Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Civil Aviation Authority regarding increases in airport car-parking charges.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws.
The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. The Department has made no representations to the Civil Aviation Authority as this is a commercial matter for airports.
Any grievance about charges for car parking should be raised with the airport operator directly. However, the Department for Transport expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to local authorities to address accidents caused by pot holes.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland responsibility for maintaining the highway rests with the respective devolved administration.
In England, local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area.
In addition to the capital highways maintenance funding provided by Government, the Department works with the highways sector to produce guidance and best practice and encourages good practice in local highways asset management. The Department endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’. This provides guidance for highway authorities to consider when managing and maintaining the highways infrastructure assets for which they are responsible.
In addition, the Government commissioned ‘Potholes: a repair guide’, published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) in March 2019.
In the 2022 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor confirmed the three-year settlement announced at Spending Review 2021: approximately £915 million capital funding per year for local highways maintenance for local highway authorities across England outside of London and the mayoral combined authorities who are in receipt of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).
In addition, at Budget 2023 the Chancellor announced an extra £200 million for highways maintenance for the 2023/24 financial year.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of lorry drivers to fill workforce shortages.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are supporting apprenticeships, including to train lorry drivers. A revised standard will be available from 1 August 2021 attracting £7,000 in apprenticeship levy funding. There is also an incentive payment of £3,000 available for new apprentices of any age with an employment start date of 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.
The Department for Work and Pensions is developing a scheme to train jobseekers in HGV driving. The Flexible Support Fund is available to help the unemployed or those in receipt of Universal Credit renew their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
The Department has provided a grant for the non-profit initiative Road to Logistics to train military service leavers, ex-offenders and the long term unemployed to move into jobs in the logistics sector, including lorry driving.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when travel restrictions will be lifted to allow travel from the UK to the United States of America.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Travel from the UK to the US is restricted under Presidential Executive Order and regulations 212(f). These measures have now been in place for over 400 days and meaningful travel cannot begin in earnest until the US lifts these restrictions.
The Prime Minster and President Biden have made clear the importance of bringing about the return of safe trans-Atlantic travel as soon as possible. The newly formed joint UK-US Experts’ Working Group is now underway, and we are working closely with our US partners on delivering this important goal.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will decide whether or not a third runway is approved at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government has set up the Airports Commission to examine the question of how best to maintain the UK’s international hub connectivity.
As its Interim Report shows, the Airports Commission has shortlisted two options at Heathrow Airport as well as an option at Gatwick for further study.
The Commission’s final report is due to be submitted to Government in summer 2015. The Government’s principle concern is to protect the integrity and independence of the Commission through to the final report and will not be commenting on its ongoing work.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Northern Ireland Aviation Strategy.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State for Transport has had no recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on a Northern Ireland Aviation Strategy.
The Secretary of State gave evidence to the Parliamentary Northern Ireland Committee, and the Government responded to the Committee’s report on an air strategy for Northern Ireland in 2013.
Air transport policy in the United Kingdom remains a reserved issue. However some related matters including surface access to airports and those pertaining to land use planning are devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Class 3 mobility scooters have been registered for road use in London in each of the last three years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The number of Class 3 mobility scooters licensed at the end of 2011, 2012 and 2013 in Greater London is as follows:-
2011: 2,666
2012: 3,129
2013: 3,697
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the expanded Air Development Fund announced in the Budget Statement 2014 will apply throughout the UK: and how that fund will operate in the devolved jurisdictions.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London – first announced in the 2013 Spending Round last June – will increase from £10million to £20million per year, and would be expanded to include provision for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports, including those in the devolved administrations, which handle fewer than five million passengers per year.
The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union State aid guidelines on start-up aid for new air routes, and explain how the funding process will operate across the UK.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department and the Highways Agency are taking to reduce the risk of death or serious injury to road workers on the motorway network.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
As part of its Aiming for Zero safety programme, the Highways Agency established a Road Worker Safety programme designed to reduce risk exposure to road workers, a particular focus of which is to reduce the incidences of carriageway crossing by road workers. Within this programme, a number of projects have been commissioned to test simplifications and other changes to temporary traffic management arrangements to reduce road worker exposure to live traffic whilst maintaining standards of safety for road users. Some of these projects have been completed already; for example Signs Simplification, implemented December 2011, and Offside Signs Removal techniques, implemented November 2012.
The introduction of these innovative changes has already enabled a very substantial reduction in the number of carriageway crossings, leading to a proportionate reduction in road worker risk exposure. In March 2014 the Highways Agency published further guidance on the Offside Signs Removal technique, allowing it to be used to close a four lane carriageway. The Highways Agency is continuing to work with its supply chain to take forward further projects within this programme with the aim of further reducing road worker risk.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what commercial products his Department or the Highways Agency has mandated for use in road traffic management on the motorway network in the last 10 years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There are no products used by the Highways Agency which have been mandated in terms of what is used for road traffic management. These products are used by staff and contractors for the Highways Agency and such items are procured using a specification via a tender arrangement and not directed by the Department for Transport, or Ministers.