Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3453 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what support the Government has provided to the Powered Light Vehicle Community in the last 12 months.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has provided the powered light vehicle sector with a variety of support to assist in the transition to zero emission vehicles. The plug-in motorcycle grant, introduced in 2017 to stimulate the early market for zero emission mopeds and motorcycles, has provided over £8m to support the purchase of over 12,000 zero emission mopeds and motorcycles. To grow and develop the zero-emission powered light vehicle supply chain in the UK, the Government has made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) architectural and (b) safety requirements for L-Category vehicles on the transition of those vehicles to net zero emissions.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Zero emission L-category vehicles can currently be brought to market through the existing regulatory regime which includes electrical safety requirements. These type approval standards primarily flow from international regulations which are constantly monitored to ensure they remain fit for purpose with respect to evolving technology.
We expect to consult on introducing a new GB type approval scheme in the future which will provide an opportunity to reflect on the potential for new categories or technical requirements.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3453 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what progress he has made on delivering powered light vehicle action plan items (a) 1, (b) 4, (c) 5, (d) 7, (e) 8 and (f) 10.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government continues to engage with industry to deliver the Motorcycle Industry Association and Zemo Partnership’s Action Plan where appropriate.
On action 1, pressures on the legislative timetable mean that Government is not planning to legislate for micromobility in the Fourth Session but remains committed to obtaining further evidence for future legislation to strengthen the evidence base.
On action 4, the plug-in motorcycle grant, introduced in 2017 to stimulate the early market for zero emission mopeds and motorcycles, has provided over £8m to support the purchase of over 12,000 zero emission mopeds and motorcycles.
On action 5, Government recently worked with the Energy Saving Trust to promote zero emission L-category vehicles to consumers and businesses where they had potential to significantly decarbonise personal transport and light freight, enabling people to choose how best to make journeys.
On action 7, the Government published its Future of Transport Rural Transport Innovation guidance in November 2023. This set out how innovative new transport technologies and services can help local authorities respond to rural-specific transport challenges, as well as making up to £3 million available for local authorities to trial and test these technologies.
On action 8, the Department will continue to engage with Local Authorities to help support them decarbonise their transport systems.
On action 10, as the zero-emission powered light vehicle sector grows, Government will continue to work with the sector to support and consider how to best overcome demand side challenges, including the infrastructure needs of these vehicles.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2023 to Question 5003 on Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the UK L-Category sector of the creation of a new vehicle category as a result of regulatory misalignment with international markets.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
L-category vehicles must be type approved to technical standards that primarily flow from international regulations. These are constantly monitored to ensure they remain fit for purpose with respect to evolving technology.
We expect to consult on introducing a new GB type approval scheme in the future which will provide an opportunity to reflect on the potential for new categories and technical requirements.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making CCTV compulsory in taxis.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued in 2020 provides the Government’s view on the merits of installing CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles; that it can deter those drivers that seek to abuse their position of trust and be of investigative and evidential value when this is alleged.
The use of CCTV can provide a safer environment not just for passengers but also for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers who often face verbal and physical assault, which is frequently racially motivated, and from false accusations.
All licensing authorities should consult to identify if there are local circumstances which indicate that the installation of CCTV in vehicles would have either a positive or an adverse net effect on the safety of taxi and private hire vehicle users and drivers, taking into account potential privacy issues.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to relieve congestion on roads in Hampshire.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
On Monday of this week we published the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deals, including both Deals which cover Hampshire; Solent LEP and EM3 LEP.
Working with the Solent LEP, Government has agreed to fund 2 schemes to relieve congestion on the Gosport peninsula.
The Gosport Road and A27 improvement scheme and The Peel Common Roundabout Improvement scheme, a pinch point on the local road network near the Enterprise Zone, Daedalus.
While Stubbington Bypass and the Newgate Lane South schemes were not allocated funding in the deal directly, there is a commitment for the Government and the LEP to negotiate in 2014 a further phase of co investment to deliver strategic infrastructure to support the development of network capacity to and from the Gospport peninsula – including Stubbington Bypass.
Working with the EM3 LEP, Government has agreed to fund 3 schemes to relieve congestion around Basingstoke; Basingstoke Northern Corridor to Growth A33, Basingstoke North Eastern Corridor A340 partial dualling and the Basingstoke South Western Corridor scheme. All of these schemes will reduce current congestion levels and help mitigate future congestion from new housing and business sites.
The Whitehill/Bordon Relief road will remove the severance caused by the A325 and improve traffic flows through the towns to reduce congestion.
EM3 have also been allocated £20.7m, with £4.3m in the first year to for a transport fund which will comp[rise of sustainable transport schemes to alleviate congestion in the identified growth and step up towns within the LEP area