Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to carry out his statutory responsibilities under the Environment Protection Act 1989 to keep strategic highway land clear of litter and tipping.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator. National Highways is committed to reporting the percentage of the Strategic Road Network on which National Highways hold litter clearance responsibility, that had no litter, refuse or detritus, or was predominately free of litter, refuse or detritus apart from some small items in line with the Code of practice on litter and refuse published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Department, alongside the independent Highways Monitor (Office for Rail and Road) regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved.
We are developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) and continue to explore potential metrics for inclusion in RIS3 performance specification, as well as possible improvements to existing metrics such as litter. We are working to ensure that the targeted metrics in RIS3 – the Key Performance Indicators focus on the things that are most important to road users and contribute to wider government priorities. This process will involve considering the responses to the forthcoming public consultation on National Highways’ Strategic Road Network Initial Report.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the service provided by Avanti.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Avanti West Coast has started to increase its service levels, targeting additional trains every day where they are most needed and train crew resources allow, but the current service remains insufficient. The issues experienced on Avanti West Coast are exactly why we need to modernise the railways, to ensure passengers get a reliable timetable no matter when they travel and are not relying on drivers working overtime in order to run a full service.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the number of UK expats in Spain who are no longer able to drive legally in that country with a UK license and who were not able to swap to a Spanish license prior to the deadline of the 1 January 2021; and if she will have discussions with his Spanish counterpart on that matter.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We assess the majority of UK licence holders in Spain registered their intent to exchange, as they were advised to, before 31 December 2020. They are therefore unaffected.
UK licences holders resident in Spain and currently unable to drive primarily fall in three groups:
Negotiations with the Spanish Government are ongoing.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the prevalence of UK expats in Spain who are no longer able to drive legally in that country with a UK license and who were not able to register their intention to swap to a Spanish license prior to the deadline of the 1 January 2021 as a result of not yet being a resident in Spain; and whether he has had discussions with his Spanish counterpart on that matter.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The lack of a driving licence exchange agreement with Spain primarily affects three groups:
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of people affected in each group.
The UK and Spain have rapidly accelerated talks on driving licence exchange since the Secretary of State for Transport discussed the issue with Spanish ministers on 29 April 2022.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the duration of accessibility to the Bus Recovery Grant beyond April 2022.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.
We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.
To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support bus providers that may be unable to offer full services after the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant in April 2022.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.
We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.
To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant in April 2022 on the ability of bus services to maintain levels of service.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.
We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.
To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the value for money to the public purse of (a) protecting existing levels of bus provision and (b) rebuilding bus service provision from a passenger base which may be up to 30 per cent lower than before the covid-19 outbreak, as reported by the Urban Transport Group in Continuing COVID Funding Support for Urban Public Transport, published in February 2022.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department has conducted analysis on current service levels and future passenger trends, informed by input of stakeholders such as the Confederation of Passenger Transport and the Urban Transport Group. We are currently discussing with HMT the costs and benefits of extending the Bus Recovery Grant scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant on the UK's ability to meet net zero objectives.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State for Transport frequently has discussions with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a wide range of issues. In July 2021 we published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan – the first such Plan in the world – which sets the transport sector on the path to net zero by 2050. Commitments set out in the plan include ending the sale of all new non zero emission road vehicles by 2040, delivering the supporting charging infrastructure network, delivering the National Bus Strategy, which will improve services and support the delivery of zero emission buses and required infrastructure, and investing £2bn in active travel with the aim of half of all journeys in our towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer on 15 September 2021 to question 47036 on Taxis: Licensing, what plans her Department has to reform regulation of the taxi and private hire vehicle sector; and what plans she has to publish proposed reforms.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued last year and is supporting a Private Members’ Bill (Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill) which would further enhance the protection the licensing regime provides to the public. A consultation on updated best practice guidance for licensing authorities will be launched shortly.
The Government is committed to introducing legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to reform the regulation of the sector.