Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the costs associated with driving examiners taking time off work as a result of injuries sustained when conducting driving tests.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of driving examiners who were off work as a result of injuries sustained during the examination of drivers in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of accidents during driving tests (a) in total and (b) in vehicles that lack dual control in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiners have raised concerns to the DVSA about the safety of examining drivers in vehicles without dual control.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the risk assessments in place for driving examiners conducting tests in vehicles without dual control.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of decoupling the age at which an individual can claim their NHS Pension from the State Pension Age.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Pension Scheme is generous, and provides good pensions for retirement. A new reformed scheme was introduced in 2015, to ensure the costs are sustainable for the future. The reforms included linking scheme retirement age to an individual’s state pension age, in response to people living healthier, longer lives.
Individuals can claim their National Health Service pension earlier than their state pension age, although their benefits will be reduced in value, to account for the fact that they are being paid for longer. This reduction is waived when the scheme accepts a claim for early retirement on ill-health grounds. Where an NHS pension is claimed after state pension age, the reverse applies, and the value of benefits will be increased. The scheme also offers a partial retirement option, which allows staff to draw down all or part of their pension, and continue working in a more flexible way.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which leisure centres have been recipients of the funding under the Swimming Pool Support Fund.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools, as swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing access to leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level, and the Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.
In 2023/24, the Government provided over £60 million in additional funding to support operating costs and help improve energy efficiency of facilities through the Swimming Pool Support Fund, delivered via Sport England. In total, the Swimming Pool Support Fund (£60 million exchequer, £20 million of Sport England National Lottery funding) will fund 442 individual facilities and 788 individual pools across 269 Local Authorities by March 2025.
Further details of local authorities and swimming pools/leisure centres awarded funding from Phase I and Phase II of the Swimming Pool Support Fund are available on Sport England’s website at:
https://www.sportengland.org/news/swimming-pool-support-fund-keeps-leisure-centres-afloat
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which tennis courts have been selected for improvement under the Park Tennis Court Renovation Programme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Park Tennis Court Programme, the UK Government and Lawn Tennis Association are investing £30 million pounds between 2022-2024 to deliver improvements to up to 3,000 park tennis courts across Great Britain. The renovation works include the installation of digital access gates, re-surfacing, and re-painting - all of which aim to improve access and increase participation in tennis, whilst prioritising the courts in the most deprived communities.
Since the start of the programme, over £70k has been invested in Cheshire, with 14 tennis courts across five parks renovated directly as a result of investment from the Programme.
Further details of the completed projects for the Park Tennis Court Programme can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/park-tennis-court-programme-completed-projects. We will confirm details of further sites receiving funding later in the year.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which sport facilities have been successful in their application for funding under the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is investing over £325 million between 2021 and 2025 to level up facilities across the whole of the UK. The programme provides funding to make essential facility improvements, so that communities have a high-quality pitch to play on, and is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to levelling up all corners of the United Kingdom.
Since 2021, over £200 million has been invested in over 2,400 sites across the UK, improving the natural and artificial grass pitches on offer to communities and upgrading floodlights, goalposts, changing rooms and toilet facilities. All funded projects are listed on gov.uk at this link:
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the average age of attendees at Premier League football matches in the 2022-23 season.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League does not publish data on the average age of spectators, and the government does not intend to make an assessment of this figure at the current time.