Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Whately this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 44 · Department for Transport
What estimate she has made of Network Rail's potential loss of revenue from disabling the advertising board at London Euston station this financial year.
The use of the advertising screen at Euston Station is under review with various options being considered. The potential loss of revenue is commercially confidential.
When she plans to publish her Department's areas of research interest for 2024.
We expect to publish the Department’s Areas of Research Interest in early 2025, taking the appropriate time to engage with the research community and the wider transport sector.
What the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that her Department has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Details of all Government contracts, including research contracts, are published on Contracts Finder, and FTS, for contracts awarded from Jan 2021 over a certain threshold.
Whether she has received recent representations on the potential merits of regulating the pricing of car insurance with reference to a customer's postcode.
Motor insurers are responsible for setting premiums based on their assessment of the risk a driver poses, and postcode is one of the criteria. We recommend that consumers shop around to get the best deal. I am aware of the challenges facing motorists on t...
Whether the Transport Research and Innovation Board has had discussions on the subject of pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
The Transport Research and Innovation Board has not discussed the subject of pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
What the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that Highways England has commissioned but has yet to publish.
The Department for Transport does not hold complete information on this.
Whether her Department has sponsored people through (a) fellowships, (b) internships and (c) PhDs in relation to (i) pay per mile road charging and (ii) equivalent schemes.
The Department for Transport has not sponsored people through internships, fellowships and PhDs specifically in relation to pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
What the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that Active Travel England has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Executive agencies regularly commission research and once published it is available on gov.uk or on the commissioned organisation’s website.
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2438, whether her Department has issued guidance on the use of automatic number plate recognition by local authorities as a parking enforcement tool.
The Department does not issue specific guidance pertaining to the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). ANPR technology is not certified for the purpose of civil enforcement of road traffic contraventions by local authorities. In contrast to t...
Pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2443 on Roads: Speed Limits, whether she plans to encourage more councils to adopt 20 mph speed limits.
Decisions on whether to adopt 20mph limits rests with the local authority.
Pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2445 on Tolls, if she will commission research on pay per mile charge schemes.
There are no pay-per-mile road charges in the UK, and the Department has no plans to commission research into pay-per-mile road charging schemes.
Whether her Department will continue to fund improvements to (a) Brenley Corner and (b) Bluebell Hill.
This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. On funding for roads, this year Kent County Council received an additional £4.296 million for highways maintenance, on top of the over £34 million it typically receives as part of the SR21 3-year settlement. Further funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the forthcoming Spending Review. In addition, in her statement on 29 July, the Chancellor announced that the Department for Transport will review its capital roads portfolio over the summer.
Whether she plans to provide additional funding to fill in potholes in Kent.
This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. On funding for roads, this year Kent County Council received an additional £4.296 million for highways maintenance, on top of the over £34 million it typically receives as part of the SR21 3-year settlement. Further funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the forthcoming Spending Review. In addition, in her statement on 29 July, the Chancellor announced that the Department for Transport will review its capital roads portfolio over the summer.
If she will take steps to manage HGV traffic to Dover in addition to the use of (a) Operation Brock and (b) Brenley Corner.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is responsible for operational decision making on traffic management measures in response to disruption at Eurotunnel and/or the Port of Dover. The KMRF have well-practised tactical plans in place, including Operation Brock. The traffic management at Brenley Corner at the M2/A2 interchange is a key measure in order to help stop freight using undesignated routes to Dover when they should be using the M20 and into the M20 Brock contraflow. This has played a crucial role throughout this summer where we saw many HGV drivers trying to bypass the measures on the M20. While these measures help to mitigate against the worst of any disruption, the Department still recognises the impact disruption has on local residents, businesses, hauliers, and passengers. Therefore, the Department is working with the KMRF and other local stakeholders to continually improve how traffic management plans operate.
If she will take steps to implement an alternative to Operation Brock in summer 2024.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is responsible for operational decision making on traffic management measures in response to disruption at Eurotunnel and/or the Port of Dover. The KMRF have well-practised tactical plans in place, including Operation Brock. The traffic management at Brenley Corner at the M2/A2 interchange is a key measure in order to help stop freight using undesignated routes to Dover when they should be using the M20 and into the M20 Brock contraflow. This has played a crucial role throughout this summer where we saw many HGV drivers trying to bypass the measures on the M20. While these measures help to mitigate against the worst of any disruption, the Department still recognises the impact disruption has on local residents, businesses, hauliers, and passengers. Therefore, the Department is working with the KMRF and other local stakeholders to continually improve how traffic management plans operate.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of low traffic neighbourhoods.
The installation of low traffic neighbourhoods and other traffic management measures is a decision for local councils, and the local communities they serve.
What research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned into the potential impacts of (i) pay per mile road charging and (ii) similar schemes.
The Department has not undertaken or commissioned any such research since the conclusion of the road pricing demonstrations project in 2011.
Whether she plans to (a) consider further introductions of and (b) increase the use of (i) congestion, (ii) ultra low emission zone and (iii) pay per mile road charges.
Local highway authorities in England have the powers to introduce road charging schemes. They do not require ministerial or parliamentary approval for such schemes. There are no pay-per-mile road charges currently in the UK.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of roads with 20 mph speed limits.
The power to introduce 20mph limits on roads in England rests with local authorities.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of clean air zones.
Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are road user charging measures that local authorities in the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Programme introduced to address NO2 exceedances. Local authorities lead the development of plans to improve air quality, which are then assessed by Government. CAZ have been implemented by local authorities where modelling has shown them to achieve NO2 compliance in the shortest possible time. The majority of the local authorities in the programme have agreed their local plans. Greater Manchester’s CAZ remains under review.