Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money South Tyneside Council has returned to his Department from grants allocated in the last two years as of 19 January 2023.
Answered by Jesse Norman
South Tyneside Council has not returned any money from grants to the Department for Transport in the last two years as of 19 January 2023.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the pass rate for the Chief Mate Stability paper of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping exam in each of the last five years; whether he has had discussions with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on the exam; and if he will discuss with the MCA potential steps to increase the pass rate.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Chief Mate Stability paper is administered by Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). SQA formally hold pass rate statistics, but I am aware that the MCA continually monitor the exam pass rates and is currently working with the relevant industry representatives to increase the pass rate and improve the quality of the exam.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what South Tyneside Council's allocation of the Transforming Cities Funding was.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
As announced at Budget 2020, North East region will be receiving £198 million in capital grant funding to be paid over four years from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This builds on the £10m awarded for quick-win schemes in March 2019 as part of Tranche 1. The funding is for public transport improvements in the North East as outlined in their Strategic Outline Business Case.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to maintain the international competitiveness of UK seafarer training.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department for Transport have established a Maritime Skills Commission (MSC) to lead the sector’s work in ensuring the maritime sector has a pipeline of talented people to serve all parts of the sector. The Commissions has recently completed and published a review of seafarer cadet training. Working with stakeholders the MSC and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will look at taking forward these recommendations.
Refreshing the seafarer training system in the UK will allow the well-regarded UK maritime training sector to strengthen its position internationally and meet the future skills needs of the sector.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May to Question 258 on Joint Maritime Security Centre; what the financial contributions are of (a) his Department, (b) the Ministry of Defence and (c) the Home Office; which other Departments contribute financially; what the financial contribution is of those other Departments; and which Department has lead responsibility.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
In 2020/21, the Joint Maritime Security Centre received £16m funding for its ongoing operations and investment in maritime security capability specific to the end of the Transition Period. This funding was contributed by the Department for Transport, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and their agencies. JMSC is governed by cross-Whitehall structures comprising the funding departments, as well as ongoing Ministerial oversight including via the Maritime Security Ministerial Small Group.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how often the Ministerial Board of the Joint Maritime Security Centre has met since its creation; and which Ministers have attended each of those meetings.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Maritime Security Ministerial Small Group meets regularly and has convened four times since Autumn. Meetings have been attended by Ministers from the Department for Transport, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Maritime security risk assessment, policy development and Ministerial oversight and engagement also continues outside of these meetings.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which Government department holds responsibility for the (a) governance and (b) budget of the Joint Maritime Security Centre.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) is the multi-agency organisation responsible for ensuring the UK maintains its understanding of the UK maritime domain and develops the cross-government coordination frameworks to respond to threats to security, law and order, and the marine environment. The Department for Transport, Ministry of Defence and Home Office are the major financial contributors to JMSC but, mirroring its multi-agency remit, funding is also provided by a range of other Whitehall departments and agencies with maritime security interests. Cross-Whitehall governance structures are in place to oversee the strategic direction and financial management of JMSC at both official and Ministerial level.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 228749 on Driving: Autism, what estimate he has made of the number of drivers with autism affected by the guidance on the DVLA website between 15 February and 4 March.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The DVLA is writing to 246 drivers who have contacted them since 15 February to confirm whether their condition affects their driving. Medical assessments will be only be undertaken in cases where it does.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the guidance that drivers with autism must notify the DVLA regardless of whether the condition affects their driving was on the DVLA website before it was amended; and how many drivers contacted the DVLA to inform them of their condition during that time period.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There was inconsistent advice on GOV.UK concerning the need for drivers with autism to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of their condition. Attempts to clarify the guidance on 15 February caused confusion and the website was amended on 4 March.
The DVLA is currently assessing each case as some will have notified their condition because it affects their driving or they may have notified other medical conditions. The number of people who contacted the DVLA as a result of this issue is low. The DVLA will be writing to each of these drivers to confirm whether their condition affects their driving and only if it does will medical investigations be undertaken.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ENG1 medical fitness certificates were issued to seafarer (a) Ratings and (b) Officers by doctors approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each year from 2010-11 to 2017-18.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency publishes the annual statistics by calendar year for ENG1 seafarer medical fitness examinations on gov.uk. Information about the rank of the seafarer is not collected so it is not possible to give statistics for ratings and officers.
The total numbers of ENG1 seafarer medical fitness certificates issued in 2010 to 2017 are as follows:
Year | ENG1 certificates issued |
2010 | 46798 |
2011 | 51116 |
2012 | 51476 |
2013 | 53618 |
2014 | 53311 |
2015 | 52179 |
2016 | 51745 |
2017 | 52400 |