Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiners have raised concerns to the DVSA about the safety of examining drivers in vehicles without dual control.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the risk assessments in place for driving examiners conducting tests in vehicles without dual control.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) compensation and (b) care and assistance expenses that passengers are entitled to claim for in cases of significant flight delays.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to protecting the rights of passengers when travelling by air.
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as retained in UK law establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of long delays, cancellations or denied boarding. In June 2023, the Department published its response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation. This set out a commitment to further consultation on the compensation and payment framework across all forms of disruption including cancellations, delays and denied boarding. Furthermore, a Statutory Instrument came into force in the UK on 14 December 2023 to re-state certain EU case law principles in respect of Regulation (EC) 261/2004, to ensure passengers continued to be protected through additional clarity of their rights in the event of flight disruptions.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the costs associated with driving examiners taking time off work as a result of injuries sustained when conducting driving tests.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of driving examiners who were off work as a result of injuries sustained during the examination of drivers in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of accidents during driving tests (a) in total and (b) in vehicles that lack dual control in 2022-23.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of driving examiners (DE), candidates, and passengers, during the car practical driving test is a top priority for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. All DEs are trained extensively to conduct car practical tests in vehicles fitted with, and without, dual controls. Any concerns raised about conducting a test in a vehicle without dual controls are addressed as part of training, and not recorded separately.
The number of ‘accidents and near misses’ that took place during 2022/23 on car practical driving tests was 796; of which 181 involved vehicles not fitted with dual controls. 22.2% of vehicles used for car practical driving tests in 2022/23 were not fitted with dual controls.
The DVSA is unable to differentiate between injuries sustained in the workplace, during a driving test, and outside of work.
The DVSA is fulfilling its legal obligation to record all risk assessments, including the car driving test risk assessment. The agency has no plans to publish risk assessments.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2024 to Question 22401 on Aviation: Fuels, if he will detail the firms and locations of the 13 SAF projects.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Company/Project | Project Location |
Abundia Biomass-to-Liquids | Teesside |
Alfanar Energy Ltd | Teesside |
Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd | Ellesmere Port, Cheshire |
Lanzatech UK Ltd | South Wales |
Velocys plc | Immingham, Lincolnshire |
Velocys plc | TBC |
Arcadia e-Fuels (NABOO) | Teesside |
Carbon Neutral Fuels | TBC |
Esso Petroleum Company | Solent |
Nova Pangaea Technologies | Wilton at Teesside |
OXCCU Tech | Sheffield’s Translational Energy Research Centre |
Willis Sustainable Fuels | Teesside |
Zero Petroleum | Orkney |
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce the outcome of Northwich Station’s Access for All funding bid.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As part of our recent Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of our train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All, including a nomination for Northwich railway station. If successful, the funding will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been provided to BCP council to fix potholes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2023/24 the Government provided Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council with £6.24 million of capital funding for local highway maintenance. This was an increase of around 30% compared to the previous year, made possible in part by reallocating £604,000 of funding that would otherwise have been spent on the HS2 programme. In total, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council will receive an uplift of over £18 million over the next decade as a result of the decision to reallocate HS2 funding.
It is up to Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council to determine how best to use this funding based on local needs, priorities and circumstances. Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council has published on its website details of how it intends to spend the additional funding the Government has provided (https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/projects-plans-and-consultations/highway-maintenance)
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce regulation for truck maintenance service providers.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Roadworthiness standards for vehicles are set out in legislation. We have no plans to introduce regulations specifically for truck maintenance service providers.