Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing self-driving vehicles in the UK.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department for Transport has ongoing research, analysis and public engagement programmes which seek to understand the opportunities associated with new transport technologies. Examples informing our view on the potential benefits of self-driving vehicles (SDVs) include:
In addition, Government is funding world-leading projects to explore how SDVs can improve mobility for an ageing population (in Bristol) and visually impaired people (in Birmingham), including the world’s first 4D tactile display in an automated vehicle. Separately in 2019, Coventry’s Aurrigo partnered with Blind Veterans UK on the world’s first trial of self-driving pods with blind veterans (in Brighton).
The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission (‘the Commissions’) recently published their recommendations for a legal framework for SDVs, and consulted widely on how to ensure SDVs are made accessible to disabled people as the recommendations were developed. The Commissions’ final recommendations include an advisory panel to guide the issuing of permits for passenger services, which would include representatives for disabled (and older) people. We are considering the Commissions’ final recommendations and will make a formal response in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of electrifying all railway lines in (a) the North East and (b) England.
Answered by Wendy Morton
As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the UK Government is committed to achieving a net zero railway by 2050. Achieving that will require a mix of battery trains, hydrogen trains and track electrification, not just wholesale electrification of the currently unelectrified network.
Electrification costs across the country can vary significantly depending on factors that include complexity and topography. We will continue to ensure that new schemes deliver value for money for taxpayers.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing hydrogen-powered trains.
Answered by Wendy Morton
In our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we have committed to delivering a net zero rail network by 2050, with sustained carbon reductions in rail along the way. To help deliver the government’s net zero commitment, we will electrify most of the network and deploy battery and hydrogen trains on some lines, where it makes economic and operational sense.
The government is supporting the development of battery and hydrogen technology in rail through innovation funding and research. The outcome of this research will inform any assessment of the relevant merits of hydrogen, battery and electrification on the railway. Since the start of 2019, the Department has provided just over £4m of funding through Innovate UK-run First of a Kind competitions for new traction technologies that will help decarbonise the railway. This includes £750,000 to facilitate trials of the UK’s first hydrogen-powered train, HydroFLEX, which was showcased at COP 26.
In addition, Great Western Railway has signed a deal that will see the UK’s first battery-only train enter scheduled passenger service. The trial is supported by £2.15m funding from the Department for Transport's Rail Network Enhancement pipeline (RNEP).
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to restore previously closed rail lines.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In January 2020 the Government pledged £500 million for the Restoring Your Railway programme to deliver on our manifesto commitment to start reopening lines and stations to reconnect smaller communities, regenerate local economies and improve access to jobs, homes and education. We reopened the Dartmoor Line in November, the first line to be reinstated under the programme, and are supporting over 45 schemes at different stages of development with funding and advice.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support disabled passengers on public transport.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Department is committed to ensuring disabled passengers have the same access to transport as everyone else. We are working to deliver accessibility improvements across all modes of transport, as set out in the 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy, 2021 National Disability Strategy and the 2021 Williams-Shapps Rail Review.
Recent initiatives include:
We also ran the #World of Difference element of the ‘Its Everyone’s Journey’ public awareness campaign to support disabled passengers using public transport, including those with non-visible conditions. We also continue to engage with key stakeholders through the Inclusive Transport Stakeholder Group, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and Disability Ambassadors for Transport.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to maintain signage for cyclists to ensure their safety.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Transport sets legislation, in this case the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, prescribing signs for cyclists. The deployment and maintenance of signing for cyclists to ensure their safety is the responsibility of local highway authorities.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to IR35 tax status on the shortage of HGV drivers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The introduction of changes to the off-payroll working rules announced by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have been delayed until April 2021 to help businesses and individuals deal with the economic impact of COVID-19.
We will maintain a dialogue with the road haulage sector on this issue to assess whether the introduction has an impact on the HGV driver shortage.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
What recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the introduction of E10 fuel.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department consulted on proposals to introduce E10 in 2021.
There is no assessment that identified any Covid-19 impact on that timeline.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that travellers who booked holidays through (a) LoveHolidays and (b) On The Beach prior to the departure of those companies from ABTA have their bookings protected.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
All travel agents trading in the UK must have an ATOL License and provide an ATOL certificate for holidays booked, regardless of their country of origin and regardless of ABTA membership. Consumers retain the same legal rights to a refund or a credit note for travel that is no longer possible. Where the travel agents are not liable to offer these, and FCDO guidance has changed, consumers should rely on their travel insurance.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to ensure that travel firms operating out of the UK treat British holidaymakers equitably in the event that the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office advises holidaymakers against non-essential travel to a destination that those holidaymakers had make a booking to prior to that advice being released.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
All travel agents trading in the UK must have an ATOL License and provide an ATOL certificate for holidays booked, regardless of their country of origin and regardless of ABTA membership. Consumers retain the same legal rights to a refund or a credit note for travel that is no longer possible. Where the travel agents are not liable to offer these, and FCDO guidance has changed, consumers should rely on their travel insurance.