Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps they are taking to use (a) artificial intelligence and (b) data to help increase their Department's productivity.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has established an Organisational AI programme to effectively explore the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of our work. It is structured to ensure safe, effective and appropriately targeted adoption, to deliver the greatest possible productivity benefits. We are collaborating with the Alan Turing Institute and the Office for National Statistics to measure the opportunities for productivity gains and prioritise the introduction of AI tools where they can bring the most benefit.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met with representatives of the European Company for the Financing of Railroad Rolling Stock (EUROFIMA).
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My officials have been engaging regularly with Eurofima over the last two years to consider the potential for UK membership, and they continue to engage with them on this matter.
The Government is committed to developing a long-term industrial strategy for rolling stock, which supports British manufacturing and innovation and ultimately improves the offer for passengers. As part of this, my officials have been exploring the best financing structures to support this investment, in partnership with private finance, and this includes considering Eurofima finance.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a programme of railway electrification.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government expects electrification to play an important role in our programme to achieve our Net Zero 2050 target, tackle air pollution, and improve the passenger experience.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve passenger rail performance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving railway performance and driving forward rail reform is the Department’s top priority. The Secretary of State and Rail Minister are meeting with Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to hold them to account in a joined-up manner across track and train. Great British Railways (GBR) will put passengers back at the heart of our railways and the Secretary of State established Shadow GBR to kickstart those improvements prioritising performance ahead of the formal establishment of GBR.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid technology that will be on the road in (a) Slough, (b) London and (c) the UK by 2030.
Answered by Anthony Browne
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to help increase the adoption of electric vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Government grants have been in place for over a decade to help reduce the up-front purchase price of electric vehicles, with over £1.8 billion in grant funding provided since 2011. Grants remain available for vans, trucks, wheelchair accessible vehicles and taxis. Favourable tax benefits also remain in place to support the transition to EVs.
These policies are working. March 2024 saw the highest ever recorded volume of monthly battery electric vehicle registrations in the UK, with manufacturers reporting over 48,000 vehicles sold.
As stated in the Plan for Drivers, the Government will also continue to support the uptake of zero emission vehicles, by addressing common misconceptions and showing how they can be a practical option for most drivers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6880 on Cycling: Pedestrian Areas, if his Department will make such an assessment.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government has no plans to make such an assessment.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6880 on Cycling: Pedestrian Areas, whether he plans to develop targeted educational campaigns to improve cyclists' knowledge of pedestrian safety.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Active Travel England is providing £50 million to expand Bikeability cycle training to a million more young people between 2023 and 2025 as part of a projected £3 billion investment in active travel up to 2025. This will help to improve standards of cycling behaviour by teaching young cyclists the rules of the road. In addition, a THINK! Campaign, with significant media investment, supported the changes made to The Highway Code in January 2022. The campaign aimed to raise awareness and understanding of the changes, helping to improve road safety for people walking cycling and horse riding. It included messaging on the hierarchy of road users, making clear that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others.
There are no further plans to develop a targeted educational campaign to improve cyclists’ knowledge of pedestrian safety.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15138 on Cycling: Pedestrian Areas, how he plans to support the DVSA in increasing awareness of Rule 64 of the Highway Code among cyclists.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Factual awareness-raising and behaviour change campaigns took place in 2022 and 2023, to highlight the changes the Department made to the Highway Code in January 2022, as part of helping to improve road safety for people walking, cycling, and horse riding.
The campaigns were supported by significant media resource: utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand, and social media advertising. This approach has helped the Department and DVSA to increase awareness of the relevant Highway Code rules for cycling.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help (a) ensure that regulations on cost-sharing flights do not disproportionately affect the general aviation community, (b) support pilots in meeting potential new regulatory requirements and (c) minimise the (i) financial and (ii) operational costs of meeting those requirements.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The CAA supports the practice of cost sharing and recognises that it brings many benefits to pilots. However, following a review of cost sharing regulations, the CAA determined that the rules on cost sharing are open to misinterpretation and potential abuse in their current form.
Proposals to reform cost sharing regulations in the UK include limiting the number of passengers that can be carried on a single flight, clarifying the costs which pilots can legitimately share and requiring pilots to complete and retain a Passenger Declaration Form. The latter will make their passengers aware of the increased risk associated with general aviation flying compared to commercial air transport flights. The CAA has also proposed changes to the advertising requirements for flights posted online to improve the transparency of cost sharing arrangements for the participating public.
The CAA has consulted extensively with the general aviation community on its proposed changes to cost sharing regulations and has taken this feedback into account when drafting its final recommendations to the DfT. The CAA plans to develop a range of guidance to be made available on its website, which will explain what is required of them and provide vital support for pilots. This guidance will be published once changes to the regulation are finalised. Providers of cost sharing services will be given appropriate time to adjust their systems and procedures before the changes come into effect.
The Department supports the CAA’s initiative to revise its cost sharing regulations, to help emphasise the safety measures to protect consumers and prevent potential abuse of the activity. The CAA will continue to provide updates on the progress of its changes to cost sharing regulation as part of the regular forums it holds with DfT and general aviation organisations.