Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the decline in average traffic speed over the last five years.

Andrew Jones

The Department publishes statistics on average traffic speeds on locally managed ‘A’ roads in England and the Strategic Road Network. For locally managed ‘A’ roads, average speeds have decreased since 2014, when the Department started measuring speeds over the full 24 hours of the day. This is in line with the previously published statistical series which presented average speeds, on locally managed ‘A’ roads during the weekday morning peak, decreasing from 2012 to the end of that series in 2015.

The statistics for average speeds on the Strategic Road Network start in 2015-16. The latest statistics in this series (the 12 months to June 2016) presented a small decrease in average speeds compared to 2015-16 (the 12 months to March 2016).

The Department has not undertaken a formal assessment of the reasons for the decline in average speeds. However, we believe that the decreases observed in average speeds on locally managed ‘A roads in England since 2012 are, at least in part, a result of the impact of increases in traffic on these roads. We know that people rely on roads in increasing numbers as our economy grows, and that is why, for example, we are investing £15billion in the strategic road network which will help to help tackle congestion.

In addition, in 2012-13 there were unusually high levels of rainfall in England, which we also believe contributed to the decrease in average speeds at that time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 8 of the Government’s report entitled, Childhood Obesity: a Plan for Action, published in August 2016, whether the clear target to increase the number of children walking to school in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will be quantifiable.

Andrew Jones

The objective to increase the percentage of children aged 5 to 10 that usually walk to school, as mentioned on page 6 of the draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, is evidently quantifiable in that we will know if the objective has been achieved if the percentage of those walking to school in the future is higher than the percentage at the current time.

We hope to publish the final Strategy once all considerations have been taken into account, following analysis of responses to the draft Strategy consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the market size of the UK solar industry in 2016.

Andrea Leadsom

Current deployment of solar PV stands at 8.2GW, spread across slightly more than 770,000 installations. This is divided into 3.37GW (over 755,000 installations) under the Feed-in Tariff and 3.84GW (over nearly 14,000 installations) under the Renewables Obligation. There is an additional 0.97GW of solar PV, most of which is large scale installation that has not yet accredited under the RO.

Current estimates suggest that, assuming we incorporate our proposed cost control measures under both RO and FIT schemes, by 2020 there will be approximately 9.6GW of solar PV, incorporating c5.7GW under the RO and Contracts for Difference, and c3.9GW under the FIT scheme:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/457313/Estimated_capacity_of_selected_renewable_technologies_in_2020-21.pdf.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/458662/IA_for_FITs_consultation_August_2015_-_FINAL_docx__e-signature_included__v2.pdf.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between household income and (a) taxi and (b) bus use.

Andrew Jones

The number of trips and distance travelled per person per year for different household income levels (based on data for households in England in 2014) are given in the table.

Household income is gross equivalised income, which accounts for household size and composition.

	Real household income quintile
	Lowest real income level	Second level	Third level	Fourth level	Highest real income level	All income levels
Trips per person per year by main mode:
Local and non-local buses	96	72	53	43	35	60
Taxi/minicab	14	11	9	9	10	10
Distance (miles) per person per year by main mode:
Local and non-local buses	465	407	308	251	193	326
Taxi/minicab	61	43	42	51	85	56

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the traffic commissioners have made on reviewing and modernising the regulation of commercial vehicle drivers.

Andrew Jones

The Senior Traffic Commissioner has reviewed and redrafted a number of Statutory Guidance Documents (SGDs) including SGD6 on Vocational Driver Conduct. This reviewed guidance was publically consulted on in July 2015 and the responses published in October. As stated in the Traffic Commissioners Strategic Objectivesdocument these guidance documents will be published before the end of this calendar year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will clarify the definitions of careless driving and dangerous driving during his review of driving offences and penalties.

Andrew Selous

The legal meaning of careless or inconsiderate driving, and of dangerous driving, and the associated offences are set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Since the announcement of the review of driving offences and penalties the Ministry of Justice has received a number of representations about the distinction between careless and dangerous driving.

It is important that all criminal justice agencies, including the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the judiciary, should explain clearly any decisions made in relation to careless or dangerous driving.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will implement a nationwide campaign asking people to make space for wheelchairs in wheelchair areas of buses.

Andrew Jones

Under the Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) all compliant buses must include a designated space for wheelchair users. Rules concerning the use of this facility are currently the subject of a case at the Supreme Court and it would be inappropriate for Government to intervene until it has been resolved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will revise the eligibility criteria for first time buyers under the Help to Buy ISA scheme to £450,000 in areas outside London where the average house price is above £250,000.

Harriett Baldwin

The government does not plan to revise the eligibility criteria for the Help to Buy: ISA scheme

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the powers local councils hold to prevent littering on roads.

Andrew Jones

The responsibility for clearing highway litter and sweeping carriageways is governed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Each individual highway authority is responsible for clearing litter on the roads for which they are responsible. In the case of some all-purpose trunk roads, the responsibility for clearing litter falls to the local district councils.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the academic and socio-emotional needs of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Edward Timpson

This Government is committed to making sure that every child reaches their full potential. Schools and local authorities should work with specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in order to support children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This collaborative approach aims to ensure the best possible outcome for children and young people with ADHD. Additionally, the Children and Young People’s project for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme aims to increase the choice and availability of evidence based treatments. This includes support therapies such as parent training or education, which is recommended in the NICE guidelines as a first line treatment for ADHD in early years and school aged children.

In addition, the 0-25 years Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice[1] emphasises the importance of schools identifying the underlying causes of behaviour issues, whether or not these require special educational provision. Early identification of ADHD means that steps can be taken to define the needs of children and young people and put in place appropriate intervention to support them.

The importance of early assessment of need is also emphasised in other statutory guidance, including statutory guidance on exclusion,[2] with headteachers being expected to consider the use of multi-agency assessment for pupils who demonstrate persistent disruptive behaviour.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

[2]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269681/Exclusion_from_maintained_schools__academies_and_pupil_referral_units.pdf

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