Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the amount of fuel made from used cooking oil and other waste products.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Building on the success of Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in supporting a market for fuels made from waste, the Government set out a fifteen-year strategy for renewable transport fuels last September in “The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order: Government Response to consultations on amendments” (Cm 9494), which is available in the Libraries of both Houses. The strategy includes increased targets for the supply of renewable fuels, and measures to promote advanced development fuels derived from waste.
These legislative changes were made in March. Biodiesel made from Used Cooking Oil will remain eligible for double certificates, which can be used in meeting the increased targets.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support councils to repair road damage caused by the increased use of roads by heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Potholes are a menace to all road users and the Government is taking the steps to help local highway authorities improve the condition of the roads for which they are responsible, including tackling potholes.
Accordingly, the Government is providing £296 million between 2016 and 2021 to local highway authorities in England, outside London, to help repair potholes and stop them forming.
This funding is in addition to just under £6 billion which the Government is providing to local highway authorities for local highway maintenance in England, outside London between 2015 and 2021.
The Department for Transport announced in January 2017 that it is undertaking an innovative trial on the way potholes are identified and managed, working in partnership with Thurrock, York and Wiltshire councils and two private sector SMEs, Soenecs and Gaist. This trial allows high-definition cameras to be mounted to refuse collection vehicles and by deploying innovative intelligent software will identify road surface problems before they become potholes. The trial recently won an award for the best use of new technology in the highways sector.
The Government also announced in March 2018 that it is investing more than £900,000 in innovations using connected vehicles to help councils more efficiently manage and plan maintenance works.
These trials will ultimately help provide councils with data to enable them to repair potholes before they occur as well as maintain their other assets more effectively as part of their asset management plans. This will help prevent further potholes and other road defects occurring over time.
The Department for Transport is also providing funding to the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) to work on technological and innovative improvements to future-proof the local road network.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require the introduction of an express-style train service to London Luton Airport.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
Once electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby is complete in 2020, passengers at Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway will benefit from a new, dedicated, fast commuter service into London St Pancras. The electric trains will be longer, with more seats.
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for more trains to stop at Luton Airport Parkway each day.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government and rail industry are investing in the biggest improvement in rail travel since the Victorian era, including through the upgrade of the Midland Main Line. This programme will improve rail journeys for passengers using the Midland Main Line to travel into London St Pancras.
Once electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby is complete in 2020, passengers at Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport Parkway will benefit from a new, dedicated, fast commuter service into London St Pancras. The electric trains will be longer, with more seats.
We are also considering the case for additional services to Luton Airport Parkway and have been working collaboratively with Luton Airport to understand their proposals. Any outcome will seek to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer, be in the best interests of rail passengers.
All options for rail services in the next East Midlands rail franchise are subject to analysis of the potential benefits and our consultation with stakeholders, which closed on 11 October 2017. Thus, no decisions have been made on rail services that will be specified for the next franchise. The next franchise is planned to start in August 2019. Invitations to Tender are due to be issued to potential bidders later this year. The ITT will set out the minimum requirements and provide the baseline that we expect the next franchise to build on.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits to airports of having express-style railway services.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
High quality, efficient and reliable road and rail access to airports contributes greatly to the experience of passengers, freight operators and airport employees. Airport access needs to accommodate a range of different consumers and the transport links available are likely to influence passenger behaviour. As part of the government’s aviation strategy, we will be looking at a range of elements including surface access and considering how co-ordination between government processes for transport access improvements and airport plans may be improved.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of train connectivity and train services in West Yorkshire, in comparison with other parts of England.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
As part of its long-term strategy , the Department for Transport has contracted longer trains and more frequent services, allowing rail commuters into Leeds to benefit from a 52% increase in the number of seats in the morning peak on TransPennine Express (TPE) trains, and a 37% increase on Northern trains. To more widely improve connectivity in West Yorkshire we have contracted various service benefits to be delivered by December 2019 for Leeds, Bradford and the surrounding area, which include:
Leeds:
Bradford:
Other locations will also benefit, including:
The Department does not compare train services from area to area as assessments are conducted on the needs of the individual areas they serve.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many trade licence plates have been approved by the DVLA; and how many are currently in use.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The trade licensing scheme allows motor traders to use vehicles that are temporarily in their possession without the need to register and license each vehicle. A trade plate must be displayed on the vehicle, and each trade plate must be supported by a valid trade licence.
Between January and November 2017, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency approved 11,051 new applications for trade licences and trade plates. During the same period, 54,483 trade licences were renewed for use with existing trade plates.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much income they received from the sale of private number plates in each year since 2010.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The table below shows the income, exclusive of VAT, which the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has passed to HM Treasury as Consolidated Fund Extra Receipts from the sale of private registration numbers since April 2010:
Financial Year | Net Income Passed to HM Treasury from Sale of Personalised Registrations |
2010/11 | 70,405,000 |
2011/12 | 58,209,000 |
2012/13 | 57,084,000 |
2013/14 | 64,322,000 |
2014/15 | 79,591,000 |
2015/16 | 96,657,000 |
2016/17 | 110,059,000 |
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total amount raised by the heavy goods vehicle road user levy since April 2014.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The HGV Levy has raised £744 million between April 2014, when it began, and November 2017, which is the most recent month we have figures for.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Statutory Off Road Notifications were received by the DVLA in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, and (3) 2017.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The table below shows the number of Statutory Off-Road Notifications received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency over the last three calendar years. Figures for 2017 are only available from January to November.
| 2015 | 2016 | Jan-Nov 2017 |
Number of Statutory off Road Notifications | 3,410,483 | 3,625,901 | 3,519,333 |