Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering free any time bus travel to disabled bus pass holders.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six.
Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending the times at which concessionary passes can be used.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps with car manufacturers to agree a minimum stopping safety requirement for car tyres which are (a) manufactured in the UK and (b) imported.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All new tyres, both UK made and imported, require GB type approval before they are permitted for sale. To gain approval, manufacturers must demonstrate that they achieve a range of technical performance requirements. This includes a minimum wet grip performance which aims to ensure that sufficient deceleration can be achieved, even in adverse weather conditions. In addition, the braking system of the vehicle is required to achieve a minimum stopping performance in a variety of states.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the feasibility of electrifying the railway line between Birmingham, Wellington and Shrewsbury.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Midlands Connect, a sub-national transport body which researches, develops and progresses transport projects in the Midlands, is prioritising line speed improvements to this railway line over electrification. They are in the process of refreshing the Business Case for line speed improvements, which they plan to submit towards the end of 2024. It will be important to consider a range of options to progress decarbonisation of the rail network, and I expect to receive advice on this matter later this year.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of ensuring that companies that sub-contract vehicles to (a) delivery, (b) utility and (c) construction companies display the livery of (i) their organisation and (ii) the organisation to which they have subcontracted their vehicles on (A) road and (B) public safety.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no requirements in the goods vehicle operator licensing regime for vehicles used by delivery companies, utility companies, or construction companies to have livery displaying the details of the owning business, and the company using the vehicles at the time.
The goods vehicle operator licensing regime applies to vehicles weighing 3.5 tonnes or more used domestically, and those weighing more than 2.5 tonnes used for the purposes of hire and reward in the European Union.
Vehicles subject to operator licensing must have a disc with the operator licence number displayed. This can be checked on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/find-vehicle-operators to identify the operator responsible for the operation of the vehicle, and the type of licence held.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take enforcement action against UK-based retailers that are selling imported electric scooters which perform at road speeds beyond the permitted limits.
Answered by Anthony Browne
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require child passengers on bicycles to wear a safety helmet.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department recommends that cyclists should wear helmets, as set out in The Highway Code, and will continue to encourage children to wear helmets. A comprehensive safety review carried out in 2018 considered the benefits of mandating helmet wearing for cyclists of all ages but concluded that the safety benefits would be likely to be outweighed by the fact that this would put some people off cycling, thereby reducing the wider health and environmental benefits
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with the (a) Directors of Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway and (b) Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road on the inclusion of Wellington in Shropshire in future services operated by Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway.
Answered by Huw Merriman
As part of the Industry Consultation, conducted by Network Rail, the Department for Transport reviewed the open access application from Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway and was supportive in principle of this application. Department for Transport officials have engaged with Directors at Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway and will continue to do so.
Passenger open access operators are train operators that run services without contractual arrangements or direct support from Government. Decisions on access to the rail network are a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its role as independent regulator for the rail industry and the Department for Transport is unable to direct the ORR in its decision making. Should Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway wish to include Wellington in Shropshire in future open access proposals they will need to apply to the ORR in the usual manner.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will redirect funding that would have otherwise been used for the cancelled phase 2 of HS2 to electrification of the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line.
Answered by Huw Merriman
I am aware of and grateful for Midlands Connect’s Strategic Outline Business Case which sets out the case for the electrification of the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line, as well as work from other local parties to identify and promote improvements to the line.
We are committed to a rail infrastructure portfolio which delivers benefits for rail users and value for money for the taxpayer. Individual schemes are assessed on their alignment with Government priorities and the strength of their business cases in line with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline policy.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to prevent the use of modified car exhausts which generate excessive noise.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department has been trialling noise camera technology to understand if it can be used to automatically detect when vehicles are excessively noisy, such as when car exhausts have been modified. As set out in the Government’s recent Plan for Drivers, the Department intends to publish the findings of the trial shortly and issue guidance to local authorities setting out minimum requirements and best practice for the use of noise cameras
Compliance with vehicle standards is monitored by the Department’s Market Surveillance Unit based in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Current and past market surveillance activity includes targeted investigation of both illegal vehicle modifications in respect of exhaust replacement and of the legality of silencers which form part of the exhaust system. Prosecutions will be taken where there is sufficient evidence to do so. There are currently cases of this type in the court system waiting to be heard.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce legislative proposals to ensure that gig economy delivery companies are responsible for (a) the roadworthiness of delivery vehicles and (b) the driving standards of delivery drivers who use their delivery app platforms.
Answered by Richard Holden - Opposition Whip (Commons)
Vehicles used for deliveries weighing over 3.5 tonnes are subject to the annual roadworthiness test and also fall under operator licensing requirements. Those vehicles used by delivery drivers weighing 3.5 tonnes or less are also subject to annual roadworthiness checks under what is commonly known as the MOT test. All drivers of goods vehicles used for commercial purposes are subject to the relevant drivers’ hours regulations.
Vehicles used on the public road are required by law to be in a roadworthy condition.