Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the charging infrastructure that will be required to support the electrification of (a) HGV's and (b) cars.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with industry stakeholders to develop a zero emission HGV and coach infrastructure strategy for publication in 2024.
The strategy will set strategic direction and outline the respective roles and responsibilities of both government and industry to ensure the delivery of the refuelling and recharging infrastructure required to meet the 2035 and 2040 end of sale dates for new non-zero emission HGVs. This follows on from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which focused on cars and vans.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take steps to encourage private investment in the electrification of the HGV fleet.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with industry stakeholders to develop a zero emission HGV and coach infrastructure strategy for publication in 2024.
The strategy will set strategic direction and outline the respective roles and responsibilities of both government and industry to ensure the delivery of the refuelling and recharging infrastructure required to meet the 2035 and 2040 end of sale dates for new non-zero emission HGVs. This follows on from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which focused on cars and vans.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the carbon emissions emitted by HGVs compared to cars.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2021, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) emitted 21.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions (measured in CO2e) in the UK. In the same year, cars emitted 56.9 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of road conditions on motorists.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport works with local highway authorities and with National Highways to assess road surface condition across England annually. Local highway authorities undertake automated road condition surveys on their classified road networks, and their surveys identify road defects and provide an overall score of road condition. The latest data was published on gov.uk on 23 November.
As part of the Government’s Network North plan, local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from the biggest ever increase in funding for local highway networks. The details of this £8.3 billion funding increase were set out in the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 20 November, and in his letter to Parliamentary colleagues.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to allocate further funding for the repair of potholes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport works with local highway authorities and with National Highways to assess road surface condition across England annually. Local highway authorities undertake automated road condition surveys on their classified road networks, and their surveys identify road defects and provide an overall score of road condition. The latest data was published on gov.uk on 23 November.
As part of the Government’s Network North plan, local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from the biggest ever increase in funding for local highway networks. The details of this £8.3 billion funding increase were set out in the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 20 November, and in his letter to Parliamentary colleagues.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delay in the phase out of the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035 on (a) consumer uptake of electric vehicles and (b) inward investment into the electric vehicle industry.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) mandate will support the delivery of the 2035 phase out dates and remains one of the most ambitious regulatory frameworks in the world. It will secure adequate supply of ZEVs to support continued consumer uptake of these vehicles.
The ZEV mandate also provides long term policy certainty to industry, generating inward investment in the automotive and chargepoint sectors. This is demonstrated in the scale of investment from the private sector. Over the last few years there has been over £6 billion private investment in the electric vehicle industry, including from Tata, BMW, Stellantis and Nissan. In addition the UK chargepoint industry has committed £6 billion in the development and operation of chargepoints before 2030.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delay in implementing the Rapid Charging Fund on (a) demand for electric vehicles and (b) inward investment into the electric vehicle industry.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rapid Charging Fund (RCF) is a complex long-term project, requiring new approaches to enable substantial investments from government and industry to future-proof key locations. Testing with stakeholders, prior to opening the fund, has benefitted the design and delivery arrangements.
The RCF will help ensure that the private sector can continue to expand the charging network and future-proof electricity network capacity 10 years ahead to a minimum of 2035, with a stretch target of 2050.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to extend the maximum axle weights and gross vehicle weights derogation given to two and three axle electric HGVs to four and six axle electric HGVs.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 increased maximum gross vehicle weight limits for some zero emission four or six axle HGV combinations. Increases for other rigid four or six axle HGVs, or amendments to axle weight limits will result in increased road wear and may also damage infrastructure, and are not currently being pursued. However, bids have been invited by the Department for further research.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the trend in the level of average fuel prices in the period between 25 October 2023 and 22 November 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department publishes average fuel prices for the UK on a weekly basis. The average road fuel prices on 20 November in the UK were 150.5 pence per litre for petrol and 158.4 pence per litre for diesel. Both have decreased week-on-week, by -0.6 percent and –0.7 percent respectively) over the past month.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the difference between fuel prices (a) on and (b) not on motorways.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to him on 18 September to Question UIN 199076.