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 to ensure domestic companies with UK-based shareholdings are prioritised to offer (a) ground and (b) air services for potential expansions at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Gatwick airports.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to an open and competitive aviation sector, ensuring choice and value for passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are responsible for the effective operation of the aviation market for consumers.
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines take their own decisions on the routes and services they provide.
Prioritising UK-based shareholdings within this private market is not planned as international agreements ensure fair competition. What matters most is that companies operate safely, securely and are properly regulated.
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 to commission an investigation into trends in the level of competition amongst airlines flying in and out of UK airports.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to an open and competitive aviation sector, ensuring choice and value for passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are responsible for the effective operation of the aviation market for consumers.
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines take their own decisions on the routes and services they provide.
Prioritising UK-based shareholdings within this private market is not planned as international agreements ensure fair competition. What matters most is that companies operate safely, securely and are properly regulated.
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 to increase competition among airlines operating in the UK.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to an open and competitive aviation sector, ensuring choice and value for passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are responsible for the effective operation of the aviation market for consumers.
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines take their own decisions on the routes and services they provide.
Prioritising UK-based shareholdings within this private market is not planned as international agreements ensure fair competition. What matters most is that companies operate safely, securely and are properly regulated.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage train operating companies to improve on-train connectivity for (a) voice and (b) data services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department for Transport officials are working closely with the train operating companies and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to develop proposals to improve passenger mobile connectivity.
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