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1142414

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to review the affordability of the Dart Charge.
tabling member constituency	Sevenoaks
tabling member printed	Sir Michael Fallon
uin	282173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Transport has no plans to review the affordability of the Dart Charge. The current charges for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing were set in 2014, following an impact assessment, which took account of benefits and disadvantages to business and personal users, prior to a public consultation. The charges exist to manage demand and congestion at the Crossing</p><p> </p><p>The charge levels and concessions available take account of local people’s need to use the Crossing. Residents of the Boroughs of Dartford and Thurrock can pay £10 for 50 crossings, plus 20p for each additional crossing or £20 a year for unlimited use. Disabled users who are exempt from vehicle tax are also exempt from paying the Dart Charge, if they are using the same vehicle. Any Crossing user can set up an account that will allow automatic payment for each trip and a prepaid account also offers users a discount of up to 20 per cent.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 09/09/2019 15:21:53 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
tabling member	88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon

1126843

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of unofficial Dartcharge websites.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	254797
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Dart Charge estimates that there are at least nine unofficial web sites in operation. This is subject to change as websites are added, removed, changed or temporarily unavailable.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 23/05/2019 10:47:19 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1088429

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of annual Dart Charge (a) road user charge and (b) enforcement write-offs in respect of the Dartford-Thurrock river crossing since the introduction of the Dart Charge in November 2014.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
uin	231988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The table below sets out the annual position as published within the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing annual accounts, as well as the cumulative total. It should be noted that no Penalty Charge Notice cases were formally written off in 2014/15 - the write-off would have materialised in 2015/16. In respect of 2018/19, this information will be available once the annual accounts are published in January 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>£m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>a. RUC</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>0.5</p></td><td><p>6.2</p></td><td><p>4.5</p></td><td><p>11.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>b. PCN’s</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>10.3</p></td><td><p>42.4</p></td><td><p>38.5</p></td><td><p>91.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0.0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>10.7</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>48.7</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>43.0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>102.4</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong><em>Source: Dartford &amp; Thurrock River Crossing Accounts 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18.</em></strong></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 20/03/2019 13:07:48 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

1088431

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of annual write-offs have related to penalty charges not issued on a timely basis since the introduction of the Dart Charge in November 2014.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
uin	231989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Since 2015/16, Highways England (HE) have been required to record estimated revenue loss in respect of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) not issued when they should have been. These figures are included within the annual accounts and are tabled below. In respect of 2018/19, this information will be available once the accounts are published in January 2020.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£8.8m</p></td><td><p>£2.0m-£4.0m</p></td><td><p>£0.4m-£3.0m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong><em>Source: Dartford &amp; Thurrock River Crossing Accounts 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18.</em></strong></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 20/03/2019 13:17:55 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

1088432

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what penalty clauses are in place in the Dart Charge operator’s contract in relation to penalty charges not issued on a timely basis.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
uin	231990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The DFFC (Dartford Free Flow Charging) contract includes a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which measures timely issuance of enforcement documentation. This KPI covers the issuance of the following documentation: Penalty Charges; Charge Certificates; Order for Recovery and Warrant of Execution. Enforcement documentation which does not meet set times can attract service points which equate to a financial penalty to the operator</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 20/03/2019 13:50:18 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

1088434

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the protocol is for the annual write-off of irrecoverable Dart Charge debts; and whether there is ministerial sign-off of those debts.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
uin	231991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Irrecoverable cases have been written off in accordance with a defined set of agreed business rules which were reviewed and agreed with the National Audit Office as the auditing authority. Only cases that are assessed to be beyond likely recovery at economic cost are written off. The Minister does not formally approve the write-off of these cases but is required to review and approve the annual accounts prior to formal sign-off by Highways England’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Finance Officer.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 20/03/2019 14:00:05 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

