Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information the Government holds on the number of electric vehicle charging points at each motorway service station in England.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Around 96% of motorway service areas in England have charging available. There are currently more than 450 open-access (can be used with any electric vehicle) rapid (50kW) and ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargepoints at motorway service areas across England.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review HS2 site safeguarding in Leeds after the report on bringing HS2 trains to Leeds is published.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Integrated Rail Plan set out that safeguarding of the previously proposed high speed route north of East Midlands Parkway will remain in place until the conclusion of the HS2 to Leeds Study.
The Government periodically reviews land requirements for the HS2 rail project and updates the extent of safeguarding accordingly.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the news story entitled All new smart motorways scrapped, published by his Department on 15 April 2023, what plans he has for the proposed conversion of the hard shoulder between junctions 2 and 3 of the M621 to an additional lane for traffic.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
On 17th April 2023, in a Written Ministerial Statement the government confirmed that all plans for new smart motorways had been cancelled.
The M621 is not a smart motorway, it is an urban motorway with a fixed 50mph speed limit over the majority of its length. The work between junctions 2 and 3 is designed to improve journeys, traffic flow and safety. The scheme is currently in construction and will be completed as planned.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the emissions testing process for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA’s) Market Surveillance Unit conducts impartial testing of vehicle emissions on behalf of the Department for Transport. This includes testing plug-in hybrid vehicles in real-world conditions. Analysis of these results will also inform the Government’s view of future improvements to regulatory emissions tests.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average cost of installing an electric vehicle chargepoint.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There are a variety of factors which affect the cost of installing an electric vehicle chargepoint. These include but are not limited to:
Given these factors, an average cost of installation may not be representative of an individual cost of installation.
In May 2022, Ricardo Energy & Environment published a report, commissioned by the Climate Change Committee, looking at costs and impacts of on-street charging. This report provides an overview of the costs associated with installing several different chargepoint types, ranging from a total of £1,025 for a home charger to £138,250 for a 150kW rapid charger.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy that temporary blue badges should be issued by local authorities to people recovering from hip surgery when that affects their mobility.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping those with permanent mobility issues access the goods and services they need to use. Anyone may be entitled to a badge if they meet the eligibility criteria. The Department for Transport sets the legislation that governs the Blue Badge scheme local authorities are solely responsible for administering the scheme and issuing the badges.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on any potential changes to workers' (a) pay, (b) conditions and (c) pensions.
Answered by Wendy Morton
To ensure that as Ministers we have the very latest position, we are constantly updated on the Department’s engagement with the industry and have regular meetings with operators.
The disputes are between individual employers and the trade unions and it would not be for Government to intervene in this relationship. We encourage meaningful discussions and for the trade unions to return to the negotiating table in order to end these rail strikes which impact businesses, users and the general public.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timeframe is for publishing the terms of reference for the Integrated Rail Plan study into (a) how to bring HS2 trains to Leeds from East Midlands Parkway and (b) capacity at Leeds station.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will set out the Terms of Reference for the studies set out in the IRP shortly. We will continue to liaise closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council in the meantime.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the study to find a way of bringing HS2 trains from East Midlands Parkway to Leeds to be completed.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Terms of Reference for the Leeds Study, which will be evaluating the most effective way to route high-speed trains to Leeds and capacity solutions at Leeds station and the surrounding area, are due to be published shortly. The study is expected to take 18 months.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce the Driver Vision Standard, which is currently operating in London, in other cities.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Transport for London direct vision standard is their initiative to improve safety for vulnerable road users by improving direct vision for drivers of goods vehicles over 12 tonnes. The Government makes legislation on a national basis and our focus is improving safety requirements for all new vehicles. There are no plans to introduce different requirements for driver vision on a city by city basis. The Government is actively considering the implementation of a range of measures intended to improve safety for all vehicles. The UK helped to establish these measures under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and they include improved direct vision for drivers of vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes.