Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure responsible procurement by National Highways for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
National Highways is procuring the Lower Thames Crossing, including the contract for the road tunnels and approaches, in accordance with UK procurement rules. This includes wider international obligations on government procurements.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to support the expansion of the Manchester Metrolink to (a) other areas of Salford, (b) Eccles and (c) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Mass transit is largely devolved in England. Mass transit expansion in Greater Manchester is the responsibility of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
Through Greater Manchester’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2022/23 to 2026/27, the Department for Transport has allocated £1.07 billion to the region for local transport schemes, which GMCA has brought forward.
GMCA can choose to develop mass transit proposals through CRSTS.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken for the DVLA to process paper licence applications; and if he will take steps to reduce the average time taken to process those applications.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
The large majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online here.
The table below shows the average processing time for ordinary driving licence applications between 1 April 2021 and 28 February 2022 in working days, by new applications, renewal applications and replacement applications.
| (a) new applications | (b) renewal applications | (c) replacement applications |
Online application | 2.33 | 1.56 | 1.62 |
Paper application | 25.08 | 30.56 | 33.70 |
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the use of fake vaccination certificates by visitors to the UK; and what estimate she has made of the number of visitors into the UK that used fake covid-19 certificates in 2021.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The government is working with operators and our international partners to ensure that vaccine certification is legitimate and meets our minimum requirements. Operators conduct upstream checks on all passengers to ensure consistency with the certification minimum dataset, and Border Force officials also check passengers on arrival. Regulators also conduct additional spot checks on arrival to provide an extra layer of assurance.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to monitor the implementation of his Department’s Safer Transport Guidance for Operators, particularly with regard to social distancing on public transport; how the public can report non-implementation of that guidance by public transport providers; and what the sanctions are for public transport providers that do not adequately implement that guidance.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The success of vaccine deployment has paved the way for the gradual lifting of restrictions and this marks a new phase in the pandemic response where people manage the risks to themselves and others as the country learns to live with the virus. The Safer Transport Guidance for Operators contains non-statutory guidance that does not supersede any legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment or equalities and it is important that operators continue to comply with existing obligations and conduct risk assessments to identify any specific actions they need to take.
At step 4, social distancing rules were lifted, and the public will no longer need to stay 2 metres apart from people they do not live with. Guidance also sets out that the Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport. It will be open for individual operators to consider developing their own face covering policies if they wish to do so. We will continue to work with operators to support passenger safety by ensuring service levels are high, asking passengers to plan ahead for their journeys, making hand sanitiser available and supporting ventilation where possible.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether humanitarian aid work and volunteering qualify for exemptions from covid-19 travel restrictions; and if he will update the online Government guidance on travel to clarify what travel restrictions apply to humanitarian aid work and volunteering.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Guidance for those intending overseas travel from England during the national restrictions is published on GOV.UK, at: https://www.gov.uk/travel-abroad
For humanitarian and volunteering there is relevant detail under the section on ‘Reasonable excuses for travel abroad’ on: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-declaration-form-for-international-travel
The guidance for persons returning to or travelling into the UK, is available at: https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control
Different international travel rules may apply in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and individuals should follow the guidance of the relevant devolved administration.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of implications for his policies of the Unesco World Heritage Committee’s concerns that proposed changes to the A303 near Stonehenge would impact adversely on the Stonehenge landscape because the tunnel is too short.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Secretary of State’s decision to approve the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order (“A303 Stonehenge”) road scheme promoted by Highways England was issued on 12 November 2020. The reasons for his decision, including consideration of its impacts on the World Heritage Site, are set out in the decision letter which, along with the other decision documents, is available on the National Infrastructure Planning website. The decision is currently subject to a claim for judicial review and, therefore, no further comment can be made on either the decision or the live litigation case.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
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 extending the validity period of Compulsory Basic Training certification for frontline and key workers needing to commute during the pandemic whose two-year deadline has expired or is due to expire during lockdowns; and what steps he is taking to support workers who have lost their means of commuting due to a lack of extension to their certificates.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The two-year validity period of a compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate is set out in legislation. It is in place to ensure learner moped and motorcycle riders can ride safely on their own, with L-plates, while they practise for a full moped or motorcycle test. That includes critical workers. The Government has no plans, on road safety grounds, to waive that two-year validity period for any category of learner rider. Mobile emergency workers who hold a valid CBT certificate are, however, able to take a motorcycle test during the current restrictions if put forward by their employer.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Global Travel Taskforce held its first meeting.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
A core function of the Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) is to bring together industry and government to devise a way to implement measures to reduce quarantine while protecting public health. In its work, the GTT will therefore seek to consult representatives from across the travel sector.
Further information on the GTT can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/global-travel-taskforce
The taskforce held its first meeting on 15 October 2020.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Global Travel Taskforce will engage with representatives of the business travel industry.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
A core function of the Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) is to bring together industry and government to devise a way to implement measures to reduce quarantine while protecting public health. In its work, the GTT will therefore seek to consult representatives from across the travel sector.
Further information on the GTT can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/global-travel-taskforce
The taskforce held its first meeting on 15 October 2020.