Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of driving instructor tests in Plymouth.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency operates a 12-week booking window for approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 [driving ability] tests, and part 3 [instructional ability] tests. A ‘book to hold’ system is in place for people booking a test outside of that window. The book to hold list is assessed daily to monitor demand.
In Plymouth, as of 15 March 2023:
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made with plans to dual the A303 from the M3 to Taunton; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Highway England’s delivery plan to be published later this year will contain details of the schemes which will contribute to provision of a high quality dual carriageway link between the London and the South East and the South West.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the bidding process for Transforming Cities funding (a) started and (b) is planned to conclude; and when a decision is due on which cities have been successful in their bids.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Transforming Cities Fund Call for Proposals process launched on 13 March 2018 and bidding closed on Friday 8 June. The Department is currently considering the proposals received and cities will be notified if they are successful when the assessment is complete.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a free bus pass scheme for armed forces veterans across the UK similar to the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme operating in London.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Veterans’ Oyster Photocard scheme in London is not part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, but is provided by Transport for London (TfL) and funded by the Mayor as a discretionary enhancement. Concessionary travel is devolved in other administrations.
There are no plans at present to introduce a statutory national bus travel concession for armed forces veterans across the UK, however, all local authorities in England have the powers to introduce concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, as TfL have done.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated to (a) Plymouth and (b) Devon for projects relating to his Department's cycling and walking investment strategy in the financial year 2017-18.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy identified £1.2 billion that may be invested in cycling and walking between 2016/17 to 2020/21. Many of the decisions on the allocation of these funds will be made by the relevant local body in line with the Government’s devolution and localism agenda.
The tables below provide a guide to the funding allocated in 2017/18 to Plymouth and Devon identified in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
Plymouth City Council
Funding programme | £m |
Access Fund | 0.499 |
Integrated Transport Block* | 0.291 |
Bikeability (national cycling training) | 0.142 |
Total | 0.932 |
Devon County Council
Funding programme | £m |
Access Fund | 0.5 |
Integrated Transport Block* | 0.540 |
Bikeability (national cycling training) | 0.280 |
Total | 1.32 |
The Department is also providing technical support to Plymouth City Council to assist with the development of their Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. The level of support has yet to be determined. The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership has allocated £18.330m to cycling and walking projects between 2016/17 and 2020/21.**
*This is based on a survey of Local Transport Authorities published by the Department in February 2016 revealed that 11% of this fund supports cycling schemes and 4% supports streetscape and Rights of Way schemes.
** This is based on self-reported data received from the Local Enterprise Partnership.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the Speed to the West initiative in the last three months; and what the outcomes of those discussions has been.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Secretary of State regularly meets with stakeholders from across the rail industry, including Network Rail. Such discussions may include reference to rail services in the South West.
Officials from the Department for Transport have met with Network Rail to discuss how the findings of the Speed to the West study might be considered as part of the planning process for Control Period 6 (2019 – 2024).
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the Peninsula Rail Task Force rail improvement plan published in 2016.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We will continue to engage with the Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF) and other interested parties as the planning for Network Rail’s work programme for the period starting in April 2019 and the development of the specifications for the future Great Western and Cross Country franchises unfold.
The work of the Peninsula Rail Task Force continues to be a valuable part of the process for defining our priorities for investment after 2019.
New enhancements will be taken forward through a new process in the form of a pipeline, designed to ensure investment best addresses the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of enhancements.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department and Network Rail plan to spend on the Paddington to Penzance rail link in Control Period 6.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail are preparing Strategic Business Plans for Control Period 6 (CP6) as part of their regulated Periodic Review process, expected to be concluded in October 2018. This will determine the level of investment in operations, maintenance and renewals for each route across the network, including the Western Route, which contains the line from Paddington to Penzance.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on considering the Speed to the West request of the Peninsula Rail Task Force.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The request from the Peninsula Rail Task Force for additional funding of £600,000 for the “Speed to the West” project represents the first stage in developing a new enhancement scheme to supplement a planned track renewal within the current funding Control Period to 2019 (CP5). The new enhancement scheme is estimated to cost an additional £20-30m to deliver and is currently unfunded.
We have set aside significant funding for the development of new railway schemes in next Control Period 6 (2019 to 2024) and such schemes will need to be considered through the new process for enhancements as part of the Rail Upgrade Plan. We will announce more details about this in due course.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of the request from the Peninsula Rail Task Force for funding of £600,000 for the Speed to the West study; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The request from the Peninsula Rail Task Force for additional funding of £600,000 for the “Speed to the West” project represents the first stage in developing a new enhancement scheme to supplement a planned renewal within the current Control Period (CP5). It is estimated to cost an additional £20-30m to deliver, which is currently unfunded.
The enhancement project would raise line speeds from 60 to 75mph for 14 miles between Plymouth and Totnes. This would generate estimated time savings of up to 3 mins 8 secs towards London and up to 2 mins 24 secs towards Penzance.