Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Oyster card scheme to stations in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Transport for London (TfL) and Operators can consider and propose Oyster expansion where a positive business case can be demonstrated.
No such proposals have been put forward to the Department. However, we are expanding ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go (PAYG) to more stations and this month we launched PAYG with contactless at Berkhamsted station to join Harpenden station which got contactless PAYG in 2019.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure private train operating companies are held to account for their performance during the transition to rail nationalisation; and what steps she will take to ensure that performance standards are enforced.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State for Transport will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold all operators to account through a range of measures, including during the transition of services to a public sector operator.
All operators will continue to go through an annual planning process with the Department to agree plans for changes to service specifications, performance improvements and other deliverables. If an operator’s poor performance means that contractual conditions for early termination are met, Ministers will not hesitate to take decisive action.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her decision on the application to expand Luton airport of the level of emissions from flights departing from that airport.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The statutory deadline for a decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for London Luton airport expansion is 3 April 2025. Given the Secretary of State’s role in determining the application, it would not be appropriate to comment on the application.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of ultra fine particles at Luton airport on local residents.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are currently no legal limits for ultra fine particulate concentrations. Air quality at Luton Airport is closely monitored and is reported in its Sustainability Reports.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to update the policy paper entitled Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, to reflect the net zero targets set out in legislation.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer.
Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the DVLA on the potential merits of accepting eye tests from certified opticians other than Specsavers for frequent license renewals where they are required.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will already consider eyesight tests carried out by opticians other than Specsavers. However, examinations carried out by Specsavers, as the DVLA’s contracted partner, ensure a consistent application of the required eyesight standards.
Eyesight tests with an opticians other than Specsavers are carried out at the individual driver’s expense and the test may not meet the appropriate specifications, meaning that the applicant may still be asked to go for a further examination at Specsavers.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 900487 on Airports: Carbon Emissions, what strict environmental standards she will use to assess airport expansions.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The assessment of applications for airport expansion will take account of all relevant law, policy and other material considerations. This includes environmental assessments undertaken as part of the planning application process.
The UK’s obligations on greenhouse gas emissions are set under the 2008 Climate Change Act. The UK also has legally binding targets to reduce emissions and concentrations of harmful pollutants, including a targeted 35% reduction in population exposure to fine particulate matter in England (PM2.5) by 2040 (compared to 2018 levels).
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times right across the country.
I announced to Parliament via a Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December DVSA’s 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times. Details of that plan can be found on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/car-practical-driving-test-waiting-times)
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enlisting approved driving instructors to carry out practical driving tests on a temporary basis; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) surge capacity and (b) the backlog in driving tests.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is not possible to allow approved driving instructors (ADI’s) to temporarily work as driving examiners. The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) 1999 regulations require driving test examiners to meet certain criteria and pass an initial qualification and examination and prohibits a person from being an active ADI and an examiner simultaneously.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the proportion of train journeys that had Wi-Fi available on board in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department does not hold this data as it is currently a matter for individual train operators.
Under Great British Railways, a wider programme to deliver improved passenger Wi-Fi connectivity will be considered.