1087541

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 11 March (HL14007), what investigations they make into the reasons why the Dart Charge payment has not been made when communicating with those who have defaulted on such a payment; and what options they are considering to improve compliance with the payment of that charge.
tabling member printed	Lord Lucas
uin	HL14462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>Highways England is able to consider reasons for non-compliance when customers opt to challenge their Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) through the relevant representations process. Highways England considers the reasons presented on a case by case basis. If the representation is rejected, the customer may appeal that decision through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.</p><p>The current compliance rate is 95 per cent, demonstrating that the vast majority of customers are using the scheme successfully. Highways England undertakes a variety of measures to enable and encourage compliance, providing a range of payment options, including pre-pay accounts; allowing for payment up to midnight the day after a crossing is made; and allowing an additional 14 days for payment for first time offences. In addition, it also has a comprehensive signage strategy which includes the use of advance directional signs, variable message signs and safety signs. This is reinforced by public communications campaigns to inform drivers, both in the UK and overseas, about the payment arrangements and the road layout.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 25/03/2019 14:26:03 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	1879 label Biography information for Lord Lucas

1077087

registered interest
date	25/02/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 21 February (HL13555), in the period 30 November 2014 to 31 December 2018 (1) what was the total amount received as a result of people paying the Dart Charge correctly and on time, (2) what was the total gross amount of penalties, following any discount for early payment, incurred by the 11,058,152 people who did not make the payment correctly, and (3) of those 11,058,152 people, how many (a) paid using the discount, (b) paid the full penalty without requiring bailiff action, and (c) required bailiff action to recover the debt; and what was the amount recovered through each of these means.
tabling member printed	Lord Lucas
uin	HL14007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>The total amount received as a result of people paying the Dart Charge correctly and within the required time-frame to comply with the scheme order between 30 November 2014 and 31 December 2018 is approximately £424 million.</p><p> </p><p>The total revenue received from enforcement activity is recorded in the Dartford Thurrock River Crossing audited accounts, published annually.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement revenue includes Penalty Charge Notices paid, including at the discounted rate, and revenue from bailiff action. Information on the breakdown of enforcement revenue is being withheld because it would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs, insofar as it could reduce the effectiveness of enforcement activity and reduce compliance rates.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 11/03/2019 16:43:26 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	1879 label Biography information for Lord Lucas

1056901

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many penalty notices have been issued for non-payment of the Dart Charge; and what steps they intend to take, if any, to (1) inform motorists about how to pay, and (2) encourage compliance.
tabling member printed	Lord Lucas
uin	HL13555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>During the period of 30 November 2014 to 31 December 2018, the total number of penalty charge notices issued for non-payment of the Dart Charge was 11,058,152. Highways England have a comprehensive signage strategy for road users, including use of advance directional signs, variable message signs and safety signs. This is reinforced by public information campaigns to inform drivers, both in the UK and overseas, about the payment arrangements and the road layout.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 21/02/2019 11:53:46 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	1879 label Biography information for Lord Lucas

1037823

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was paid in tolls for travelling over the Dartford Crossing in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Bexleyheath and Crayford
tabling member printed	Sir David Evennett
uin	206269
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>The value of road user charges received in the last five years for which data is available is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Accounts (£000)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Non-Accounts (£000)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012 – 2013</p></td><td><p>27,223</p></td><td><p>52,757</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013 – 2014</p></td><td><p>32,748</p></td><td><p>59,426</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr 2014 – Nov 2014</p></td><td><p>22,077</p></td><td><p>42,221</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2014 – 2015</p></td><td><p>22,910</p></td><td><p>9,376</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015 – 2016</p></td><td><p>76,665</p></td><td><p>31,318</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016 – 2017</p></td><td><p>83,671</p></td><td><p>28,130</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Please note that the figures for 2014/15 are presented in two segments because of the change that year from payment at barriers to the Dart Charge Free Flow Scheme. This information is also available in the accounts published annually by Highways England and available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/highways-agency-annual-reports-and-accounts" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/highways-agency-annual-reports-and-accounts</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 16/01/2019 11:22:58 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	1198 label Biography information for Sir David Evennett