Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 15 of his Department’s Cycle Delivery Plan, published in October 2014, what progress has been made on his Department’s review of road traffic law.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and is committed to making sure sentencing for driving crimes is proportionate within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation in due course which will look at driving offences and penalties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is the Government’s policy to continue to adhere to the European Commission ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink and our environment remain in place.

The priorities for negotiating our exit from the EU will be a matter for the new Prime Minister and their Cabinet.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce congestion in cities.

Andrew Jones

The Government has an ambitious strategy for tackling congestion in our cities and towns and improving performance on our roads. This strategy includes providing significant investment in both our strategic and local road networks, as well as encouraging more sustainable transport including buses, light rail and walking and cycling. We are providing £15.2 billion between 2015 and 2021 to invest in our strategic road network. This is the biggest upgrade to our motorways and ‘A’ roads for a generation, and it is adding capacity and tackling congestion.

On local roads we have the £12 billion Local Growth Fund to 2021 which has enabled local authorities through the Local Enterprise Partnerships to identify and secure funding for projects to enable among other things, local road improvements and sustainable local transport projects. This is on top of over £6 billion through to 2021 to councils in England to help maintain their local roads and repair potholes.

This investment is set against the backdrop of a regulatory framework that is intended to provide better conditions for all road users through coordination and proactive management of the road network. The Traffic Management Act 2004 specifically places a network management duty on each local traffic authority in England to manage its road network to secure the expeditious movement of traffic on its own network and to facilitate the same on the network of other authorities. This can be achieved through traditional traffic management methods but increasingly also through the deployment of technology. To support this the Department is currently inviting local authorities to bid for a share of £2m to fund demonstrator projects to test these new technologies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on changes in the number of licensed private hire vehicles in England in the last 12 months; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of that change on (a) congestion and (b) consumer safety.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport’s taxi statistics provide information on the number of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in England and Wales. Data are derived from the department’s survey of licensing authorities in England and Wales, which takes place every 2 years. The last survey was published in August 2015. It showed a total 166,100 private hire vehicles in England in March 2015, an increase of 11.8% since March 2013. The Department has not made a further assessment of any impacts of that change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the Government’s £60 million investment in Reaction Engines to help support the development of SABRE, as announced on 16 July 2013, has been delayed.

Joseph Johnson

The announcement in July 2013 was an in principle decision to fund, subject to the development of a suitable business case. The reason the funding was not disbursed sooner was because Reaction Engines had not produced a business case that met the Government’s requirements.

The funding for SABRE was confirmed to Reaction Engines as a grant in December 2015, and milestone payments began in April 2016.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution made by bus commuters to economic output in the last year for which figures are available.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport has not estimated the contribution made by bus commuters to economic output. According to the latest statistical data, available for 2014 from the National Travel Survey, an estimated 8% of all commuting trips (including private transport) in England are made by bus.According to the same data source, 40% of all commuting trips made by public transport in England are made by bus, which is why I am pleased to see that bus fares in the period 2010-2015 have risen at a slower rate in real terms than in the period 2005-2010.

For non-London residents, an estimated 6% of all commuting trips and 52% of all public transport commuting trips are made by bus. London residents use buses for 16% of all commuting trips, and bus trips make up 28% of all public transport commuting.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve access to buses for blind and partially-sighted people.

Andrew Jones

I understand how important affordable and accessible bus services are too many visually impaired people, and Government continues to support initiatives to improve access.

By January 2017 all local and scheduled buses designed to carry more than twenty-two passengers must comply with the Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR), which include the provision of low floor boarding facilities, colour-contrasting step edges and handholds, and priority seating. We also encourage the bus industry to increase the uptake of audio-visual systems, and have supported projects to design innovative and low-cost approaches to providing accessible on-board information.

Further, Government remains committed to maintaining the national concession , which provides almost a million disabled people with free off-peak bus travel throughout England, helping them to remain mobile without worrying about the cost of doing so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to review the rate at which small businesses can recover statutory maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay.

Priti Patel

Small employers, defined as those who have paid £45,000 or less in gross national insurance in the preceding tax year, can recover all of the Statutory Maternity, Adoption, Paternity and Shared Parental Pay they pay out plus an additional amount in compensation for the employer’s share of the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) due on the statutory payments.

The current rate of compensation paid to small employers is 3%. The Statutory Maternity Pay (Compensation of Employers) and Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 1994 set out how compensation is calculated and, in addition, require it to be assessed annually which is done alongside the annual uprating of benefits.

The rate derived for Statutory Maternity Pay is also applied to Statutory Adoption, Paternity and Shared Parental Pay.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of buses in England are (a) zero-emission capable, (b) Euro 4 or above and (c) hybrid diesel-electric.

Andrew Jones

We do not hold detailed numbers on the information requested. However, in relation to points (a) zero –emission capable and (c) hybrid diesel-electric we understand that over one hundred zero-emission capable buses and over 1300 hybrid diesel-electric buses are currently in service in England.

This Government is continuing to build on the good work of the Coalition government, which saw nearly £60million grants awarded through the Green Bus Fund to help purchase around 900 low carbon buses. In addition, around £14million was allocated to help modify over 900 buses outside of London to significantly reduce their emissions and to upgrade over 400 London buses with pollution reducing technology, following £5m (match funded by the GLA) of earlier funding to upgrade 900 buses in London. This Government will shortly announce the winning bids for the second round of the Clean Bus Technology Fund.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.15 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what steps he plans to take to address the effects of regional variation in council tax revenue on funding for social care under the proposed council tax precept for social care.

Mr Marcus Jones

It is for local authorities to allocate funding to individual services from their overall budget. In recognition of increasing demand for social services, the Spending Review announced an ambitious plan to integrate health and social care across the country by 2020, and a £3.5 billion package to support local authorities with responsibility for adult social care to meet the needs of their local population. This includes giving councils the additional freedom to introduce a social care precept onto council tax bills, which local authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care services can choose to take up from 2016-17. The consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement will soon be published and it will include proposed changes to rebalance support, including to those authorities with social care responsibilities, by taking into account the main resources available to councils.