Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic effect of providing Government funding to support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department has undertaken extensive research, in consultation with the shipping sector and other Government Departments, on the economic opportunities for the UK from the design, development and commercialisation of those technologies that are expected to be critical to achieving zero emission shipping by 2050. This research had been published in support of the Clean Maritime Plan on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he can take to assist residents in the area surrounding St Richard’s Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale, who are often inconvenienced by poor management of the school traffic.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Local authorities have a range of measures available to them to manage traffic outside schools. The Cycling and Walking Plan for England, published on 28 July 2020, set out that the Government expects local authorities to install more School Streets to help increase levels of active travel on the school run.
Local authorities in England are able to install School Streets already. However, outside London, offences against the signs used to create a School Street can currently only be enforced by the police.
The Plan also included a commitment to give local authorities outside London the powers to enforce these offences, by commencing Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. Once this is in place, local authorities will be able to apply to the Department for the powers to enforce a range of moving traffic offences, including those signs use to create School Streets.
A further £1 million has also been announced to boost the number of children walking to school. The ‘Walk to School Outreach Programme’ – which has already generated four million new walking trips – is being extended to roll out further measures to support walking.
This includes tackling the barriers which may prevent children and their families choosing to walk to and from school, as well as providing schools with classroom materials and access to local coordinators who can help schools get new walking initiatives up and running.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to reply to the correspondence of 21 May 2020 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire on the Burscough Curves.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A response to your correspondence of 21 May was sent via email on 3rd July. Unfortunately, due to an administrative error, an incorrect date was quoted on that letter for which I apologise. A revised copy of that letter with the correct date can be found in the attached document.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding he plans to allocate to the extension of the third rail electric train network.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is committed to electrification where it delivers passenger and environmental benefits and delivers value for money. We continue to expand the electrified rail network, using the most appropriate form of technology.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) encourage and (b) support UK companies to bid to be the West Coast Mainline provider.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Bids have already been submitted for the West Coast Partnership competition but the Department continues to encourage UK entrants into the rail franchising market. All rail franchise bidders are UK tax registered firms and far from taking money out of the system, foreign operating companies are paying tax in the UK and investing millions in improving services and buying new trains for British passengers.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to respond to the recommendations on tackling discrimination against guide dog owners using taxis in the September 2018 report of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV Licensing.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government responded to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing on 12th February. The response can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/government-response-and-consultation-on-taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-licensing
As the response sets out, disability awareness training can provide taxi and PHV drivers with the skills and knowledge to assist disabled passengers appropriately, and the Government supports licensing authorities which require all drivers to complete it. When legislative time is available, the Government will reflect this requirement in National Minimum Standards.
In the meantime, the Government committed in its 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy to undertake research to understand why some drivers continue to refuse passengers with assistance dogs, and what measures are available to challenge such unacceptable behaviour.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that baggage handlers at UK airports are trained to handle wheelchairs.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government seeks to ensure equal access to air travel for all. Through the recently launched Aviation 2050 consultation the Department is considering a new Passenger Charter that will raise standards and enhance services for passengers, including disabled people and those with reduced mobility. This includes increased uptake of disability awareness training programmes for ground handlers, and improving the storage standards for wheelchairs in the hold.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the level of discrimination experienced by disabled people when travelling by taxi.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) have a statutory duty to advise Ministers on the transport needs of disabled passengers, and we have discussed with them the challenges that disabled people face when using taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs).
Ministers are considering the recommendations made in the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, including those intended to improve accessibility. A Government response will be issued in due course.
We also intend to commission research to understand more clearly the experience of passengers who have been refused service by taxi and PHV drivers on account of using a wheelchair or assistance dog, and the levers available to Government to help eliminate such unacceptable behaviour.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has held with bus companies on disability awareness training for all bus drivers.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Bus and coach operators must ensure that drivers subject to the EU Regulation 181/2011 requirement to complete disability awareness training receive appropriate instruction. As part of the 2018 annual bus statistics survey, we sought data on whether operators were compliant with these new duties, and we are considering the results published on the 30th January. We also intend to publish best practice guidance on disability awareness training in the spring.
We are committed to developing a framework for the monitoring and enforcement of relevant training requirements, and continue to liaise with Regulators and the bus industry to ensure that operators understand fully their responsibilities.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Strategic Transport Plan, published by Transport for the North, if he will make it his policy to support that organisation's plan for rail and road investment.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Transport for the North conducted a public consultation on its draft strategic transport plan between January and April of this year. It has been analysing the responses and is preparing a final version of its plan. The Government is providing active support to Transport for the North towards its aim to produce a final plan which is both ambitious and realistic.