Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support learner drivers who need to resit their driving theory test because the two-year validity on their qualification has expired as a result of being unable to sit their practical test during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
A candidate whose theory test certificate expires will have received the service for which they paid the fee. If a practical test is already booked at the time when the theory test expires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will refund the fee for the practical driving test.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place for road safety reasons. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that they drive unsupervised for the first time. Those with theory test certificates expiring may have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety.
Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.
A total of 195,814 theory test certificates expired between the period of 25 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 without a practical test pass.
In the normal course of events, on average, 14,000 candidates let their certificate expire each month.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have had the two-year validity on their driving theory test expire since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
A candidate whose theory test certificate expires will have received the service for which they paid the fee. If a practical test is already booked at the time when the theory test expires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will refund the fee for the practical driving test.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place for road safety reasons. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that they drive unsupervised for the first time. Those with theory test certificates expiring may have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety.
Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.
A total of 195,814 theory test certificates expired between the period of 25 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 without a practical test pass.
In the normal course of events, on average, 14,000 candidates let their certificate expire each month.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reconfiguring the South Wales Mainline so that inter-city services can be separated from commuter services; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
On 21 August the Secretary of State announced a £343m package of investment in railway infrastructure in Wales. This includes the development of a scheme to upgrade the relief lines between the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff to provide greater capacity and more flexibility for passenger services on this part of the route. I have asked Network Rail to look for opportunities to accelerate this development work as much as possible.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the risk of fatality for private contractors' staff on the UK railway network.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department is working closely with Network Rail, train operators, trade unions and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to reduce the risk of fatalities on the network to directly employed staff and contractors. It has been over a year since the tragic deaths of two track maintenance workers, Mr Gareth Delbridge and Mr Michael Lewis, on 3 July 2019, when a passenger train struck them at Margam East Junction on the South Wales Main Line, and I would like to once again express my condolences to their families for their losses.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the tragic incident at Margam. Its report, which is expected shortly, is likely to make recommendations aimed at ensuring that lessons are learnt and at preventing such an event happening again.
Since July 2019, Network Rail has established a £70m safety task force to make fundamental changes to the way it manages track worker access to the rail network, including a review of its safe systems of work. Network Rail is also developing new digital protection and warning systems to warn track workers of approaching trains, and to increase the use of technology such as Plain Line Pattern Recognition, which provides automated track inspection and reduces the need for track access.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with train operating companies on ensuring their staff fatigue risk management systems meet relevant industry guidance and best practice.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department continues to work closely with train operating companies, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and Network Rail to ensure that staff fatigue risk is managed properly in accordance with published guidance and best practice. Train operators are required by health and safety law to implement measures to manage fatigue amongst safety critical staff as part of their safety management systems. This includes monitoring working hours, identifying the signs of fatigue, and managing factors that can have an impact of this on alertness and fitness for work. This applies to all staff on the railways, including track workers, train drivers and control room staff.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure British Airways are providing cash refunds for flights that have been cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department for Transport is in regular conversation with UK airlines and wider membership bodies. We are working closely with the sector, the regulator and consumer groups to help ensure airlines deliver on their commitments.
Airlines are working hard to answer the high call volumes and to process large volumes of refunds. However, the Government appreciates the frustration consumers may be experiencing. We have been clear that where a consumer has asked for a refund, that refund must be paid
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to publish the full application form for the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The online form for registering an interest in the second round of the Ideas Fund was sent to Members on 15 May. The full application form will be published on GOV.UK during week commencing 25 May. We will let Members know when the form is available, as we have done at all stages of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund. The deadline for applications is 19 June.
We received 60 bids for the first round, which have recently been assessed and the next steps from this round will be communicated to Members and Promoters shortly.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his plans are for the provision of driving lessons for those not classed as critical workers during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Using the latest Government guidance, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working closely with the Approved Driving Instructors National Association Strategic Partnership (NASP) to develop appropriate plans and control measures that will enable the resumption of non-essential driving lessons. The DVSA will keep the situation under review and provide advice as soon as it can.
Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) can continue to provide tuition to pupils if the lesson is considered essential. It is the responsibility of the ADI, and the pupil, to decide if the driving lesson is critical. ADIs should ask pupils to bring appropriate identification to demonstrate the need for the lesson, such as a payslip, letter or identification badge.
All ADIs should put in place appropriate health and safety measures, in line with the latest Public Heath England and Cabinet Office guidance, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether additional seats will be be available on Cross Country rail services from (a) Newport, (b) Severn Tunnel Junction and (c) Caldicot.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Additional seats are due to be provided on the CrossCountry route linking Cardiff, Newport, Caldicot, Birmingham and Nottingham. A small number of CrossCountry services on this route also call at Severn Tunnel Junction