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2,622 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNational Air Traffic Services: Operational FailureI thank my noble friend for raising that, because I am enormously grateful for the work of our air traffic controllers; I have visited Swanwick and seen their work at first hand.…05 Sept 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesThere are all sorts of channels for reaching train operating companies, including by traditional telephone. As I mentioned, not a single station which is currently staffed will be…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesThat is absolutely at the front of our minds when considering these changes. The ORR also published statistics which showed that there has been a 68% increase in passengers who…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesI absolutely agree with my noble friend. There have been various interventions with technology over recent years. For example, the addition of gate lines necessarily meant that…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesMy Lords, those staff will still be there to help the passenger, whether they be partially sighted or for whatever reason they need help. The noble Lord says that this is about…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesI am grateful to my noble friend for her exposition of the greatness of the staff. We absolutely value the staff, which is why we want to get them out there to enable them to help…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesI will certainly write to the noble Lord about this, but there will be various functionality within the new system, which will be more mobile than it is now and will allow people…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesThe Government have an ongoing commitment to simplify the fare structure and we are continuing to do so. The Rail Minister has engaged extensively and directly with accessibility…12 Jul 2023HANSARDRail Ticket OfficesMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for a succession of questions there. She is right that the staff are valued. They are very much valued by the Government and indeed…12 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesMy Lords, there are regulations in place which govern the use of e-bikes on the public highway. Enforcement of these is a matter for the police. All road users have a duty to…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesThere has been some confusion in the media about e-bikes versus e-motorbikes; the two are very different. Obviously, what happened in Salford and Cardiff is tragic. On both those…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesI do not really know how to respond to that. I was trying to think whether riding backwards was somehow riding carelessly, and it may well be, but, obviously, I did not see the…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesYes. The Government are extremely active in this area. As I said previously, the DVSA has a market surveillance programme. Each retailer must check that the EAPC is compatible…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesThe Department for Transport, the Home Office and the leaders of police forces across the country speak frequently about road safety. The messages about e-scooters and e-bikes are…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesMy noble friend is quite right: the Government are considering it and we will publish our consultation response soon.11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesI am delighted to say that the Government are already conducting that research. The Department for Business and Trade is working with the Home Office and the Department for…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesI am incredibly grateful to my noble friend, because we know that e-bikes have huge environmental benefits. They can be used on more difficult journeys, and they can take those…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesNo, those people who are riding those vehicles in those circumstances are breaking the law. All vehicles that are not e-bikes—they would be electric motorbikes—have to be…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesThis Government are not a great fan of banning things, but we do need to think very carefully about e-scooters on our roads. As my noble friend will know, it is illegal to ride a…11 Jul 2023HANSARDE-bikesI absolutely agree with the noble Lord, but of course these are operational matters for the police. The police are operationally independent. However, they respond to pressure…11 Jul 2023