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Written Question
Transport: Hydrogen
Monday 27th March 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is planning to produce a hydrogen transport strategy.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The British Energy Security Strategy, UK Hydrogen Strategy and Transport Decarbonisation Plan set out hydrogen’s role in the UK’s transition to a net zero economy. In transport, hydrogen has an important potential role to play in decarbonising heavier applications such as aviation, shipping,some buses and HGVs.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant on the Answer of 24 January 2023 to Question 126690 on Railways: Concessions, what consultation (a) his Department, (b) the Rail Delivery Group and (c) the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee has had with (i) disabled people and (ii) disabled persons organisations as part of its eligibility criteria review for the Disabled Persons Railcard.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department’s statutory advisor, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), has provided expert advice as part of the review. DPTAC takes account of the broad views and experiences of all disabled people when engaging on policy and develops its advice through engagement with organisations representing disabled people. In addition, the Rail Delivery Group has undertaken targeted research with disabled people to inform the review.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people with Multiple Sclerosis have obtained a Disabled Person’s Railcard.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.

With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people living with Multiple Sclerosis have obtained a Disabled Person’s Railcard in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.

With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard to all people in the UK living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.

With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of applicants for a Disabled Person’s Railcard had Multiple Sclerosis in each year since 2018.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.

With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people applied for a Disabled Person’s Railcard in each year since 2018.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.

With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.


Written Question
Railways: Concessions
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have obtained a Disabled Person’s Railcard in each of the last five years.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The table below presents the number of one and three year disabled persons railcards issued annually from April 2017 to March 2022. Periodic data is also available from the Office of Rail and Road’s website which is available here:

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/passenger-experience/disabled-persons-railcards/

Table: Number of existing and newly issued, and one year and three year Disabled Persons Railcards (DPRC) issued, Great Britain

Financial Year

Number of existing and newly issued DPRC in circulation as at 31 March

Number of one year DPRC issued

Number of three year DPRC issued

April 2017 to March 2018

222,616

108,402

39,656

April 2018 to March 2019

239,037

115,494

44,697

April 2019 to March 2020

246,336

115,518

46,465

April 2020 to March 2021

148,608

39,462

17,984

April 2021 to March 2022

218,448

106,219

47,780

Source: Office of Rail and Road, Disabled Persons Railcards (DPRC) in circulation and issued, (Table 4310) Notes: The number of issued DPRCs was severely impacted in the year April 2020 to March 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic.


Written Question
Motorcycles: Coronavirus
Friday 3rd July 2020

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish data on the use of motorcycles during the covid-19 outbreak in line with the data published by his Department entitled Transport use by mode: Great Britain, since 1 March 2020.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Road traffic data on the use of motorcycles during the COVID-19 pandemic is not available.

Road traffic data published as part of ‘Transport use by mode: Great Britain, since 1 March 2020’ is based on approximately 275 automatic traffic counter sites, as used for the Quarterly Road Traffic National Statistics publication series.

As with the Quarterly series (where motorcycle traffic estimates are not published), the pattern and relative infrequency of motorcycle travel means that robust estimates of change in use of this mode during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are unavailable.


Written Question
Motorcycles: Coronavirus
Monday 18th May 2020

Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include commuter motorcycling within his transport policy response to covid-19 announced on 9 May 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

We recognise the social distancing benefits of using motorcycles at this time. However, the Department is keen to encourage cycling and walking as healthy and environmentally friendly forms of travel that support social distancing as well. More people have been cycling and walking during lockdown and it is the right time to encourage people to continue with this travel behaviour.