Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to highlight (a) statutory and (b) Highway Code rules relating to idling vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Enforcement against idling is primarily the responsibility of Local Authorities, who have powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to drivers idling unnecessarily. Guidance for Local Authorities on idling enforcement makes clear that they should take steps to publicise the need to avoid idling to improve air quality and the penalties for failing to do so.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of idling stationary vehicles on levels of CO2 emissions.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The impact of idling stationary vehicles is not specifically assessed in transport emissions statistics.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department produced a Ministerial response under the write round process to the Department for Education's review of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, which of his Department’s commitments in that strategy that have not been paused as a result of legal action have (a) been fully, (b) been partially and (c) not been implemented.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In January 2022, the High Court declared the National Disability Strategy (NDS) was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations.
The Department for Transport (DfT) had 20 transport accessibility commitments included in the NDS. None of these policies was paused, however to date, eight commitments have been fully implemented. Most recently, this includes the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations (AIR), which was passed by Parliament in May 2023. This requires the provision of audible and visible information on-board local bus and coach services across Great Britain. Work continues to implement the remaining 12 commitments.
DfT remain fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society. To support this, DfT will be providing further details of our recent achievements to improve disabled people’s lives in the forthcoming Disability Action Plan consultation due for publication in the summer.
Ahead of this, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work will write providing a list of these achievements and will place a copy in the House Library.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time is for the renewal of a medical driving licence by the DVLA.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The average time to make a licensing decision during the current financial year, where the driving licence applicant had declared a medical condition, is 97.7 working days. This figure includes new applications, notifications and renewals.
The length of time taken to deal with an application depends on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, such as NHS healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.
It is important to note that the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they have not been told not to drive by a doctor or optician.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the entitlement of Ukrainian refugees to drive Ukrainian registered vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by a non-UK resident are exempt from UK registration and licensing requirements for up to six months, in any 12-month period. Following that, foreign nationals wishing to use their vehicle while they are staying in the UK will need to register.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) recognises the unique circumstances for Ukrainians entering the UK and will support any foreign nationals with the registration and tax process.