Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question HL240, whether he has made an assessment of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposal to merge the motorcycle module 1 and module 2 tests since that date.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This is an issue in the primary control of Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The DVSA and Department for Transport officials met with representatives of the motorcycle sector at a Stakeholder Roundtable Meeting on 4 December 2023 to discuss motorcycle safety and licensing reform. Further discussions are ongoing.
There is a proposed round table with the Motorcycle Industry Association, and other key stakeholders, scheduled for May 2024.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what engagement his Department plans to undertake with the L-Category industry on the development of EV charging infrastructure in the next six months.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has engaged extensively with the L-Category sector since the publication of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan in July 2021 and will continue to do so to support its transition to zero emission vehicles whenever appropriate.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2023 to Question 5 on Motorcycles: Training, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposals to reform compulsory basic training on (a) road safety, (b) the quality of rider training and (c) rider skill levels.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2017 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) published its response to the Improving Motorcycle Training consultation, and committed to exploring:
updating the qualification process for motorcycle instructors
updating the content and structure of the compulsory basic training (CBT) syllabus
strengthening the quality assurance scheme for motorcycle instructors
Officials met with key representatives of the motorcycle organisations on 4 December 2023 to discuss motorcycle safety. The next round table meeting, which is scheduled for 8 May 2024, will consider and explore:
taking forward reforms to motorcycle CBT and testing
the Motorcycle Industry Association's request for a wider review of licensing for L category vehicles as set out in the ‘A Net License to Zero’ proposals and action plan
licence reforms
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the number of individuals convicted of fraud related to contracts with her Department for the provision of personal protective equipment in the last four years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no individuals have been convicted of fraud related to personal protective equipment contracts. Work continues to recover costs wherever possible to ensure taxpayer value for money.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the guidance entitled Official definition of an XL Bully dog.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We developed the definition of an XL Bully dog by convening a group of experts and other stakeholders to define the physical characteristics of the breed type. This included representatives from the police, local authorities, devolved administrations and the Animal Welfare Committee, which advises the Government on animal welfare issues. We reviewed existing breed standards provided by breed registries in the United States and the UK and tested the standard in practice. We have provided further guidance to support owners in applying this.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using DNA testing in the scientific classification of XL Bully dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the assessment of whether an individual dog is prohibited is strictly based on ‘breed type’ and its physical characteristics.
Defra has produced guidance on the physical characteristics of the XL Bully breed type to support Dog Legislation Officers and dog owners to determine whether a dog may be prohibited.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been classified as XL Bully dogs since the guidance entitled Official definition of an XL Bully dog was published on 31 October 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is for owners to identify whether they think their dog may be in scope of the ban by referring to the guidance. As of 18 December, we have issued 5242 certificates of exemption for XL Bully dog types and have received 39 completed compensation claims.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the use of tidal stream renewable energy technologies; and whether she has had recent discussions with her international counterparts on the use of this technology.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tidal stream is eligible for the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, the UK’s main mechanism for supporting low-carbon generation. In the last CfD allocation round a record 11 tidal stream contracts were secured with a capacity of over 53MW. This is a world-leading deployment in Scottish and Welsh waters, and the first time that tidal stream power has been procured at this scale.
The Department engages on tidal stream internationally across Europe and beyond, including at the Ocean Energy Europe conference in October 2023.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to amend the methodology used to set administrative strike prices for all renewable technologies in the Contracts for Difference allocation round six.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government reviews auction parameters, including Administrative Strike Prices (ASP) and the ASP methodology, ahead of every Contracts for Difference Allocation Round. Considering recent price volatility and that no offshore wind technologies were successful in Allocation Round 5, the Government has conducted a thorough review of its cost assumptions ahead of Allocation Round 6. The Government is committed to ensuring that it sets the parameters at a level that would allow sustainably priced projects in the pipeline to compete in the auction. The ASP methodology will be published alongside core parameters in November 2023.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) maintaining a ringfence for tidal stream renewable energy technologies in allocation round six of the Contracts for Difference scheme and (b) setting a target of 1GW for tidal stream technologies by 2035.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is currently developing auction parameters for Allocation Round 6 of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for tidal stream, taking into account evidence of the pipeline of available projects. The Government will publish core parameters for the round later this month, and final parameters, including the budget, ahead of the round opening in March 2024.The Government will review the merits of setting an ambition for tidal stream deployment.