Roads: Safety
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety, what steps have been taken with respect to point 4.22 of the Framework to develop a further training scheme for older drivers. [109255]
Mike Penning: In paragraph 4.22 of the Strategic Framework we identified a desire to work with the voluntary sector representing the elderly on this. We will be taking this work forward in due course.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken in respect of the Strategic Framework for Road Safety to date; and what further steps are planned for implementation of the strategy. [109256]
Mike Penning: Since the publication of the Strategic Framework for Road Safety in May 2011, the Department has taken a series of important steps to implement proposals set out in the framework. They include steps on all three of the thematic chapters of the framework.
1. ‘improving road safety together’: preparatory work for the launch of a road safety comparison site, a road safety observatory, a speed limit assessment tool and a revised speed limit circular is well advanced and on track for completion this year.
2. ‘education’: we have already made changes to the driving tests and changes to the educational scheme for drink drive offenders are progressing towards implementation.
3. ‘targeted enforcement and sanctions’: preparatory work on the introduction of fixed penalty notices for careless driving and increased penalty fines is well-advanced and legislation to create a specific drug impaired driving offence has been published.
The Department will continue implementation of these and other measures as set out in the Strategic Framework.
PACTS comments: The vague answer to the first question above is disappointing – it appears the Department for Transport has not taken any steps towards the development of a further training scheme for older drivers, and it is unclear when it will do so. PACTS highlighted the importance of such a scheme in our recent report on safe mobility for an ageing population. The second answer is more interesting and useful. Perhaps the Department should consider developing this and publishing a brief annual update on progress made on the framework.
Driving Under Influence
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timescale is for implementation of proposed changes to the drink drive rehabilitation scheme. [108202]
Mike Penning: The Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) arrangements have been defined and are subject to clearance from the relevant regulatory processes.
We anticipate that the new arrangements will be introduced in March 2013.
Motorists’ Forum
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times her Department’s Motorists’ Forum has met since its creation; when it will present its report; and to which Minister it will report. [110076]
Mike Penning: The Motorists Forum was reformed in summer 2011, and has met three times since that point. It engages regularly with Ministers, and its views on individual topics are communicated as part of regular business. The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), attended the forum in person in November.
The forum has also created a sub-group to give specific advice on the Secretary of State’s announcement regarding the Garage Customer Experience. The sub-group has met twice and plans to meet a third time before finalising its report. The main forum will consider the report of the sub-group at its meeting in July before reporting to Ministers.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference are of the Motorists’ Forum; and what its membership is. [110803]
Mike Penning: The membership and terms of reference are available on the DFT website.
Transport
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment her Department has made of the contribution of the transportation sector to the UK economy. [109851]
Mike Penning: The National Accounts, published by the Office of National Statistics, record and describe economic activity in the United Kingdom, including an analysis of gross value added by industry. The most recent data for 2009 for transport and storage give a value of £61.9 billion.
The most recent publication can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/united-kingdom-national-accounts/2011-edition/index.html
Motor Vehicles: Insurance
Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) uninsured drivers, (b) fraudulent insurance claims and (c) the cost of motor insurance; [111052]
(2) what steps have been taken in the last (a) two and (b) five years to tackle uninsured drivers. [111074]
Mike Penning: The Department has taken a number of steps to tackle uninsured driving, fraud and the cost of motor insurance:
(a) The continuous insurance scheme (CIE) introduced last year has enabled enforcement action to be taken against those who keep a vehicle without insurance. CIE supplements police powers introduced in 2005 to seize uninsured vehicles being driven on the road.
(b) Working with the insurance industry to allow them access to DVLA driver details on penalty points and disqualifications to reduce fraud.
(c) On 2 May the Secretary of State for Transport hosted a cross Government summit with the insurance industry on measures to reduce the cost of premiums to lessen the incentive drive while uninsured.
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action she intends to take to harmonise the systems for retention of vehicle registration marks pending transfer between Northern Ireland and Britain. [111005]
Mike Penning: Officials are currently reviewing the changes required to allow registration marks to be retained by customers in Northern Ireland in the same way as in Britain. Any changes to regulations are anticipated to be introduced next year.
Driving: Licensing
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the annual cost to (a) her Department and (b) driving licence holders of introducing the EU third directive on driving licences in each of the next five years. [110693]
Mike Penning: The following table provides the estimated costs of introducing the EU third directive on driving licences in each of the next five years:
| Forecast operating costs (£ million) | |
|
2013-14 |
1.7 |
|
2014-15 |
1.4 |
|
2015-16 |
1.1 |
|
2016-17 |
1.1 |
|
2017-18 |
1.1 |
Over the two years 2011-12 to 2012-13 there were also £6.3 million development costs, relating to the third directive.
The DVLA is currently undertaking a public consultation on driver licensing fees, which is expected to close on 14 August 2012. The options put forward in the consultation are about covering the increased costs of the system and process changes as a result of the EU third directive. The preferred option in the consultation would see vocational licence holders pay a fee of £20 for their first provisional vocational licence and on the five-yearly renewal of their licence. These fees would apply for the next five years.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to driving licence holders of replacing or renewing a driving licence in each of the next five years. [110781]
Mike Penning: The current cost to driving licence holders of replacing or renewing a driving licence is shown in the following table. Future fees are subject to the outcome of a public consultation that is expected to end on 14 August 2012.
| Transaction | Fees options 2013-14+ | |||
| Fees 2012-13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|
Driving licence: |
||||
|
Renewals from age 70 |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
Renewals for medical reasons |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
Replacement DL for change of details |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
Duplicate DL for lost/stolen or destroyed |
£20 |
£20 |
£20 |
£20.70 |
|
Exchange licence: |
||||
|
Exchange from overseas jurisdiction |
£50 |
£50 |
£50 |
£50 |
|
Paper licence traded in for POL DL(1) |
£20 |
£20 |
£20 |
£20.70 |
|
Remove endorsements |
£20 |
£20 |
£20 |
£20.70 |
|
‘Vanity’ renewal (photograph change only) |
£20 |
£20 |
£20 |
£20.70 |
|
10-yearly renewal of POL DL(1) |
£20 |
£20 |
£20 |
£20.70 |
|
Additional entitlements |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
Provisional vocational DL (from full DL) |
Free |
£20 |
Free |
Free |
|
Full vocational DL |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
Renewal of vocational entitlement |
n/a |
£20 |
Free |
Free |
|
Driving licence renewals: |
||||
|
After revocation |
£50 |
£50 |
£50 |
£50 |
|
High risk offenders after disqualifications |
£90 |
£90 |
£90 |
£90 |
|
After disqualification |
£65 |
£65 |
£65 |
£65 |
| (1) POL DL is ‘Photo on Licence’ Driving Licence | ||||
