The response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing issued on 12 February committed to bring forward legislation to enable national minimum standards in licensing, enable greater enforcement powers for licensing officers and to establish a national licensing database to assist in the sharing of relevant information.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation on draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities on how they can use their extensive existing powers to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm when using taxi and private hire vehicle services.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-11T13:27:12.287Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Taxis: Offences against Children"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in the taxi and private hire sector.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4267", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Champion"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rotherham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Champion"} ], "uin" : "259240"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128878", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128878/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
£250m of Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) payments have been made to bus companies and local authorities.<\/p>
<\/p>
Bus operators in Staffordshire were paid a total of £1,016,186 BSOG in 2018-19 to help meet some of their fuel costs in running local bus services.<\/p>
<\/p>
Staffordshire County Council received a total of £174,967 in BSOG during 2018-19 to support subsidised local bus services.<\/p>
<\/p>
BSOG spend figures are published on Gov.uk and can be found via this link https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-services-grants-and-funding#bsog-spend<\/a><\/p> <\/p> The Government will consider whether to make any changes to BSOG as part of the forthcoming spending review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-06T09:56:01.597Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bus Services: Staffordshire"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing government support to subsidise bus services in Staffordshire.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "259033"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128893", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128893/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " More than 4,000 extra weekly services have been added to the network nationally in the last two years, with over 2,000 further services due to be added in the next few years. In addition, as part of a significant investment by Government and train operators to transform the railways, over 7,800 new railway carriages have been ordered since 2010; out of these, 4,500 new carriages will be introduced by the end of 2022, benefitting passengers across the country.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has also agreed a Network Rail settlement for England and Wales of £47.9bn for Control Period 6, aimed at maintaining and renewing the railway to enable existing and future services to run reliably.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "259411"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-06T13:24:09.703Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Overcrowding"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to allocate additional funding to the railways to reduce the level of overcrowding on train services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4653", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Morgan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Morgan"}
], "uin" : "259410"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128894", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128894/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " More than 4,000 extra weekly services have been added to the network nationally in the last two years, with over 2,000 further services due to be added in the next few years. In addition, as part of a significant investment by Government and train operators to transform the railways, over 7,800 new railway carriages have been ordered since 2010; out of these, 4,500 new carriages will be introduced by the end of 2022, benefitting passengers across the country.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has also agreed a Network Rail settlement for England and Wales of £47.9bn for Control Period 6, aimed at maintaining and renewing the railway to enable existing and future services to run reliably.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "259410"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-06T13:24:09.86Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Overcrowding"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of overcrowding on train services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4653", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Morgan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Morgan"}
], "uin" : "259411"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128895", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128895/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We understand the concerns many people have about fares and the effect these can have on their budgets, which is why we have ensured that regulated rail fares could rise by no more than inflation for the last six years. In addition, at the start of this year the new Millennial railcard went on sale, allowing young people to save money on their travel. We have also set out plans for a brand new railcard extending half-price child rail fares to 16 and 17-year-olds, which will be launched shortly.<\/p> All decisions in relation to regulated rail fares are made in line with the Department\u2019s appraisal framework webTAG, which considers the environmental impacts of changes in rail travel patterns.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-10T16:37:39.747Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Fares"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cost of train fares on (a) the ability of low-income families to travel on trains and (b) environmental degradation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4653", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Morgan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Morgan"}
], "uin" : "259412"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128896", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128896/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The latest results from the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS), which is run by Transport Focus, found that 69% of passenger journeys were rated satisfactory nationally for the level of crowding on trains. Almost half of journeys (46%) were rated satisfactorily for the value for money of the price of the ticket. Both of these findings were unchanged compared to the Autumn 2017 results. The Autumn 2018 results are available at this link: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/publications/national-rail-passenger-survey-nrps-autumn-2018-main-report/<\/a>. Earlier NRPS wave data are available here: http://www.railpassengerdata.org.uk/<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>