Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department made of business case for the Golborne Link section of the Phase 2b portion of HS2 as part of the Integrated Rail Plan.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Integrated Rail Plan noted that there is a strong case for a connection to the West Coast Mainline (WCML) north of Crewe and that the Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was considering this further. The UCR, undertaken by Sir Peter Hendy, has considered whether any alternatives to the Golborne Link could further improve connectivity to Scotland. Evidence from the Review suggests that alternative connections to the WCML could slightly reduce journey times further compared to the ‘Golborne Link’. However, Sir Peter states that it is clear that further work is required to better understand the case for and against any such options; and has recommended the Government review options for alternative connections north of Crewe between HS2 and the WCML. The government will respond to Sir Peter’s recommendations in due course.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of removing the Golborne Link section of the Phase 2b portion of HS2 as part of the Integrated Rail Plan.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Integrated Rail Plan noted that there is a strong case for a connection to the West Coast Mainline (WCML) north of Crewe and that the Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was considering this further. The UCR, undertaken by Sir Peter Hendy, has considered whether any alternatives to the Golborne Link could further improve connectivity to Scotland. Evidence from the Review suggests that alternative connections to the WCML could slightly reduce journey times further compared to the ‘Golborne Link’. However, Sir Peter states that it is clear that further work is required to better understand the case for and against any such options; and has recommended the Government review options for alternative connections north of Crewe between HS2 and the WCML. The government will respond to Sir Peter’s recommendations in due course.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Trading Standards on tackling non-compliant disposable e-cigarettes.
Answered by Maggie Throup
E-cigarettes are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR). Local Trading Standards are responsible for the enforcement of these regulations. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities provides central funding to local authorities for local trading standards activity. It is for local decision making how this is allocated across services.
To support local enforcement of TRPR, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are currently reviewing evidence and assisting in the identification of e-cigarette device seizures across the United Kingdom. It is working with various trading standards organisations, to correctly identify grey, black market and counterfeit devices entering illegally from foreign markets to UK distributors.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide additional funding for Trading Standards to help remove from the market disposable e-cigarettes that breach provisions of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
Answered by Maggie Throup
E-cigarettes are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR). Local Trading Standards are responsible for the enforcement of these regulations. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities provides central funding to local authorities for local trading standards activity. It is for local decision making how this is allocated across services.
To support local enforcement of TRPR, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are currently reviewing evidence and assisting in the identification of e-cigarette device seizures across the United Kingdom. It is working with various trading standards organisations, to correctly identify grey, black market and counterfeit devices entering illegally from foreign markets to UK distributors.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will establish a dedicated channel for people arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status to obtain driving licences.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Holders of a full Hong Kong car or motorcycle driving licence can exchange this for a GB equivalent without the need to apply for a provisional licence or take a driving test. Information on the average time taken to issue a driving licence to applicants from Hong Kong is not available.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about the potential number of applicants who may arrive from Hong Kong with British national overseas status over the next five years. The DVLA is confident that these applications can be absorbed within its existing processes and there are no plans to introduce a dedicated channel.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time taken by his Department was from an application being received to issuing driving licenses to applicants arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Holders of a full Hong Kong car or motorcycle driving licence can exchange this for a GB equivalent without the need to apply for a provisional licence or take a driving test. Information on the average time taken to issue a driving licence to applicants from Hong Kong is not available.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about the potential number of applicants who may arrive from Hong Kong with British national overseas status over the next five years. The DVLA is confident that these applications can be absorbed within its existing processes and there are no plans to introduce a dedicated channel.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time taken by her Department was from an application being received to issuing National Insurance numbers to those people arriving from Hong Kong with British national overseas status.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Demand for the National Insurance Number (NINo) service is currently high with the average time taken to process applications around 13 weeks. This is for all employment inspired applications including people arriving from Hong Kong with British National Overseas status.
The Department is currently recruiting and training additional staff to reduce these waiting times.
The Department expedites NINo applications for those who require one in order to receive Social Security Benefits.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to extend the validity of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence theory tests in response to the delays in obtaining access to the practical section of the Driver Certificate for Professional Competence.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The requirement to undertake a driving theory test and the case studies test before a practical driving test and the practical demonstration test is set out in legislation. This specifies a two-year duration for the theory test and the case studies test. This duration is for road safety reasons to ensure the learners knowledge is current.
Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the preparation for new drivers. It is important that lorry drivers understand, and can react appropriately, to the potential risks which are present when interacting with other road users, particularly vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. It is also important they understand how a vehicle is loaded and unloaded safely, how to couple and un-couple a trailer and the consequences for road safety. This also tests their understanding of drivers hours rules which are in place to ensure drivers take regular breaks and rests and do not continue driving when tired.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 154773, if he will take steps to ensure the immediate publication of findings from any of the eight projects jointly awarded by the National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation looking into the routes of transmission of covid-19 in different environments or groups of people, in the event that they report during the Parliamentary summer recess.
Answered by Edward Argar
These studies will now be completing between August 2021 and January 2022. Additionally, the National Institute for Health Research funded researchers are expected to publish their main study findings in peer-reviewed open access journals.
Asked by: Lord Brady of Altrincham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department’s review into the Innovator Route is planned to conclude; and if she will publish its conclusions.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The conclusions of the review and next steps will be set out in the Government’s Innovation Strategy, led by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, this summer.