Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27960 on the Cycle to Work Scheme: Northern Ireland and the Answer of 11 October 2024 to Question 5735 on Bicycles: Subsidies, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of working with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on improving access to cycles for people excluded from the cycle to work scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials from this Department regularly meet with their counterparts from the other parts of the UK, including the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, to compare notes on how each is approaching a wide range of active travel issues. The Department’s officials would be happy to explore this topic with their counterparts in the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, but in practice nearly all of the ways of improving access to cycles for those people in Northern Ireland who are unable to use the cycle to work scheme would be devolved matters for the Northern Ireland government.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled The cycling opportunity by Sustrans, published in September 2024, what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on the Cycle to Work Scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Cycle to Work Scheme is a salary sacrifice scheme and any changes to it would be a matter for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The Department continues to have conversations with HMRC regarding the scheme, but has had no such discussions with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to increase (a) sustainable travel options and (b) (i) rail and (ii) sail provision between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK ferry market predominantly operates on a private sector, commercial basis without government support or intervention. As such decisions on increased services is a matter for the relevant operators, and we note that there are multiple routing options for ferry access between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is considering options to decarbonise the domestic maritime sector which - alongside the expansion of the UK ETS to domestic maritime from 2026, will deliver more sustainable travel options between GB and NI.
The Northern Ireland rail network is fully devolved, operated by Translink and provided grant capital from Department for infrastructure.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to help improve accessibility on flights for disabled passengers.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Accessible air travel is a key priority, and everyone should be able to fly with ease and dignity. Government is committed to working closely with industry and stakeholders to make progress in improving aviation accessibility.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the number of commercial long haul (a) routes and (b) flights operating from airports in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Through their work to negotiate, update and enforce the UK’s extensive portfolio of bilateral and multilateral “Air Services Agreements” my officials seek to: maximise business opportunities and ensure a level playing field for our airlines and airports; minimise administrative and cost burdens for industry; and remove barriers to operational and commercial flexibility.
This approach helps to deliver international connectivity, choice and value for money, benefitting businesses and consumers. The rights secured by my officials enable services to and from airports throughout the UK, but whether to exercise those rights is, of course, a commercial decision for airlines.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 187126 on Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Post Office, how long the extension to the DVLA's contract with the Post Office to provide those DVLA services is.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
An extension to the contract between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Post Office has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices to 31 March 2024.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to EU regulation 2019/2144 on vehicle safety systems, whether the UK has adopted that regulation; and under what circumstances truck and vehicle manufacturers have to comply with that legislation.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
EU regulation 2019/2144 was not retained in UK law and does not form part of the GB type approval scheme. Vehicles manufacturers will need to comply with the regulation if they intend to sell their products in Northern Ireland or into the EU.
Vehicle standards are kept under review and a decision will be taken in due course as to whether to introduce any of the relevant technologies in Great Britain as part of our wider programme to modernise vehicle standards
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of EU regulation 2019/2144 on the purchasing and selling of vehicles from the UK into the European Single Market; and whether he plans to adopt proposals similar to that regulation into UK law.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
UK manufacturers selling their products into the EU must ensure their vehicles are approved to the relevant EU regulations, including the technical requirements laid out in Regulation (EU) 2019/2144.
Vehicle standards are kept under review and a decision will be taken in due course as to whether to introduce any of the relevant technologies in Great Britain as part of our wider programme to modernise vehicle standards.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House to schedule parliamentary time to take forward the introduction of mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Effective disability awareness training can help ensure drivers have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide passengers with appropriate assistance, helping them to travel independently.
Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a devolved matter in all UK nations. The Department for Transport remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers in England through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. We continue to work through the normal government channels to identify a suitable legislative vehicle and sufficient Parliamentary time to take forward this important measure.
In the meantime, we will publish a consultation on updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities in England later in the year, including a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to introduce mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers through new national minimum standards for licensing authorities in 2022.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Effective disability awareness training can help ensure drivers have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide passengers with appropriate assistance, helping them to travel independently.
Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a devolved matter in all UK nations. The Department for Transport remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers in England through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. We continue to work through the normal government channels to identify a suitable legislative vehicle and sufficient Parliamentary time to take forward this important measure.
In the meantime, we will publish a consultation on updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities in England later in the year, including a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training.