Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in (a) Kendal and (b) Heysham; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for practical driving tests in these areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this is having on learner drivers.
DVSA is continuing to recruit as many driving examiners (DE) as possible, including at Kendal, Heysham and Barrow in Furness. From a previous recruitment campaign, two potential new DEs, following successful completion of training, will be joining Kendal and Barrow in Furness in late autumn.
Currently DEs from Kendal and Heysham are being deployed to Barrow in Furness to meet testing demand. As part of its current recruitment campaign, DVSA has advertised for DEs for Barrow in Furness. This will enable DVSA to meet local demand in Barrow in Furness and increase test availability in Kendal and Heysham.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Active Travel England recognises equestrians as users of active travel routes; and if she will take steps to ensure that equestrian access is (a) included and (b) considered in future active travel (i) projects and (ii) policies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The needs of equestrians should be considered in the design of active travel routes. New or upgraded traffic-free paths or quiet country lanes can be designed to be attractive and safe for equestrians as well as walking, wheeling and cycling although in some situations it may not be possible to accommodate their needs on all active travel routes.
Active Travel England is presently developing its Rural Design Guidance and is currently engaging with relevant stakeholders including equestrian organisations such as the British Horse Society and the Byways and Bridleways Trust, which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) tackle (i) delays and (ii) cancellations and (b) improve the performance of Northern Rail services (A) in general and (B) on the Morecambe line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Northern Trains’ current performance is not acceptable and we have issued it with a notice requiring it to develop an improvement plan to address the issues underlying its current lack of reliability. The Secretary of State also recently met with Northern to understand how that plan is progressing, following a previous meeting with the Rail Minister.
As Passenger-in-Chief, the Secretary of State will keep standing up for passengers and demanding better services from operators.