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Written Question
Driving: Older People
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure (a) drivers living in the UK with EU licences and (b) UK licence holders seeking to drive in EU member states do not lose (i) licences and (ii) access to insurance after the age of 70.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Since EU exit, bilateral arrangements are in place with all European Economic Area (EEA) countries for the recognition and exchange of the vast majority of UK licences.

For drivers living in the UK with EU licences, an EU licence can be used to drive in the UK until its expiry, up to the age of 70. If an EU licence holder is 67 or over when they become resident in the UK, they can drive until they are 70 or have lived in the UK for 3 years, whichever is longer and provided the licence remains valid. After this time, they must exchange their EU licence for a UK licence. They do not have to retake their test.

For drivers visiting the UK, an EU licence can be used to drive in the UK as long as it is full and valid, regardless of age.

For UK licence holders seeking to drive in EU member states, valid UK licences are recognised for use by visitors. UK licence holders who become resident in the EU are able to use their licences in line with local arrangements. These arrangements vary from country to country, with some enabling extended recognition until the licence expires (after which the UK licence must be exchanged for a local licence). Other countries require that the UK licence is exchanged for a local licence within a specified time period, determined by that country.

The treatment of drivers over the age of 70 varies across EU countries, however being aged over 70 does not in itself prevent a UK licence holder from using that licence in the EU or exchanging it for an EU one.

The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. They use a wide range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses, including the age of the applicant, the type of vehicle being insured, the postal area where the applicant lives and the driving experience of the applicant. All UK vehicle insurance provides the minimum third-party cover to drive in the EU.

With respect to UK licence holders living in EU member states, insurance is a matter for insurance companies within those states.


Written Question
Railways: Ticket Offices
Tuesday 17th October 2023

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of rail station ticket office closures on people who (a) cannot afford and (b) struggle to use digital technology on those people's ability to travel by rail.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Together with the industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide help and advice to passengers across stations where they need it. The consultation period has now closed, and we expect train operators to work collaboratively with the passenger bodies in the coming weeks, to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly.

We have been clear that no currently staffed station should be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and operators should ensure that staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future. This includes ensuring that staff remain available to help passengers use ticket vending machines, or their own devices to purchase tickets and they can assist those who need additional support or do not wish to use digital tickets. Exact staffing arrangements would vary by train operator and station and are subject to ongoing discussions with staff and their trade union representatives.


Written Question
Port of London Authority
Monday 4th September 2023

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to take steps to improve the public accountability of the Port of London Authority.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Department is content with the current level of accountability that exists for the Port of London Authority (PLA). The Department will keep this position under periodic review.


Written Question
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 26th April 2023

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) delays to the timetable and (b) increased budget for HS2 on applications for Network Rail enhancement projects.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Individual enhancement schemes are assessed on their alignment with Government priorities, the strength of their business case, and their affordability. Schemes seeking funding from the Department for Transport need to progress through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) decision gateways before moving into delivery.

Detail on the decision gateways is set out in the March 2018 RNEP publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-network-enhancements-pipeline.

This process has not been affected by decisions on HS2 funding and no decisions on Network Rail enhancement projects have been delayed because of the announcement on the 9 March.


Written Question
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 26th April 2023

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Transport Secretary sets out record investment plans for transport network, published on 9 March 2023, how many applications for Network Rail enhancement projects have been delayed as a result of that announcement.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Individual enhancement schemes are assessed on their alignment with Government priorities, the strength of their business case, and their affordability. Schemes seeking funding from the Department for Transport need to progress through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) decision gateways before moving into delivery.

Detail on the decision gateways is set out in the March 2018 RNEP publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-network-enhancements-pipeline.

This process has not been affected by decisions on HS2 funding and no decisions on Network Rail enhancement projects have been delayed because of the announcement on the 9 March.


Written Question
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 26th April 2023

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken to process Network Rail enhancement project applications since the announcement of increased funding for HS2.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Individual enhancement schemes are assessed on their alignment with Government priorities, the strength of their business case, and their affordability. Schemes seeking funding from the Department for Transport need to progress through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) decision gateways before moving into delivery.

Detail on the decision gateways is set out in the March 2018 RNEP publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-network-enhancements-pipeline.

This process has not been affected by decisions on HS2 funding and no decisions on Network Rail enhancement projects have been delayed because of the announcement on the 9 March.


Written Question
Rotherhithe Tunnel: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 8th September 2021

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to provide Transport for London with funding for urgent renovations to the Rotherhithe Tunnel in order to prevent its potential closure.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

TfL is responsible for the maintenance of its assets, including Rotherhithe Tunnel.

This Government has demonstrated its commitment to transport in London throughout the pandemic, with over £4 billion in extraordinary support packages since May 2020. These support packages must be fair to taxpayers, and on the condition that action is taken to put TfL on the path to long-term financial sustainability.


Written Question
Travel: Coronavirus
Thursday 1st July 2021

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to maintain jobs in the travel industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation and travel sectors because of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor.

In total, we estimate that by the end of September 2021, the air transport sector will have benefitted from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which was extended until 30 September 2021. From official statistics from HM Revenue and Customs, we estimate around 50% of air transport sector employees are currently furloughed using the CJRS.

In February the Department for Transport also launched the Aviation Skills Retention Platform which allows former and current aviation sector workers who are currently out of work to register their skills, so they can be notified of relevant jobs opportunities, advice and upskilling opportunities.


Written Question
Travel: Coronavirus
Wednesday 30th June 2021

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to publish the data used to inform the covid-19 traffic light system to help the travel industry to plan for reopening.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The traffic light system categorises countries based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors.

Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with the aviation and travel industries throughout the pandemic. We remain committed to an open engagement with the sector and continue to work with industry partners.


Written Question
Emergency Services: Coronavirus
Tuesday 27th October 2020

Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether any lives have been lost as a result of delays affecting emergency service vehicles that have been caused as a result of road closures to facilitate social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Department has made no assessment of how the emergency services have been affected by the introduction of new road layouts. It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, and consultation and noticing requirements.

Where road closures require a Traffic Regulation Order, the emergency services must be consulted as part of the order-making process, to ensure any concerns are addressed and that access is maintained. Emergency services have been generally supportive of road layout changes, such as low-traffic neighbourhoods and, in some cases, their access has improved because narrow, unsuitable roads are no longer full of traffic.