Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the penalty for driving without (a) a license and (b) L plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy, the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences.
More details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early morning rail connectivity from North East Hampshire to (a) Gatwick Airport and (b) East Croydon.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail services between North East Hampshire and Gatwick Airport are provided by Great Western Railway (GWR) via the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Redhill. There are no direct services from North East Hampshire to East Croydon.
Passengers for East Croydon on this route or from North East Hampshire would need to change trains at Redhill or Gatwick Airport for services to East Croydon via the Brighton Main Line. The Department for Transport is open to proposals for service enhancements that provide improvements for passengers, improve performance, and reduce net subsidy.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support legitimate number plate suppliers in (a) stopping cloning and (b) upholding legal standards.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates.
The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for number plate suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).
Officials are also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement for offences relating to the display of number plates is a matter for the police. The DVLA assists the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers, including those who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.
Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately. Any fines received should be returned to the issuing authorities. The DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also provide a replacement registration number where appropriate.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of public transport to (a) Gatwick Airport and (b) other airports for those travelling on the first flights of the day.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government expects airports to work closely with local stakeholders to develop masterplans and surface access strategies to respond to the needs of the airport. The government recommends that masterplans and surface access strategies be updated every five years to meet the evolving requirements of airport. This can include ensuring suitable transport options to support passengers wanting to catch either the first flight of the day or those arriving on the final flight. We continue to work closely with Gatwick and other airports as they develop their plans.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the adequacy of levels of health and safety compliance by airlines in relation to airline crew.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
UK regulations set out requirements for operators of both aerodromes and aircraft, to mitigate risks and ensure operations are conducted as safely as possible. My officials are in regular contact with the UK’s independent safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who are responsible for enforcing Aviation Safety regulations, as well as advising the Department when regulations may need to be updated. When advising updates to aviation safety regulations, the CAA works closely with industry experts as well as other government bodies, like the Health and Safety executive.
The risk of flight crew fatigue is managed under the flight time limitation (FTL) regulations which limit the number of hours pilots can be on duty. The CAA monitors and oversees UK Airlines’ management of FTL requirements and how these impact pilot fatigue, as well as investigating safety reports that cite fatigue as a contributory factor. The CAA will take action to recommend changes to regulation or update guidance if they see any evidence it may be required to manage the risk of fatigue.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review the threshold at which councils have to act upon road safety concerns.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. They will decide what measures may be appropriate to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents” and they are also responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate.
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. 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: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the value for money of patching potholes rather than providing a permanent fix.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department published a review into the value for money of investment in local highways maintenance, which also set out the cost benefits of proactive and preventative maintenance. The review is available online, at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance
This year, the Government made available an additional £500 million for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network, bringing the total to a record investment of £1.6 billion. 25% of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance. This includes local highway authorities having to demonstrate to Government how much they are spending on highways maintenance, incl. the balance of spend between preventative and reactive maintenance. In this context, the department has written to all local highway authorities to emphasise that when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure, as also set out in the Code of Practice for well-managed highway infrastructure, available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) support bus services in (i) North East Hampshire constituency and (ii) other rural areas and b) reinstate bus routes that have been cancelled.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows how important, reliable and affordable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services. The Government is committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including North East Hampshire and rural areas right across England.
The government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders.
As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Hampshire County Council was allocated £14 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed additional £900m funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of heavy and large goods vehicles on (a) rural roads and (b) the surrounding natural environment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local traffic authorities have powers under Sections 1 & 2 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which allow for the restriction or prohibition of the use of HGVs on any road, for a wide range of safety and environmental reasons. These measures can be implemented by making Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) without reference to the Department for Transport.
The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 provide various signs for authorities to consider if they choose to do this, including signs informing motorists that certain roads are unsuitable for HGVs or if a weight limit is in place. The restrictions are then enforceable by the police.
Local authorities can also introduce extra controls on emissions if there are air quality problems in their area. If air quality falls below required standards, the council should declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and make plans for improvements.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of speeding in rural areas in Hampshire; and what assessment she made of the potential impact of speeding on pedestrians and cyclists' usage of roads in rural areas in Hampshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport recognises that speeding in rural areas, including those in Hampshire, can have a significant impact on road safety and the confidence of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. While the Department has not conducted a specific assessment of prevalence of speeding or its impact on pedestrian and cyclist road usage in rural Hampshire, the latest statistics show there were 686 speed-related collisions in the county in 2023. This represents a slight increase from 660 in 2022. (Note: Rural-specific data isn’t available.)
The DfT issues best practice guidance on setting local speed limits. This is designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set, whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and circumstances.
The guidance can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.