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Written Question
Electric Scooters
Friday 25th September 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the safety of e-scooters; and what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) road safety campaign and (c) scooter manufactures on the safety of e-scooters.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Department has set out a series of technical standards for e-scooter models to comply with, in order to participate in trials, and have been working closely with operators of e-scooters to ensure their models demonstrate compliance with these standards.

Officials and Ministers have met with a wide range of stakeholders in developing and implementing e-scooter trial policy, including the Scottish Government, manufacturers and safety groups.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Monday 8th June 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the DVLA will resume accepting (a) online and (b) postal applications and documentation from people wishing to register car purchases.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are operating as normal, including those for registering new vehicles and notifying the DVLA that the keeper of a vehicle has changed. Customers may also submit paper applications and notifications, but these will take longer to process.


Written Question
Package Holidays: Coronavirus
Monday 11th May 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of people who received a cash refund for cancelled holidays within the required 14-day period as a result of the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The Government recognises the challenges businesses and consumers are experiencing regarding refunds for cancelled holidays and flights. We appreciate the distress and frustration consumers may be experiencing.

The department does not hold this information, we are, however working closely with the sector, the regulator and consumer groups to help ensure airlines deliver on their commitments.


Written Question
Package Holidays: Coronavirus
Wednesday 29th April 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who have booked holidays that have been cancelled as a result of the covid-19 outbreak will receive a full refund in cash if they are ATOL protected; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The Government recognises the challenges businesses and consumers are experiencing regarding refunds for cancelled holidays and flights. Airlines are working hard to answer the high call volumes and to process the very large number of applications for refunds.

The Government appreciates the distress and frustration consumers may be experiencing. The Department for Transport is in regular conversation with UK airlines and working closely with the sector, the regulator and consumer groups to help ensure airlines deliver on their commitments.

The Civil Aviation Authority wrote to UK airlines and some non-EU carriers last week to emphasise their approach on the issue of refunds and setting out their expectation that airlines make refunds in a reasonable period.


Written Question
Electric Scooters
Friday 7th February 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include e-scooters in the cycle to work scheme.

Answered by George Freeman

The Department has no plans to include e-scooters in the Cycle to Work Scheme. The Cycle to Work Scheme is an employee tax-benefit scheme that enables employees to hire cycles and cycle safety equipment for active travel to work from their employer, or from a third party, in return for a deduction from their earnings via salary sacrifice. The Future of Mobility Regulatory Review is considering appropriate legislation and support framework for emerging micro-mobility vehicles including electric scooters.


Written Question
Electric Scooters
Friday 7th February 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to include e-scooters in the Active Travel portfolio.

Answered by George Freeman

The Department has no plans to include e-scooters within the Active Travel portfolio.

The Future of Mobility Regulatory Review is considering appropriate legislation framework for emerging micro-mobility vehicles including electric scooters. One of the principles of the Future of Mobility Urban Strategy is that cycling and walking should remain the best options for short journeys and we remain committed to that.

The Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published on 19 March 2019 includes a Regulatory Review to address the challenges of ensuring our transport infrastructure and regulation are fit for the future. The Strategy can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-mobility-urban-strategy

The Department will use the Regulatory Review to examine current legislation and determine from the evidence what is needed to make the necessary changes for a safe and healthy future. One strand of this will look at options for enabling micro-mobility devices, and a call for evidence will be issued in due course.


Written Question
Port Glasgow Station: Access
Monday 27th January 2020

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated from the Public Purse to Port Glasgow Train Station through the Access for All scheme.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The process to select options to make Port Glasgow more accessible is underway. The anticipated cost of the project will be known once a single design has been identified. Sufficient funding is available to deliver an accessible route both into the station, and to and between each platform. All Access for All projects are due to be completed by 2024 at the latest.


Written Question
Thomas Cook: Insolvency
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department taken to help ensure customers affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook receive compensation.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are sympathetic to those affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook. There is an ongoing process of liquidation which is in the hands of the Official Receiver. Passengers with ATOL protection are entitled to a full refund on any future bookings and the CAA publishes the process to follow after the insolvency has taken place.

Government advise customers without ATOL protection to speak to their credit card provider or the company they booked their holiday with. Passengers should also speak to their travel insurance provider to see if they are able to claim back any of their costs.


Written Question
Thomas Cook: Insolvency
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the collapse of Thomas Cook.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The demise of Thomas Cook has hastened the urgency of taking forward reforms in the area of airline insolvency.

The Government announced in the Queen’s Speech on 14 October, that it would be taking forward an Airline Insolvency Bill. This Bill would provide for a special administration regime, alongside other reforms to enable the Civil Aviation Authority to have greater oversight of airlines in distress. This is the first step to protect passengers and the interests of the taxpayer in the event of future airline insolvency.

In addition, the Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to ensure they prioritise, as a matter of urgency, an investigation into both the causes of the company’s failure and the conduct of its directors. The FRC will conduct a robust investigation into the preparation of the company’s accounts in compliance with these standards and seek areas where lessons may be learned.


Written Question
Cycling and Walking
Wednesday 1st May 2019

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to participate in Active Travel such as riding a bike to and from work.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The many ways in which the Government is supporting active travel are summarised in the statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which was published in in April 2017. The Department also undertook a major cycling and walking safety review in 2018, and published its response and a detailed action plan in November 2018. Around £2 billion is now being invested in cycling and walking over this Parliament. To encourage people to cycle to work, the Government’s Cycle to Work Scheme allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists' safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. The Department is reviewing and updating its guidance on the scheme and is due to publish a revised version later in 2019.