Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate she has made of the number of road haulage businesses entering insolvency in 2023; and what steps he is taking to support that industry.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
In 2023 in the UK, 494 companies with a SIC code 49410 - Freight Transport by Road - entered insolvency.
At Autumn Statement 2023, the Government announced continuing support for haulage companies, freezing HGV Vehicle Excise Duty and the HGV Levy in 2024/25. This forms part of a package of support for hauliers, with the freezing of Fuel Duty announced at Spring Budget 2023, saving over £4,300 for the most common types of HGV in 2023/24.
The Department for Education is also offering high-quality apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps, supporting the haulage sector to develop the skilled workforces it needs.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support the development of hydrogen (a) fuel cells and (b) internal combustion engines for L-category vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Government remains technology neutral and although large portions of the L-category market are already electrifying using batteries, we recognise manufacturers are working with alternative technologies. Acknowledging the need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, we remain open to considering how alternative and other low-carbon fuels may play a role in the transition period from internal combustion engine vehicles to fully electric vehicles. This includes hydrogen, bio and synthetic fuels.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions and with reference to the policy paper entitled Future of Transport: supporting rural transport innovation, published on 2 October 2023, if he will publish further guidance on L-category vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Local Authority Transport Decarbonisation Toolkit provides advice to Local Authorities (LAs) on actions they can take to reduce transport carbon emissions, including through case studies and signposting to other published guidance and methodologies. A chapter on zero emission powered light vehicles will be published shortly, to inform LAs and raise awareness of the vehicle type, highlighting potential benefits and use cases, and setting out the steps to take to adopt and further integrate these vehicles in local areas, should they choose to do so.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, whether he has had discussions with local authorities on the potential merits of using powered light vehicles to support emissions reduction in the last six months.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Local Authority Transport Decarbonisation Toolkit provides advice to Local Authorities (LAs) on actions they can take to reduce transport carbon emissions, including through case studies and signposting to other published guidance and methodologies. A chapter on zero emission powered light vehicles will be published shortly, to inform LAs and raise awareness of the vehicle type, highlighting potential benefits and use cases, and setting out the steps to take to adopt and further integrate these vehicles in local areas, should they choose to do so.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, whether his Department has taken recent steps to review the grant and incentivisation structure since the publication of the Action Plan in February 2022.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Plug-in Motorcycle Grant (PIMG) remains open to new applications for L1e and L3e category vehicles until the end of the current financial year.
Since the publication of the Action Plan in February 2022, the PIMG has undergone continual review to ensure that it is effective in stimulating the growth of the electric-powered light vehicle market, and provides the best value for money to the taxpayer. The Government is currently evaluating the most effective incentives for supporting the future development of the electric-powered light vehicle market, and industry more widely in its transition to zero-emission vehicles.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, if he will make an assessment of the impact of the reduction in the plug-in motorcycle grant on the number of sales of electric-powered light vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The Plug-in Motorcycle Grant (PIMG) remains open to applications for L1e (mopeds) and L3e (motorcycles) category vehicles until at least the end of the current financial year.
Government grants have been available for over a decade to help reduce the up-front purchase price of electric vehicles. Since the introduction of the PIMG in 2011, the market shares for L1e category vehicles and L3e category vehicles have increased to 40.6% and 3.3% respectively. All the Plug-in Vehicle Grants remain under continual review by the Government to ensure they deliver the greatest value for money to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the average value of residential properties with remaining leases of (a) 80 to 71, (b) 70 to 61, (c) 60 to 51, (d) 50 to 41, (e) 40 to 31, (f) 30 to 21, (g) 20 to 11 years and (h) 10 or fewer years.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The impact assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill can be found here. This includes an estimate of the impact of removing marriage value.
The impact assessment also contains information on estimates of the aggregate number of leases below 80 years.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of abolishing marriage value under schedule two of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill on the transfer of wealth overseas by freeholders.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The impact assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill can be found here. This includes an estimate of the impact of removing marriage value.
The impact assessment also contains information on estimates of the aggregate number of leases below 80 years.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of abolishing marriage value under schedule two of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill on the finances of freeholders.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The impact assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill can be found here. This includes an estimate of the impact of removing marriage value.
The impact assessment also contains information on estimates of the aggregate number of leases below 80 years.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of ring-fencing funding within the Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid scheme for natural flood management.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is investing a record £5.2 billion in the floods capital programme. Funding is allocated where the risk is highest and the benefits are greatest.
Natural Flood Management (NFM) is an integral part of the programme with both standalone NFM projects as well as conventional projects including NFM measures.
In September 2023, the Government announced a ring-fenced £25 million fund for improving flood resilience through NFM. Successful projects will be announced early this year.