Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what translation arrangements his Department has put in place to enable efficient and accurate handling of Welsh language correspondence from (a) MPs and (b) the general public.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Department for Transport and its Agencies, with the exception of the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), have published Welsh Language Schemes which include a commitment to reply with a signed letter in Welsh when someone writes to us in Welsh. The target times for replying to letters in Welsh are the same as for those in English.
The VCA translates information for the New Car Fuel Consumption and CO2 guide from English into Welsh using a suitably qualified third party supplier each year. Should the VCA receive any correspondence in Welsh from an MP or member of the public a translation would be arranged and the MP would receive copies of the response in both Welsh and English.
The Department for Transport uses the Crown Commercial Services translation framework to arrange translations.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency uses the Welsh Language Unit to arrange translations.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency engages the services of a specialist external service provider for translation services.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency uses a variety of external providers for translation services, depending on the size and nature of the task, and can also use cross-government frameworks.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department plans to spend on projects relating to the UK leaving the EU in the next five years; and if he will list the projects to which that funding has been assigned.
Answered by Chris Grayling
HM Treasury has already allocated departments nearly £700 million to prepare for Brexit: £412m for DIT, FCO and DExEU over the parliament at Autumn Statement 2016 and nearly £300m across a number of departments from the Reserve in 17/18 – The Department for Transport received £5.6m of this funding.
At Autumn Budget 2017 HM Treasury made another £3bn of additional funding available over 18/19 and 19/20 – £1.5bn in each year. We are currently working with HM Treasury to determine our allocation for 18/19 with the aim to agree this soon.
Departmental allocations for 19/20 will be agreed later on in the year and decisions on funding in 20/21 and beyond will be decided at the next Spending Review. This is because requirements in these years will be heavily affected by what is agreed in our negotiations with the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by the DVSA on complying with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Welsh language standards.
Answered by Jesse Norman
On 10 January 2018, the Welsh Language Commissioner approved the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s new Welsh Language Scheme.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the availability of Welsh language provision during the new sat nav element of the driving test.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes its responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act seriously, and considered the provisions of the Welsh Language Act 1993 when reviewing the changes to the car practical driving test.
Currently, while the theory test can be conducted in Welsh, there is no satnav manufacturer who offers an instruction in Welsh; as a result we cannot include a Welsh speaking facility on the satnav.
The Welsh Government has not raised any concerns, and the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office has confirmed it is content with the DVSA’s approach of the use of the sat nav.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether people taking their driving test are advised in advance that the sat nav element of that test is not available in the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes its responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act seriously, and considered carefully the provisions of the Act when reviewing the changes to the car practical driving test.
The driving examiner does not decide until the test begins which form of independent driving, which may or may not itself include a satnav element, will be delivered.
Currently, the test candidate is not informed prior to the test that the sat nav element is not available in the Welsh language. There is no satnav manufacturer that offers an instruction in Welsh. As a result, the DVSA cannot include a Welsh speaking facility on the satnav. The driving test confirmation letter will shortly be amended to inform the test candidate prior to the test that the satnav element is not available in the Welsh language.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to review the driving test after the UK leaves the EU and is no longer subject to the European Driving Licence Directive.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This country has an excellent national road safety record and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly reviews the delivery of the driving test to ensure the test is relevant and appropriate to real life driving on Great Britain’s roads, irrespective of our membership of the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to reduce the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles from 56 miles per hour.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The vast majority of heavy goods vehicles are required to be fitted with a speed limiter set at 56 miles per hour and this must be used at all times. This is distinct from the road-based speed limits, which for heavy goods vehicles in England and Wales is 50 miles per hour on single carriageways and 60 miles per hour on dual carriageways and motorways. The Government has no current plans to change the speed limiter requirements or the national speed limits for heavy goods vehicles.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to introduce a mandatory element to the driving test on driving safely in the presence of heavy goods vehicles.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is confident that the training and testing of practical test candidates adequately covers the ability to interact safely with all road users, including heavy goods vehicles (HGV).
In addition, the National Standards for Driving, the Highway Code and ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the essential skills’ make specific reference to large vehicles, highlighting that HGVs:
They also highlight that drivers of large vehicles might not be able to see other road users in their mirrors and give guidance on how to overtake a large vehicle safely.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of his Department's expenditure has been identified as relating to its work on the UK leaving the EU in 2017-18.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Plans are being developed for the full range of costs and investment required to support the UK exit. Contributions are being made from across the department and there is no central figure held for the cost of this work.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department have responsibilities relating to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport set up a new Directorate last year to co-ordinate its EU Exit work alongside its existing EU and International work. Staff within the Directorate lead on providing advice to Ministers on EU Exit and exit-related issues. Members of staff across the Department also provide advice and analysis on EU Exit issues as required. Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department’s other priorities, it is not possible to give an accurate figure.