Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Barry Sheerman Excerpts
Thursday 2nd July 2020

(3 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait Chris Heaton-Harris
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend is right to say that we need to capitalise on the unprecedented growth in active travel that we have seen recently, especially on bicycles and e-bicycles. He is completely correct about e-scooters; these trials will only include rental scooters. This will allow them to take place in a controlled manner while we assess the safety and other impacts. A wide range of e-scooters are available, building to different standards. I would like to think that the trials will demonstrate how useful they are in the mix for active travel.

Barry Sheerman Portrait Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)
- Hansard - -

Whether the Government plan to make a sustainable transport plan implementation strategy mandatory for every local authority.

Rachel Maclean Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Rachel Maclean)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Local areas have a key role to play in decarbonising transport and stimulating a green recovery. We welcome plans from local authorities, and have supported their shift to cycling and walking with a £250 million emergency active travel fund.

Barry Sheerman Portrait Mr Sheerman [V]
- Hansard - -

Will the Minister ratchet up the sense of urgency on this? We need sustainable towns right across the country, and sustainable transport is at the heart of that. We could already transform taxis to electric or hybrid, and change our buses. We can do so much now. Will she put more pressure on—and give more resources to—local authorities so that they lead the way, and will she support our new commission on road air quality?

Rachel Maclean Portrait Rachel Maclean
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I assure the hon. Gentleman that I completely share his desire to do things faster than they have been done to date. We have brought forward the e-scooter trials, which will see e-scooters being rolled out in Tees Valley and across the country to immediately harness the benefits of the green air that we are seeing as a result of the pandemic lockdown situation. A whole host of other measures are coming onstream, all backed up by £2 billion of Government support for active travel including cycling and walking. We will continue to work on this through our transport decarbonisation plan.