Road Safety Investigation Branch
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when will the Road Safety Investigation Branch be formed.
Answer
The Government has introduced the Automated Vehicles Bill to Parliament, which includes proposed legislation to enable the creation of a capability within my department to investigate safety incidents involving at least one self-driving vehicle.
Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department of Transport
19th February 2024
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Roads Policing Review
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish the final report of the Roads policing review.
Answer
I believe the Hon member is referring to the Government Response to Call for Evidence on Roads Policing.
The Call for Evidence saw 149 responses submitted, many of which were incredibly detailed. The Government intends to publish the response, once it has given the responses full consideration.
Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department of Transport
12th December 2023
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Parking: Pedestrian Areas
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the results from the managing pavement parking consultation; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that consultation on North Devon constituency.
Answer
The Department consulted on measures to address inconsiderate pavement parking in 2020 and received over 15,000 responses. We have been considering all views expressed, including from those with vision impairments, and the options for managing pavement parking. This is a complex issue and we want to ensure that local authorities have appropriate and effective tools at their disposal. We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible. An impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation response.
Richard Holden, Minister of State for Transport
27 March 2023
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Bicycles: Repairs and Maintenance
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to publish the results of the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme evaluation.
Answer
The Department is currently evaluating the impacts of the Fix Your Bike Voucher scheme. A report on the results of the evaluation will be published in mid-2023.
Jesse Norman, Minister of State for Transport
23 March 2023
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Cycling and Walking: Finance
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department plans to provide to active travel in (a) 2023-2024 and (b) 2024-2025 in (i) dedicated and (ii) general spending.
Answer
The Government expects to invest a total of around £3 billion in active travel from 2020 to 2025. This includes at least £100 million of dedicated capital funding over the two-year period 2023/24 to 2024/25 for active travel infrastructure. In addition to this, the Department will confirm the revenue funding for active travel for 2023/24 and 2024/25 shortly. As outlined in the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2) there are a wide range of cross-Government funding streams supporting the delivery of active travel infrastructure. These funds include the Levelling Up Fund, Towns Fund, City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and National Highways Designated Funds.
Jesse Norman, Minister of State for Transport
20 March 2023
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Electric Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings by Cambridge Econometrics in the report The impact of a 2030 ICE phase-out in the UK, published in 2020, that if the UK motor vehicle industry could secure a greater share of the UK domestic market for new vehicles in the context of a 2030 phase-out of internal combustion engines, this could potentially lead to the creation of an additional 63,000 jobs in the UK compared to a 2035 phase-out.
Answer
The end of sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, will help the UK meet its climate change obligations. It will improve air quality in our towns and cities, support economic growth, and create new jobs in our industrial heartlands. The 2030 phase out will contribute to increasing the supply of ZEVs to meet increasing demand from UK consumers and will make the UK a more attractive environment for vehicle manufacturers to produce and sell ZEVs. Alongside government support, this will generate new employment opportunities in the BEV supply chain, as well as in the chargepoint and energy industries.
As estimated in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the production of all zero emission road transport vehicles has the potential to support up to 72,000 jobs, worth up to £9.7 billion GVA in the year 2050.
We will shortly bring forward a proposed ZEV mandate to support legislative delivery of our phase out commitments. We will consider the potential impact this legislation will have on jobs as part of our Government Response Impact Assessment.
Richard Holden, Minister of State for Transport
6 February 2023
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Electric Vehicles: Speed Limits
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the (a) responsible use of and (b) speed limit that applies to e-bikes and (c) the legal provisions that apply to the modification of the speed restrictions of e-bikes.
Answer
E-cycle users, like any other road user, have a duty to behave in a safe and responsible manner and to comply with the Highway Code. Legal provisions applying to e-cycles are set out in The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 and The Pedal Cycles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983, and subsequent amendments.
The Department does not have any plans to raise public awareness of these provisions beyond existing road safety messaging, such as THINK!
Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
13th July 2021
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Walking: Finance
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 25 March 2021, HCWS891 on Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy 2 (CWIS2) and the target on walking stages set in the first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy having been met, whether he plans to set a new strengthened target to support walking in the CWIS2.
Answer
The second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS 2) will be published after the Government has agreed its long-term spending plans for active travel at the Spending Review later this year. It will reflect and build on the vision and commitments outlined in the Prime Minister’s “Gear Change” Cycling and Walking Plan of July 2020, as well as setting out the financial resources available for cycling and walking and the other matters required by the Infrastructure Act 2015. The Department will consult with relevant stakeholders to develop objectives for both walking and cycling as required by the Act, and will ensure that these objectives are consistent with the Gear Change vision that half of all journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030.
Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State for Transport
25th June 2021
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Electric Scooters: Government Assistance
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish details of the e-bike national support programme?
Answer
We are developing a national programme of support to boost e-bike uptake to the levels seen in many other countries. Details will be announced in spring 2021, subject to the outcome of the Spending Review process. Ahead of this, the Department will consult key stakeholders on the programme, including those representing bicycle retailers and manufacturers. The Department is also planning to support a number of pilot e-bike support schemes in the current financial year to help build an evidence base on the type of approaches which are most effective in increasing take-up of e-bikes.
Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State for Transport
9th November 2020
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Travel: Coronavirus
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of walking, cycling and local traffic reduction schemes delivered under Tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund; and what progress he has made in distributing Tranche 2 funding?
Answer
The Department will be undertaking a full evaluation of the Active Travel Fund in due course, which will inform decisions on subsequent capital investment programmes for cycling and walking. Local authorities who received funding under tranche 1 of the scheme were required to complete an evaluation survey which will be used to help measure the effectiveness of schemes in their areas. The Department plans to confirm tranche 2 allocations shortly, once it is satisfied that the funding will support schemes which are properly thought out and which will deliver benefits to all road users.
Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State for Transport
9th November 2020
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Transport: Carbon Emissions
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Treasury on ensuring that forthcoming transport spending decisions support the aims of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan?
Answer
The Government is committed to tackling climate change and reducing emissions from transport. The Department for Transport and HM Treasury hold regular discussions to consider how forthcoming spending decisions align with ambitions to decarbonise the sector.
Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
6th November 2020
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Bus Services: Coronavirus
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to provide support to bus and coach industries to mitigate the effects of covid-19 outbreak on those industries?
Answer
The Department for Transport is working closely with representatives from the bus and coach industries through the Confederation of Passenger Transport, and colleagues in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and other Government Departments, to discuss the concerns of the coach and bus industries in England and review our approach to mitigating the effects of covid-19 on these industries.
The Department has published Safer Travel Guidance for Operators(opens in a new tab) which helps transport organisations in England understand how to provide safer workplaces and services for themselves, their workers and passengers.
On 8 August, the Department announced funding at up to £27.3 million per week to support the bus sector, through the Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart scheme, until a time when the funding is no longer needed. CBSSG Restart funding also covers costs for essential PPE such as hand sanitiser and protective screens for drivers’ cabs. This is in addition to the £397 million the Government announced on 3 April 2020 so that England’s buses will continue to serve those who rely on them, and the £254 million announced on 23 May to support services returning to 100% service levels.
On 31 July 2020, the Department announced that a further exemption from Public Service Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) until 31 July 2021. Whilst many coach operators are PSVAR-compliant, we understand the COVID-19 outbreak may have constrained some operators’ ability to invest in PSVAR-compliant vehicles. This further exemption enables operators to redirect their revenue streams to those areas most needed for the immediate future.
The Department of Education (DfE) has announced over £70 million to local transport authorities to provide dedicated, additional capacity in our transport system, helping students journey to and from their schools and colleges whilst social distancing reduces the capacity of existing public transport. This has been provided in two tranches that were announced on 8 August date and 14 October and will provide additional capacity to the end of the autumn term.
Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
21st October 2020
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Bus Services: Coronavirus
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support the bus and coach industries during the covid-19 outbreak?
Answer
On 8 August, the Department for Transport announced funding at up to £27.3 million per week to support the bus sector, through the Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart scheme, until a time when the funding is no longer needed. CBSSG Restart funding also covers costs for essential PPE such as hand sanitiser and protective screens for drivers’ cabs.
This is in addition to the £397 million the Government announced on 3 April 2020 so that England’s buses will continue to serve those who rely on them, and the £254 million announced on 23 May to support services returning to 100% service levels.
The Government has announced several measures available to UK businesses, including the coach sector, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19(opens in a new tab).
The Department of Education (DfE) has announced over £70 million to local transport authorities to provide dedicated, additional capacity in our transport system, helping students journey to and from their schools and colleges whilst social distancing reduces the capacity of existing public transport. This has been provided in two tranches that were announced on 8 August date and 14 October and will provide additional capacity to the end of the autumn term.
Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
21st October 2020
Click here to see the answer on the Parliament website
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Bus Services: Coronavirus
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring the financial viability of the UK bus and coach industries during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answer
Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport continue to engage with the Treasury and other government departments on assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the bus and coach industries.
Rachel Maclean MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport
23rd September 2020