Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation entitled Smarter regulation: proposed changes to legislation for electrically assisted pedal cycles, which closed on 25 April 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of amending regulations on (a) the classification of and (b) enabling throttle assistance for electrically-assisted pedal cycles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is carefully considering the responses to the consultation, and will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she intends to establish a Road Safety Investigation Branch.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. We are committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. We will set out next steps on this in due course.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's planned timetable is for the completion of the Oxfordshire Connect programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.
Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on the status of the Oxfordshire Connect rail programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and senior officials from my Department are having regular discussions with Network Rail (NR) to press them for a credible delivery plan for the completion of the Oxford station project and Botley Road bridge.
Lord Hendy has written to you and other stakeholders with details of improvements being made to alleviate the effects of the bridge closure. He and the Chief Executive of NR will come to meet you, and other stakeholders, as soon as NR are certain of the delivery plan.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of car insurance premiums in the last 12 months.
Answered by Guy Opperman
My Department has not made an assessment of the rising cost of motor insurance premiums over the past year. However, officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. I will also soon meet with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, and industry, to discuss this matter further.
The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority rules. It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene in or seek to control the market.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulation of car insurance premiums.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate car insurance premiums. However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the FCA rules.
Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance. It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene in or seek to control the market.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential (a) impact of extending Network Rail's closure of Botley Road on local (i) residents and (ii) businesses and (b) merits of alternative proposals prior to granting permission for that extension.
Answered by Huw Merriman
Network Rail, which is delivering the works to increase capacity at Oxford station considered a number of options working closely with Oxford City Council before concluding that the closure of Botley Road should be extended to October 2024. Network Rail will continue to work with local residents, businesses and other stakeholders to minimise disruption.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to delays in driving test appointments, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the eligiblity of a successful driving theory test from two years to three years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
During March 2023, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test in the Oxfordshire area was 14.3 weeks; the national average waiting time was 15.5 weeks.
People can book driving tests up to 6 months before they take their test.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting times are for a practical driving test appointment in (a) Oxfordshire and (b) England.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
During March 2023, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test in the Oxfordshire area was 14.3 weeks; the national average waiting time was 15.5 weeks.
People can book driving tests up to 6 months before they take their test.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) non-disclosure and (b) other confidentiality agreements relating to (i) employment, (ii) bullying, (iii) misconduct and (iii) harassment cases have been agreed by their Department in each year since 1 January 2010; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on (A) legal costs and (B) financial settlements for such agreements in each year since 1 January 2010.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Exit packages are published in DfT Annual Reports and Accounts and all redundancy, severance and other department costs, are paid in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (except where instances are detailed in the accounts as otherwise).
In 2015 Cabinet Office guidance outlined that confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements should not be applied in settlement agreements as a matter of course. Since that time, fewer than 5 have been agreed and the values of the packages were reported in the relevant year’s accounts.