Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps members of the public can take when they have identified a speedbump that has not been constructed to correct dimension specifications.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department for Transport provides detailed guidance to highways authorities on the design of traffic calming measures in Local Transport Note (LTN) 01/07 ‘Traffic Calming’, which is available on gov.uk. The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999 provide the statutory framework for road humps in England and Wales.
Decisions on installing road humps are matters for the local highway authority, and they do not have to notify the Department of these decisions. Should there be concerns about specific road humps, members of the public should raise this directly with the local authority responsible for their installation.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that speedbumps are constructed to correct dimension specifications.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department for Transport provides detailed guidance to highways authorities on the design of traffic calming measures in Local Transport Note (LTN) 01/07 ‘Traffic Calming’, which is available on gov.uk. The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999 provide the statutory framework for road humps in England and Wales.
Decisions on installing road humps are matters for the local highway authority, and they do not have to notify the Department of these decisions. Should there be concerns about specific road humps, members of the public should raise this directly with the local authority responsible for their installation.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have had their driving lessons cancelled as a result of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Following Government guidance, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has suspended practical driver testing in England until Thursday 3 December 2020. The DVSA has asked approved driving instructors to respect the national restrictions in England, reduce day-to-day contact with others, and not carry out driver training until the restrictions have been lifted. Pupils can still have private practice using their own car providing they and the supervising driver are from the same household and it is travel for work, education or for other legally permitted exemptions.
The DVSA is contacting candidates whose driving tests are affected by covid-19 restrictions to tell them what they need to do. The agency has made an additional 55,000 practical car driving tests available up to 18 April 2021 to accommodate new and re-scheduled tests. This is in addition to the 150,000 practical car tests already available in the booking system.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in his Department's human resources section in April 2020.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
In the Department of Transport there were a total of 342.74 FTE employed in the human resources functions at 30th April 2020
The breakdown between the central Department and the Executive Agencies is as follows:
DfTc | 106.0 |
DVLA | 81.9 |
DVSA | 126.4 |
MCA | 24.0 |
VCA | 4.5 |
Total | 342.7 |
Please note, the above figures relate to staff working in teams which are part of the organisations HR functions (at DVSA this includes Driver Examiner Trainers) but do not include any contingent labour.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timescale he has planned for the completion of the feasibility study of the upgrading of the A69.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department, working with Highways England, is in the process of procuring consultants to undertake the Northern Trans-Pennine Strategic Study, which includes consideration of the A69. It is anticipated that this will report by the end of 2016. I have recently written to MPs and council leaders whose constituencies or local authorities are directly affected by the strategic studies informing them of the studies’ imminent formal commencement.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include a requirement to upgrade Carlisle station in the next invitation to tender for the West Coast Mainline franchise.
Answered by Claire Perry
Prior to the publication of the Intercity West Coast Invitation to Tender there will be a consultation on the specification of the next franchise. This consultation exercise will help to inform the development of the Invitation to Tender and I would welcome my Hon Friend to submit his ideas for Carlisle station.
Asked by: John Stevenson (Conservative - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of transport infrastructure in Cumbria; and if he will conduct a feasibility study on upgrading the A595 from Carlisle to Whitehaven.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government and the rail industry work closely with local stakeholders to assess the adequacy of infrastructure and determine investment priorities for each five year Rail Investment Strategy for England and Wales. Work is currently underway to inform decisions on the Strategy for 2019-2024
In April 2015 Highways England published its Route Strategies, which included an assessment of the main issues, challenges and investment priorities for the sections of the Strategic Road Network in Cumbria, including the A590, A595, A66 and M6.
The Infrastructure Act 2015 requires Highways England to maintain an appropriate evidence base on the state and performance of the Strategic Road Network, which will inform the setting of future Road Investment Strategies. Plans for reviewing the current Route Strategies, including those covering Cumbria, will be announced later this year.
It remains the responsibility of Cumbria County Council, in consultation with Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, to consider the case for upgrading the stretches of the A595 that fall under its authority and to consider how any feasibility studies or upgrades might be funded.