Tag: Lilian Greenwood

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency received from charges for accessing records in each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15; and how many such requests were processed in each such year.

Andrew Jones

The total income received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) from charges for requests for vehicle and driver information in each year from 2009/10 to 2014/15 is shown below:

2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
£9,414,000	£9,412,000	£10,354,000	£11,180,000	£12,878,000	£15,021,000

The table below shows the number of chargeable requests made to the DVLA for vehicle and driver information in each year from 2009/10 to 2014/15:

2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
2,861,752	3,248,100	4,251,234	4,624,887	5,362,290	6,315,160

It is important to note that although the DVLA is permitted to charge a fee for the release of information, it is not permitted to profit from it. Fees are set to recover the related administrative costs for the different types of requests for information and the fee levels are regularly reviewed as the cost base changes over time. This means that it is the applicant and not the taxpayer who funds this activity.

There are a range of organisations outside of Government that legitimately request data from the DVLA. These range from insurance companies and finance companies to toll chargers. The DVLA also supply anonymised data to companies providing vehicle check services to improve road safety, consumer protection and deter vehicle crime.

The number of requests for data have increased during this period for a number of reasons including changes to car park management and the introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 which prohibited wheelclamping without lawful authority. Employers also need to check employee driving entitlement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when HS2 Ltd plans to update its Register of Assurances and Undertakings to include agreements made after 23 September 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The publication date for the next iteration of the draft register of Undertakings & Assurances will be 26^th February. This iteration will include all undertakings and assurances given up to and including 4 February 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25993, whether his Department had a Cycling Health sub-group.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department had a Cycle Stakeholder Forum, established from 2011 – 2014, which had some sub-groups including a group on cycle health, chaired by the Department of Health. The sub-group was disbanded when the Cycle Stakeholder Forum was dissolved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value of EU funding was for the Great Western Main Line electrification programme on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Claire Perry

I have been informed by Network Rail that as of 26 February 2016, the total value of EU funding that has been awarded for the Great Western Mainline Electrification is € 11,085,000.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff are currently working in the South East Flexible Ticketing programme’s central delivery team from (a) his Department and (b) the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Claire Perry

There are four members of Department for Transport staff seconded to the South East Flexible Ticketing programme’s central delivery team and one member of staff from the Association of Train Operating Companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29383, how many (a) miles and (b) lane miles on which sections of the network Highways England plans to convert to Managed Motorways – All Lane Running (MM-ALR) status by the end of the current Road Investment Period; and how many (a) miles and (b) additional lane miles Highways England intends to convert to MM-ALR status in the next Round Investment Period.

Andrew Jones

The information requested is in the table below:

All Lane Running Schemes – To be started but not finished by the end of the current Road Investment Period (2015 – 2020)
Scheme Name	Scheme Length (miles)	Additional lane miles	Open For Traffic Commitment
M4 J3-12	31.8	63.6	2021/22
M1 J13-19	36.9	73.8	2021/22
M6 J13-15	17.4	34.8	2021/22
M27 J4-11	15.2	30.3	2020/21
M56 J6-8	4.1	8.2	2021/22
M3 J9-14	9.3	18.6	2021/22
M62 J10-12	8.5	16.9	2022/23
A1(M) Jct 6 – 8	7.5	15.0	TBC *
M1 Junctions 23A-24	1.5	3.0	TBC *
M25 Junctions 10-16	19.3	38.5	TBC *
M40/M42 Interchange Smart Motorways	7.7	10.4	TBC *
M53 Junctions 5-11	6.0	12.1	TBC *
M62 Junctions 20-25	11.9	23.7	TBC *
Further All Lane Running Schemes Announced for Development in next Road Investment Period (2020 – 2025)
Scheme Name	Scheme Length (miles)	Additional lane miles	Open For Traffic Commitment
M1 Junctions 19-23A	30.9	61.8	TBC *
M1 Junctions 35A-39	13.7	27.4	TBC *
M42 Birmingham Box Phase 4	6.7	13.4	TBC *

TBC * = no Open For Traffic commitment currently exists.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Highways England traffic officers were employed on 15 March (a) 2016, (b) 2015, (c) 2014, (d) 2013, (e) 2012, (f) 2011 and (g) 2010.

Andrew Jones

The number of traffic officers employed by Highways England is shown in the table below:

Period	TOS – Grade
2010	1720
2011	1673
2012	1602
2013	1513
2014	1425
2015	1446
2016	1439

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33386, when he expects that the work to produce a plan to progress the initial feasibility and business case for a Euston Station masterplan will be completed.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department, Network Rail and HS2 Ltd are currently working together to produce a plan to progress the initial feasibility and business case work needed for this project over the next two years, which will include the timing, resource required, and estimated cost. We expect to complete this plan by Summer 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new Network Rail Property company will have responsibility for disposing of any part of Network Rail’s operational estate.

Claire Perry

Before disposing of any asset, Network Rail will have to satisfy its Board, the Secretary of State and the regulator that it is safeguarding the current and future requirements, including operational needs, of the railway. Network Rail’s enhanced property business will lead on disposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36052, on diesel vehicles: exhaust emissions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of a pre-Euro 4 diesel scrappage scheme; how many vehicles in the UK were estimated to have been potentially eligible for a claim under such a scheme; and whether a benefit-cost ratio was calculated for that proposal.

Andrew Jones

Improving the UK’s air quality is a priority for this Government; we want the UK to have the best natural environment, and clean air is an essential part of this ambition.

The Government’s National Air Quality Plan, published on 17 December 2015, sets out a comprehensive approach to improving UK air quality. A key measure of this is the introduction of new Clean Air Zones in five UK cities (Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby), along with the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London. The Plan will tackle the most polluting vehicles in air pollution hotspots, and will enable us to reach compliance with legal limit values as quickly as possible.

A national scrappage scheme for diesel cars was considered, which included a high-level cost estimate looking at offering grants for scrappage of the dirtiest vehicles.

It was found that even if only offering the scheme to pre-Euro 4 diesel cars only, the costs ran into the billions and impact on emissions was marginal.

This would have minimal impact on compliance with legal limit values for air quality in 2020. It is estimated that 400,000 pre euro 4 diesel cars will remain in the national fleet by this time.

As the costs of a scrappage were considered prohibitively expensive this option was judged an ineffective use of resource, and further analysis was not carried out.