Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why Britain's share of transshipments has fallen to four per cent from a high of 14 per cent in February 2021; and what steps they are taking to reverse this trend.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The pandemic has provided a challenging period for international and domestic freight movements due to the uncertainly in markets and supply chains. This has impacted on freight operations in the UK, Europe and globally as operators dynamically adjust to the prevailing worldwide conditions. This may have contributed to the factors being reported by FourKites over the last year, however it is too early to assess whether this indicates any broader trend. Government is closely engaged with shipping lines and ports to monitor sector developments.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of data from FourKites, reported in The Daily Telegraph on 28 February, which found that shippers spent an average of more than seven days discharging at British ports compared to a European average of five days; and what assessment they have made of the reason for this difference.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The pandemic has provided a challenging period for international and domestic freight movements due to the uncertainly in markets and supply chains. This has impacted on freight operations in the UK, Europe and globally as operators dynamically adjust to the prevailing worldwide conditions. This may have contributed to the factors being reported by FourKites over the last year, however it is too early to assess whether this indicates any broader trend. Government is closely engaged with shipping lines and ports to monitor sector developments.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to recruit HGV drivers to meet (1) the current shortfall, and (2) the predicted demand given the increase in online retail and e-commerce.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have taken decisive action to address the acute driver shortage, with 32 specific measures taken by the Government already. These include funding apprenticeships, skills bootcamps training for jobseekers, and support for drivers to return to the sector, expanding HGV driver testing capacity and improving licencing processes.
We will continue to work with the road haulage industry and other stakeholders to evaluate the impact of these measures, identify further areas for action and monitor changes in demand.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average processing times of applications for the renewal of driving licences made online; and what steps they are taking to reduce average processing times.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. The average time taken to process successful online driving licence renewal applications between April and October 2021 was two working days.
There are some instances where the customer has transacted online but will need to provide further information via the paper route. For example, if the DVLA is unable to confirm identity details or if a medical condition has been declared and needs to be investigated. This can increase the processing time.