The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to define the term, fit and proper, for the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport currently provides Best Practice Guidance to assist with the fit and proper person test, which is the responsibility of local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35371, if he will provide a breakdown of statutory blight regime and HS2 discretionary scheme payments by parliamentary constituency.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The information requested is provided in the attached table.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35404, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the High Speed 2 LiDAR surveys, (b) all notes of all the consultations with (i) Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd, (ii) Compass Minerals UK Ltd and (iii) all other brine and salt extraction stakeholders and (c) the details of the mining engineer commissioned to undertake a study of the saltfield including the location of known brine wells; and on what date that study of the saltfield was commissioned.
Mr Robert Goodwill
All survey and study information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public.
All meetings with individual business are treated in confidence due to commercial sensitivities surrounding the discussions.
The details of the consultant are treated as commercial in confidence. The consultant was commissioned in January 2014 to undertake this study.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35453, if he will place in the Library a copy of the surveys referred to in that Answer.
Mr Robert Goodwill
All survey information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 34946, what the recent meetings held by Ministers and officials of his Department with the motor insurance industry were that were referred to in that Answer and what was discussed at those meetings; and how many meetings he has held with personal injury law firms in the same time period and what was discussed at those meetings.
Andrew Jones
I last met with representatives from across the insurance industry on 14 January to discuss a range of issues. These included young driver safety and technology measures which can reduce the cost of insurance and thus reduce incentives to drive without insurance and the implications of a European Court of Justice Judgment on the scope of compulsory motor insurance. In addition I met with the British Insurance Brokers’ Association last summer, shortly after my appointment.
My officials have regular meetings with representatives from the insurance industry. At these a range of issues have been discussed including young driver safety and technology such as telematics, uninsured driving, the scope of compulsory motor insurance, and driverless cars. Representatives of some parts of that industry have raised with us the issue of Insurance Premium Tax; this is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
There have been no recent meetings with personal injury law firms regarding motor insurance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35403, on High Speed 2 railway line: Eddisbury, for what reasons no intrusive geological surveys have been carried out at this stage; when HS2 Ltd commissioned from a mining engineer, in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board, a study of the historical subsidence effects and ongoing extractive processes in relation to salt; on what date HS2 Ltd received or will receive that report; and when he expects to receive the conclusions of the re-review of the usefulness of satellite interferometry to evaluate historical ground movement across Cheshire.
Mr Robert Goodwill
HS2 will negotiate access to land with landowners to undertake geological surveys as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to intrude on landowners where there is no confirmation of the route.
Both the study and the re-review will be used to support technical decisions contributing to a route announcement scheduled for later in 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will suspend the procurement exercise for the recovery of the FV Louisa pending investigation of the tendering process for that recovery.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The fishing vessel Louisa sank off the Scottish coast on 9 April 2016. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is seeking to raise the vessel as part of its investigation to establish the causes and circumstances of the accident.
The Department’s procurement experts have independently reviewed the processes undertaken by the MAIB in awarding the contract to recover the Louisa. It is clear from that review that the MAIB’s evaluation team followed the process as set out in the tender document and in a fair and transparent manner. I am therefore satisfied that there are no grounds for the procurement process to be suspended.
This sinking resulted in the deaths of three fishermen and the vessel should be recovered as soon as possible to give the investigation team the strongest possibility of understanding the reasons why this tragic accident occurred.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35400, for what reasons HS2 Ltd has not undertaken any work other than desktop studies in relation to the potential effect on aquifers, canal routes, roads and other surface obstacles in respect of Phase 2b of the route.
Mr Robert Goodwill
HS2 will undertake a more detailed assessment of environmental impacts as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to undertake detailed studies where there is no confirmation of the route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35238, whether any factors relevant to (a) Cheshire and (b) Eddisbury have had a bearing on delays in announcing the route of Phase 2b of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester.
Mr Robert Goodwill
As set out in my previous answer, HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport have been analysing options across the route following the consultation. It would not be appropriate to go into detail on any individual location before a route decision has been taken. A route decision is planned for autumn 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office of Rail and Road super-complaint response report, published in March 2016, paragraph 207, which three train operating companies scored 0 per cent for their sampled mystery shops.
Claire Perry
The Department does not have this information. We understand the Office of Rail and Road intends to publish the results of this work, alongside its first annual report on consumers titled ‘Measuring Up’, shortly.