Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Transport prior to the announcement on changes to the statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards on 21 July 2020.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The new standards address a number of concerns raised in investigations into child sexual exploitation and abuse, including the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham, about safeguarding in taxis and private hire vehicles. The Home Secretary has made clear that such failures must never be repeated.
The Department for Transport has worked with Home Office ministers and officials to develop the changes.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government prior to his announcement on changes to the statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards on 21 July 2020.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards were subject to extensive engagement, consultation and agreement across government.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Vehicle Hire Licensing issues, published on 12 February 2019, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enable national minimum standards in taxi licensing that would enable greater enforcement powers for licensing officers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government will continue to engage with the sector on our plans for reforming the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, including options to introduce new legislation. The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers to safeguard passengers through statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, which will be issued shortly. The Department will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government will continue to engage with the sector on our plans for reforming the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, including options to introduce new legislation. The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, which will be issued shortly. The Department will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on cross-border working in the PHV industry.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government will continue to engage with the sector on our plans for reforming the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, including options to introduce new legislation. The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, which will be issued shortly. The Department will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to respond to the public consultation onTaxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing: Protecting Users that was published in February 2019.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government will continue to engage with the sector on our plans for reforming the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, including options to introduce new legislation. The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, which will be issued shortly. The Department will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the use of electric cars by the public sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Budget 2017 included a commitment to “electrify 25% of cars in central Government department fleets by 2022” and, as part of the Road to Zero Strategy published in July 2018, the Government announced a further commitment to make 100% of the central Government car fleet ultra-low emission vehicles (zero emission or plug in hybrid) by 2030. Public sector organisations must use the product specifications set out in the Government Buying Standards (GBS) when procuring goods or services. For all vehicles the default is zero or ultra-low emission at the tailpipe. As a minimum, vehicles should meet Euro 6 emission standards.
We are investing nearly £2.5 billion?, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, as well schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. This includes extra funding announced at Budget 2020 of £532 million for consumer incentives for ultra-low emission vehicles, made up of £403 million for the plug-in car grant (PICG), extending it to 2022-23; and £129.5 million to extend the plug-in grants for vans, taxis and motorcycles to 2022-23. Central Government and the wider public sector are able to take advantage of these schemes.
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2020 to Question 10420, what the timeframe is for the publication of the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Safeguarding Guidance.
Answered by George Freeman
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 4 February, to Question UIN 10420.
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to issue new statutory taxi hire standards.
Answered by George Freeman
We will shortly be issuing Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Standards to licensing authorities, on protecting passengers and updated best practice guidance for other matters that will follow later this year.
Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the introduction of National Minimum Standards on disability awareness training for drivers of taxi and private hire vehicles.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We will continue to engage with the sector on our plans to reform the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, including the introduction of national minimum standards in licensing, and will bring forward further measures in due course.