accidents). This is likely due to several factors including vehicle safety improvements, road infrastructure improvements, other changes to licencing laws, as well as changes to the theory and practical test (for example the introduction of the hazard perception test). We also know that the number of personal injury accidents involving at least one car or van has also declined over this period (whereby total accidents have halved from 222,181 in 1997 down to 108,348 in 2019).
In respect of the demographics of the drivers towing trailers, our statistics show that individuals generally only start getting their car and trailer licence (Category B+E licences) from their late 30s and 40s onwards, indicating that people tend to start towing within the later age groups. Analysis of the proportion of licence holders relative to accidents involving a vehicle towing a trailer by age reveals injury accidents are higher within lower age groups relative to the number of licences, which mirrors the collision statistics for drivers more generally – although this excludes ages groups above 41 as anyone with a B licence pre-1997 would have acquired automatic right to the B+E licence.
We have committed in the regulations to a post-implementation review after three years and then after five years. We will keep monitoring and gathering data throughout this time to understand the impact on road safety and will take action if needed.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safety assessment they have made of the impact of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
A full impact analysis of these regulations has not been published yet. We have shared information on the road safety impact with the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, which it has published in full in its 15th Report for the session 2021 – 22. This can be found on Parliament’s website. We are working on a fuller assessment which will be published.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when communities will be able to apply for the remainder of the £500 million fund for the reopening of railway lines.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Secretary of State for Transport is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore. He has set out how this should be done and officials are providing further guidance and assistance. He will consider the proposals received and expects to make a further announcement on development funding in the autumn this year.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make funds available for the construction of reopening railway lines, beyond the £500 million feasibility studies.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The £500m is expected to fund both feasibility studies and delivery of new stations and new services on lines reopened to passengers during this Parliament. The value and progress of these will be monitored and the funding will be kept under review.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to fund a feasibility study into the reopening of the Oswestry to Gobowen railway line.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have committed £500m to start restoring train lines and stations closed around the time of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s and 1970s. We are inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore the possibility of reopening train lines and stations. At this stage it is too early to comment on any specific schemes other than those already announced.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to fund a feasibility study for the Uckfield to Lewes railway line.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore restoring railway lines and stations closed in the cuts in the 1960s and 1970s, using the £500m we have made available. Should the Uckfield – Lewes line be put forward as a proposal with appropriate local support, we will consider the case for funding a study.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) miles of lines, and (2) stations, will be re-opened as part of their programme to reverse the Beeching era cuts to the rail network.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The volume of railway lines and stations that will be re-opened through the £500m investment being made during this Government will depend on the costs and value or money of qualifying schemes. The Secretary of State is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate the feasibility studies for the Ashington-Blyth-Tyne trainline in Northumberland and the Fleetwood trainline in Lancashire will be completed.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The restoration of passenger services on the Ashington Blyth Tyne Line is being developed. The Department for Transport funding contribution announced on 28 January will enable completion of an Outline Business Case and a decision soon on proposals for the next ‘Design‘ stage.
Fleetwood is in the early stages and the funding will be used to look at a range of options to reintroduce passenger services. The detail of this study and the completion date is still being determined.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide further hazard warning and safety assurance for personnel providing roadside assistance and repair services.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Highways England recently worked with the SURVIVE group, a partnership between the National Police Chiefs' Council, the breakdown/recovery industry, Highways England and other service providers, to introduce ten ‘Overarching Rules’ for recovery operators providing roadside assistance and repair services. These have been welcomed by all SURVIVE members.
Highways England has also worked with REACT, the national training arm for tyre fitters across England, who regularly operate on the strategic road network.
Highways England would not expect or encourage a recovery operator to work in a live lane without the appropriate support from Highways England staff, a police officer or other appropriate traffic management. Highways England’s traffic officers are trained to protect all vulnerable road users and work to the principle that they only leave a scene once it is clear, or suitable control measures are in place.
In 2017 Highways England worked with the roadside recovery industry and the emergency services to consider four different recovery scenarios for smart motorways. These scenarios were tested live on a full-scale mock-up of an emergency area. As a result of this collaborative exercise, SURVIVE’s best practice guidelines were updated, covering communications and procedures for recovery on a smart motorway. An information film with supporting materials was also produced, and became a core part of an improved training package shared across the recovery industry.