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.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time taken by the DVLA is to remove an untaxed vehicle once reported; and if he will take steps to accelerate the process of removing the untaxed vehicle with registration SB07 ZWK, abandoned outside St Anne's Church on St Anne's Road Denton, which has been reported on 27 August, 30 September and 25 October 2021 by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) wheel clamping contractor covers the whole of the UK and visits different areas on a daily basis. Officials will bring the vehicle mentioned to their attention and ask them to visit the area specified as soon as possible.
However, the removal of abandoned vehicles is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. At times an overlap in enforcement activity may occur as an abandoned vehicle may also be unlicensed.
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 (a) potential role of Restoring Your Railways bids in improving connectivity between areas of higher unemployment to areas of employment growth, and (b) economic impact of improving connectivity between Denton, Reddish and (i) Ashton Moss strategic employment site, (ii) the Stockport town centre mayoral development corporation, (iii) the Manchester regional centre and (iv) Manchester international airport and Airport City strategic employment site.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I would like to congratulate the Hon Member on his successful bid to the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund for restoring passenger services on the rail line from Ashton-under-Lyne to Stockport. The Department has not made a detailed assessment of the economic impacts of improving connectivity in the area at this stage, though I look forward to working with Transport for Greater Manchester to explore these issues as they develop the case further.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make an announcement relating to the Restoring Your Railways fund bid for the line between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stockport, serving Denton and Reddish South stations.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Hon Member will have seen that we announced outcomes to the third round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund in the Autumn Budget, and that his bid for Ashton to Stockport has been successful.
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 waive the two yearly Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card training requirement for HGV drivers to help increase the size of the HGV workforce.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
There is no two-yearly training requirement for driver certificates of professional competence. New lorry drivers obtain driver certificates of professional competence in a testing process alongside HGV driving tests. In order for professional drivers to retain their entitlements, they are required to complete 35 hours (five days’ worth) of periodic training every five years. The requirements are in legislation. The Department is considering this issue alongside taking other measures in the context of the lorry driver workforce.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of shore power installations and charge point facilities at UK ports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government is allocating funding under its Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to projects including on shore power, and will consult this year on the appropriate steps to support and, if needed, mandate the uptake of shore power in the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, what plans he has to invest in additional maritime decarbonisation initiatives.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of economic development that investing in maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.
In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.
The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.
The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.
Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.
Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.
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 made of the implications for his policies of Maritime UK’s proposal for investment in maritime decarbonisation as part of the upcoming Spending Review.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.
In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.
The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.
The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.
Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.
Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further support his Department plans to provide to help decarbonise the UK’s maritime sector.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.
In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.
The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.
The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.
Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.
Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.