Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timescale is for tackling the issue of taxi drivers licensing in a local authority with less stringent standards to the local authority for their main area of trade.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to introduce minimum standards for taxis and private hire vehicles in England and Wales in accordance with the Government’s response to Report of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s response to the Report of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licencing, whether the Government plans to bring forward legislation on restricting cross-border and out of area journeys by taxis.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his response to the September 2018 report of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on restricting (a) cross-border and (b) out-of-area journeys by taxis.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his response to the September 2018 report of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on minimum standards for taxis and private hire vehicles.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps in the next 12 months to prevent taxi drivers obtaining a private hire licence in a local authority area with lower licensing standards compared with the local authority area in which they undertake the majority of their trade.
Answered by George Freeman
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, which focused on the sector in England (as taxi and PHV policy is a devolved matter), the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislation.
The Government response to the report stated that we will bring forward legislation, when time allows, to enable the setting of national minimum standards in taxi and PHV licensing. We encourage licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers to protect passengers.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to accelerate the electrification of (a) heat and (b) transport.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The electrification of heat, notably through heat pumps, can play a key role in decarbonizing heat, which is an essential step in meeting our carbon budgets. The Government is committed to supporting the deployment of heat pumps. Through the Renewable Heat Incentive we are spending £2.8bn between 2018/19 and 2020/21 to support innovative low carbon heat technologies in homes and businesses, including heat pumps.
The Government is currently developing the future policy framework for supporting low carbon heat, including through the Future Homes Standard announced by my. rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in February 2019. This will set standards through building regulations to drive uptake in low carbon heating.
Low consumer awareness and confidence in heat pumps also remain key issues. BEIS will launch a demonstration project on the electrification of heat in 2019, which will help demonstrate the feasibility of a possible large-scale transition to heat pumps and develop innovative solutions that work for a wide range of homes and consumers.
The Government is working to put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission electric vehicles, and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040.
To achieve this, we are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.
The Road to Zero Strategy was published last year, it sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions, to give clarity and certainty to both industry and motorists.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to encourage commercial organisations and Government agencies to replace their current fleets with electric vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 to support the transition to ultra-low emission vehicles. Through this funding, commercial organisations are able to take advantage of various grants to help buy plug-in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, alongside schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets.
Government leadership is vital. At the 2017 Autumn Budget, the Government made a commitment that 25% of central government cars will be ultra-low emission by 2022, followed by a further commitment in last year’s Road to Zero strategy that 100% will be ultra-low emission by 2030. In December 2017, the Government updated the Government Buying Standards for transport, including this new commitment. The Government Car Service, managed by the Department for Transport, is on track to meet the targets, with electric vehicles making up 23% of the entire fleet today. The Transport Secretary has written to every government department to reinforce the 2022 pledge. This provided detailed guidance on how each department can drive the transition in their own fleet and asked them to publish a yearly progress report. We expect these steps will encourage both public and private fleets across the country to adopt ambitious targets.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who depend on assistance dogs are not rejected by taxis and private hire vehicles.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) provide vital services for disabled people, and it is unacceptable for drivers of these vehicles to refuse the carriage of passengers with assistance dogs.
In February, the Government published its response to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on taxis and PHV licensing, indicating its intention to introduce mandatory disability awareness training as part of National Minimum Standards that will enable everyone, including those travelling with assistance dogs, to reach their destination easily, confidently and at no additional cost.
In the meanwhile, I would urge licensing authorities to use their existing licensing powers to ensure that all taxi and PHV drivers have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide every passenger with the assistance they require.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that taxi and private hire vehicle drivers are aware that it is illegal to refuse travel to a passenger with an assistance dog.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) provide vital services for disabled people, and it is unacceptable for drivers of these vehicles to refuse the carriage of passengers with assistance dogs.
In February, the Government published its response to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxis and PHV licensing, indicating its intention to introduce mandatory disability awareness training as part of National Minimum Standards.
In the meanwhile, I would urge licensing authorities to use their existing licensing powers to ensure that all taxi and PHV drivers have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide every passenger with the assistance they require.