Blog

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to reduce motorway collisions.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has not yet made an assessment of the potential for connected and autonomous vehicles to reduce motorway collisions. Research suggests that connected and autonomous vehicles will have a positive impact on safety – systems such as Advanced Emergency Braking are already acknowledged by some insurers to reduce collisions. However research in this area is limited by the extent of real world testing. The Government recognises the need to ensure that the implications of these technologies on safety are well-understood, and they can be introduced safely onto public roads. That is why the Department for Transport plans to conduct trials of driverless vehicles on the Strategic Road Network by the end of 2017, which will be delivered by Highways England. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles also plans to do further research in this area, as part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to improve the efficiency of use of road space on motorways.

    Andrew Jones

    Connected and autonomous vehicles could potentially have significant impacts on traffic flow and road network efficiency. The government recognises that this is an important issue and needs to be better understood to properly inform long-term policy and investment decisions. For this reason, the Department for Transport is currently conducting research to explore the traffic flow impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles. This work is ongoing, and forms part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of whether the air quality objectives set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe will be breached in any location scheduled to be affected by the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction. Those assessments specifically considered the limit values set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC, and identified whether the limit values are currently breached, were anticipated to be breached in the future, and to what extent any breaches would be affected by the construction of Phase One of High Speed Two.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evidence he has received to demonstrate that the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2 will not breach the requirements of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction. The method of assessment is specifically directed at the limit values set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC, and identifies whether the limit values are currently breached, anticipated to be breached in the future, and to what extent any breaches are affected by the construction of Phase One of HS2.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of bus services in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Teesside.

    Andrew Jones

    The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision is primarily a commercial matter for bus operators. Decisions about the provision of subsidised services are a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities.

    The Government is committed to supporting bus services in England. We are taking forward a Buses bill to provide local authorities with the tools they need to improve local bus services.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25958, when he expects the revised guidance on the national minimum wage for seafarers to be published; and when he last discussed that matter with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The publication of the guidance is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS).

    My officials have been working collaboratively with officials in BIS and the draft revised guidance has now been submitted to key stakeholders, including employee and employer representatives, for comment. BIS has stated that it remains on target to publish the guidance in spring 2016.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether representatives of the UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories will be invited to the anti-corruption summit in May.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Illford South (Mr Gapes) during my Oral Statement today.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal hearings at the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) were (a) withdrawn and (b) adjourned as a result of the Department for Work and Pensions not sending a representative in each of the last three years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of non-combat related deaths in the UK military were given an inquiry by jury in the last five years.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the UK is joining the EU Consortium to support the construction of small-scale infrastructure in Area C; and whether such construction has received planning permission from the Israeli government.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK is committed to Palestinian development in Area C. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes. The UK has allocated £900,000 for the development of basic social infrastructure in areas which have an outline plan in the approval process, through an EU consortium. The EU consults with the local communities themselves and the Israeli authorities where necessary.