The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the causes of delays to work on doubling the rail line between Rossett Junction and Saltney Junction, and when they expect the work to be completed.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
As this scheme is sponsored by the Welsh Government, we have made no such assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to establish an Independent Aviation Noise Authority to participate in the planning and monitoring of proposed airport expansion in the South East of England, and of airport operations generally.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government is considering carefully the recommendation from the Airports Commission to establish an Independent Aviation Noise Authority. Any decision to take forward such a body would be subject to consultation on its detailed functions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-03-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with owners and managers at Heathrow Airport about improved security around the perimeter fence and in relation to aircraft while they are parked on the tarmac.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport (DfT) is in regular contact with aviation industry operators on all aspects of aviation security. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) oversees industry’s compliance with aviation security measures. The CAA and DfT have been in contact with the relevant operators concerning the incident on 5 March. For obvious reasons the Government does not discuss the details of such contacts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-06-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the impact on Birmingham Airport of a reduction in train services to Birmingham International, including the impact on the percentage of passengers who access the airport by rail and by car respectively.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Rail services between London and the Midlands are currently provided by the West Midlands and InterCity West Coast franchises. These franchises are due be replaced when they expire in October 2017 and April 2018 respectively. The Department has completed a consultation in respect of the replacement West Midlands franchise, and commenced another in respect of InterCity West Coast in May. The outcomes of those consultations will be used to inform what we ask the operator of the new franchise to provide. This information, including the key challenges and opportunities that the Department has identified for those franchises, will be published in due course.
Neither consultation proposed cutting train services. We expect potential bidders to plan their train services to meet the needs of passengers at the stations they serve considering how best to serve and link markets and improve service reliability. To make sure their plans best reflect the needs of the franchise we are seeking views from the public and stakeholders on the ICWC franchise on:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the fall in revenue from Vehicle Excise Duty since October 2014.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) annual audited accounts showed that £5.9 billion was collected in vehicle excise duty (VED) during 2015-16. The amount of VED collected varies year on year and this was a reduction of £93 million, a decrease of around 1.5% from the previous year. This figure compares favourably with the Office of Budget Responsibility’s forecast that VED revenue would fall by up to £300 million during 2015-16.
The decrease in revenue for the last financial year is principally attributable to the ever increasing number of fuel-efficient cars on the road which attract a lower rate of duty, as well as a small increase in evasion.
In addition, in the 2015-16 annual accounts, the Comptroller and Auditor General noted that the decline in cash receipts had been significantly influenced by the short term effect of giving motorists the option to spread VED payments over longer periods through the introduction of Direct Debit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-30.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what year they estimate that the electrification of the rail line from Cardiff to Swansea will be completed.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Sir Peter Hendy’s report to the Secretary of State on the 25 November 2015 outlined the re-profiling of the electrification of Great Western Route, and confirmed the electrification of the rail line from Cardiff to Swansea is expected to be completed within Control Period 6. This project is at an early stage of development and no single option has been identified. Network Rail continues to develop this vital scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-01-14.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to develop specific long-term targets to protect the public from the health impacts of aircraft noise.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Health impacts associated with aviation noise are already factored into policy appraisal where there is relevant robust evidence, including monetisation of these costs where this is possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-03-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the risk of civilian drones being used to carry out terrorist attacks and of accidental collisions, whether they are considering (1) introducing a mandatory registration system for civilian drones, and (2) introducing mandatory geo-fencing technology to prevent drones from flying over high-risk areas.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I refer my Noble Baroness to my answer of the 16 March, UIN HL6659.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-06-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have issued to ensure that HIV clinics also test patients annually for hepatitis C.
Lord Prior of Brampton
In February 2014 the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASSH) convened an expert working group, including representation from Public Health England, to formally review evidence and produce Recommendations for testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) men who have sex with men (MSM). The recommendations are attached.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published Hepatitis B and C testing – people at risk of infection, recommending testing to all services users at increased risk of infection. A copy of the guidance is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to address the shortfall in revenue from Vehicle Excise Duty since October 2014.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The amount of vehicle excise duty (VED) collected varies year on year. The Office of Budgetary Responsibility forecast that VED revenue would fall by £300 million in 2015-16. The actual reduction of £93 million was principally caused by the ever increasing number of fuel-efficient cars on the road which attract a lower rate of VED, as well as a small increase in evasion.
The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle VED evasion. These measures range from reminder letters, penalties and court prosecutions through to the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, wheel-clamping and the removal of unlicensed vehicles. The latest figures show that 98.6% of all motorists comply with the requirement to pay VED.