Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the replacement of pacer trains that form part of the Northern franchise deal with Arriva Rail North Limited.
Answered by Andrew Jones
As we have stated, Pacers will be removed by the end of 2019. It is for the new operator to decide how and when (by that date) this occurs.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the time the DVLA takes to process reapplications for a driving license after a suspension of that license for medical reasons.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold specific information about the processing times for driving licence applications, which were submitted following the revocation of a licence for medical reasons.
The DVLA aims to complete 90% of all cases that require further medical investigations within 90 working days and is working hard to identify ways of improving the time taken to deal with these cases. Additional caseworkers and medical advisers have been employed and new processes introduced to speed up the time it takes to receive the necessary information. Longer term, the DVLA is considering digital solutions to improve the service it provides in this area.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of young drivers to gain insurance cover of the recent increase in the insurance premium tax.
Answered by Andrew Jones
My officials have not made an assessment. There are a number of behavioural, educational and technological interventions that have the potential to help improve young driver safety and hence have an impact on insurance premiums. We need better evidence about what works best, so we’re working with insurance companies to see how we can assess the impact of telematics products, amongst other things, on young driver safety.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the rising cost of motor insurance.
Answered by Andrew Jones
A combination of legislative changes and working with stakeholders on reducing the frequency and cost of personal injury claims resulted in a 14% drop in average insurance premiums between 2012 and 2014.
This Government is determined to continue working with the insurance industry to tackle uninsured driving and reduce the cost of motor insurance.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of progress on High Speed 2.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
In March, the Department for Transport published ‘HS2: On track’, which summarises the considerable progress made on the project since 2010 and sets out the next steps. HS2 remains on track, both in terms of Parliamentary process and in terms of practical preparations permitted under the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act.
The hybrid Bill for the first phase of HS2 is making good progress through Parliament. Of the 1,960 petitions received, over 500 have been dealt with so far during the Select Committee process, which began in July last year. This is approximately twice as many as were dealt with by the Crossrail Committee in 21 months of sittings.
Ground Investigation works have begun at both ends of the Phase One route. These works will inform the design stage of the major civil works due to start in 2017/2018, for which the initial stages of procurement of the enabling works have already commenced.
Following the close of the public consultation on the proposed route for Phase Two in January 2014, HS2 Ltd and the Department have been analysing route and station options as reflected in David Higgins’ reports of March and October 2014. The Government intends to announce the way forward on Phase Two later this year.
The Government has previously said it will deliver HS2 in the north sooner by preparing a dedicated hybrid Bill to lay during this Parliament. This is with a view to bringing HS2 to Crewe sooner than planned, subject to further analysis and decisions on preferred route. We will also look at the case for accelerating the construction of the route between Leeds and Sheffield, and allowing it to be used by for fast regional train services.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the extent to which chief officers of territorial police forces have used the Marine Navigation Act 2013 to permit port constables to act outside their port area for policing purposes connected with the port constable's police area.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Of the six English port police forces, able to use the Marine Navigation Act, the port police forces for Bristol, Dover and Teesport have sought and received the consent of the Chief Constable of the relevant territorial police force to exercise certain powers outside their port area, while a fourth, Liverpool Port Police, is currently seeking it.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average age of rolling stock serving the (a) Tees Valley Line and (b) Esk Valley Line is.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The rolling stock operated on these two lines is a mixture of Class 142 and Class 156 units which were constructed between 1985 and 1989.
However, the age of rolling stock is a crude measure of quality – as a properly planned refurbishment of an older train can result in a very pleasant travelling environment and a "new train feel" but at a fraction of the cost of a new unit.
Information on the average age of rolling stock is available from the Office of Rail Regulation's website, by following this link:
http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/53dcc4e1-3223-48f9-9e9c-10d51359cdd7
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions practical driving tests have been appealed to magistrates' and sheriff courts in each year since 2008; how many such appeals were upheld; and for what reasons.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Since 2008 DVSA holds record of 12 practical driving test appeals that have come before the magistrate's court; we have no record of any practical driving test appeals that have come before the Sheriff's court. None of these appeals were upheld as detailed in the chart below.
| Date and place of hearing | Under S90 or S133 RTA | Outcome |
| 11.06.2008 - Croydon | S133 | Dismissed |
| 27.01.2009 - Bexley Heath | S90 | Dismissed |
| 25.03.2009 - Caernarfon | S133 | Withdrawn |
| 01/06/2009 - UNKNOWN | S90 | Settled without prejudice prior to hearing |
| 15.07.2009 Leicester | S90 | Dismissed |
| 31.07.2009 Leicester | S133 | Withdrawn |
| 5.11.2010 - UNKNOWN | S90 | Failed to attend preliminary hearing |
| 28.02.2011 Coventry | S133 | Withdrawn |
| 13.09.2011 Sheffield | S90 | Not upheld |
| 26.07.2012 Wakefield | S90 | Cancelled preliminary hearing |
| 02.08.2012 Bournemouth | S90 | Withdrawn |
| 11.11.2013 Wolverhampton | S133 | Withdrawn at hearing on judge's advice |
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to paragraph 2,246 of the Budget 2014, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the Scottish Government matchfunding expenditure on a feasibility study on A1 improvements north of Newcastle.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department has committed to undertaking six feasibility studies as part of the process of identifying and funding solutions to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country. The studies include work on the problems on the A1 north of Newcastle.
The Department has commenced conversations with the Scottish Government regarding the offer made as part of the Budget 2014 to extend the study further north into Scotland if the Scottish Government matchfund the costs.
Government expects to report back at Autumn Statement 2014 with solutions to alleviate congestion and tackle the problems on this route.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support Durham Tees Valley Airport has received from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; and whether Durham Tees Valley Airport will benefit from the expansion of this fund announced in the Budget 2014.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport has received no applications in connection with Durham Tees Valley Airport for the funding set aside in last year's Spending Round for supporting air services. The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that support will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from the UK's regional airports. The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union aviation State Aid guidelines on start-up aid, and explain how the funding process will work.