Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve rail connectivity between (a) Liverpool and (b) other northern cities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Britain, and this Government is committed to delivering infrastructure that works for the whole country. This includes improving rail connectivity across the north of England.
Re-introducing the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill is the first step in doing so, by providing powers to develop, construct and operate rail infrastructure that is key to improving inter-regional and northern rail connectivity.
We need a long-term approach to infrastructure and investment which takes account of local transport priorities. We will provide this, and thoroughly review the position we have inherited before setting out more detailed plans in due course.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of trends in the level of car insurance premiums on young people.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry on a variety of issues such as the cost of insurance.
It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.
The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority rules.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what personal information on (a) vehicle owners and (b) registered keepers can be provided to private parking enforcement companies through the KADOE system.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) records the details of UK vehicles and their registered keepers. The DVLA does not record owners of vehicles.
In response to requests from private parking companies received via the keeper at date of event service, the DVLA provides the name and address of the registered keeper. The vehicle registration number is also quoted back to the requestor.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue the DVLA accumulated through fulfilling KADOE requests for private parking enforcement companies in financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22.
Answered by Richard Holden
The fee for vehicle keeper data requests is set at £2.50 per enquiry. This sum covers the cost of releasing the information.
The total income for all data requests is as follows:
2019-20 | £23.29m |
2020-21 | £13.18m |
2021-22 | £23.90m |
The revenue received solely from dealing with requests from private parking companies cannot be separately identified from the wider range of requests for vehicle keeper details for other lawful purposes.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what charge the DVLA levies on private parking enforcement companies for fulfilling requests for information on (a) vehicle owners and (b) registered keepers through the KADOE system.
Answered by Richard Holden
The fee for vehicle keeper data requests is set at £2.50 per enquiry. This sum covers the cost of releasing the information.
The total income for all data requests is as follows:
2019-20 | £23.29m |
2020-21 | £13.18m |
2021-22 | £23.90m |
The revenue received solely from dealing with requests from private parking companies cannot be separately identified from the wider range of requests for vehicle keeper details for other lawful purposes.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in the Liverpool City Region.
Answered by Huw Merriman
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.
Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with Midland Expressway Ltd on seeking a review of its policy of charging recipients of higher rate Attendance Allowance for use of the M6 toll.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Department for Transport has no contractual rights to intervene with Midland Expressway Ltd regarding toll rates under the terms of the concession agreement entered into between DfT and MEL dated 28th February 1992. Midland Expressway Ltd is a private entity; it would be inappropriate for the Secretary of State for Transport to seek to intervene on any aspect of tolling policy.
The Department would be pleased to offer a meeting to discuss this further.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he held discussions with Midland Expressway Ltd on removing the higher rate Attendance Allowance from the list of benefits eligible for a disability exemption pass for the M6 Toll road, before that allowance was removed.
Answered by Richard Holden
M6 Toll is a privately-owned asset. Any changes to toll exemptions are a commercial decision for the concessionaire, Midland Expressway Limited (MEL).
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been to (a) her Department and (b) train operating companies of cleaning services across the rail network provided by Atalian Servest.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Department does not have a direct contractual relationship with Atalian Servest for cleaning services on rail.
We are unable to share the cost of contracts train companies may have in operation with Atalian Servest as these will be subject to commercial considerations.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department last met with Avanti to discuss scheduling and booking problems on the West Coast mainline.
Answered by Huw Merriman
On a daily basis officials meet with Avanti to understand operational challenges, alongside ad hoc meetings on specific issues.
In addition to this DFT officials meet Avanti West Coast senior management on a weekly basis to discuss and review their recovery plan and management of key risks.