theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to reduce levels of congestion in Hagley resulting from recurring roadworks. \p Lilian Greenwood: Highway authorities have a range of powers to manage and co-ordinate road works on their road network and reduce the impact they have on congestion. Councils can also introduce lane rental schemes to target works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

But we know how frustrating it is when road works are poorly managed and run over time, which is why we have recently announced increases in penalties for utility companies and the extension of overrun charges to the weekend.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the proportion of flights (a) to and (b) from the UK that use sustainable fuel. \p Mike Kane: I refer the Hon. Member to the Answer given on 5 February 2025 to PQ UIN 26884.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing levels of production of sustainable aviation fuel in Runcorn and Helsby constituency on the environment. \p Mike Kane: The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate – which came into effect at the start of this year - could deliver up to 6.3 megatonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040. A supply of UK-produced SAF can help deliver those savings.

In England, SAF production facilities require an environmental permit from the Environment Agency in order to operate. The Environment Agency will only grant a permit if it is satisfied that the process would not give rise to any significant pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the availability of toilet facilities for HGV drivers. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department and industry are jointly investing up to £43.5 million to upgrade truckstops across England. This is on top of up to £26 million joint investment by National Highways and industry in lorry parking facilities along the strategic roads network.

This investment is supporting operators across 30 counties in England to improve security, toilets, showers and eating facilities and increase lorry parking spaces.

National Highways does not maintain records on the number of toilet facilities across its network. These facilities are operated commercially by private entities, who are responsible for ensuring they comply with legislative requirements and meet customer needs.

All Motorway Service Areas, Motorway Rest Areas, All-Purpose Trunk Road Service Areas, Motorway Truck Stops, Truck Stops on All-Purpose Trunk Roads and Truck Stops which benefit from signs from the strategic road network must provide free parking for a minimum of 2 hours for all vehicles permitted to use the facility and free-to-use toilets with hand washing facilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of progress in meeting sustainable aviation fuel targets. \p Mike Kane: The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Mandate – which came into effect at the start of this year - is the UK’s key policy to decarbonise jet fuel. It obligates the supply of an increasing amount of SAF in the overall UK aviation fuel mix; starting at 2% in 2025, reaching 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040.

The Government has considered feedstock availability and SAF technology readiness in setting targets which are both ambitious and deliverable. To support delivery of the Mandate’s targets, we are taking actions to grow supply of SAF. We are providing £135m to support 13 UK SAF projects through the Advanced Fuels Fund and have allocated an additional £63m of funding to March 2026.

The Government has also committed to introduce an industry-funded revenue certainty mechanism.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable parking enforcement debt collection practices. \p Lilian Greenwood: To ensure an enforcement regime that is fair and proportionate, the Department for Transport published the ‘Statutory guidance for local authorities in England on civil enforcement of parking contraventions’, which sets out the appropriate debt collection practices together with links to the applicable legislation. Local authorities in England with civil parking enforcement powers must have regard to this statutory guidance under Section 87 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. Matters relating to private parking and local authority operated off-street car parks are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of building Westerly slip road access to the M42 from J1 of the M42. \p Lilian Greenwood: There are no plans to introduce westbound access to the M42 at Junction 1 owing to the close proximity of the Junction to the M5 Catshill interchange, half a mile to the west. National Highways has determined that due to the significant amount of weaving and lane changing already required to access Catshill Interchange, adding a new merge at this location off Junction 1 would introduce a considerable and unacceptable level of safety risk to road users.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) help improve the safety of (i) horses and (ii) horse riders on roads and (b) increase driver awareness of horse safety. \p Lilian Greenwood: In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders.

The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Results from the last campaign showed that by September 2023 93% of drivers agreed it was their responsibility to give space to vulnerable road users. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her predecessor's oral contribution of 18 November 2024, Official Report, column 49, when she plans to make a decision on concessionary bus travel for young people; and what criteria she plans to use. \p Simon Lightwood: Bus services are predominantly run on a commercial basis, where private operators decide on the level at which fares are set. Many bus operators offer reduced fares for young people, and the Department for Transport’s latest concessionary travel statistics show that in the year ending March 2025, youth concessions are offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

Local authorities can also introduce fares initiatives in their local areas. The government has allocated £712 million to local authorities to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 including Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and Bus Service Operators Grant funding. BSIP funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing fares initiatives for young people.

The government is exploring options for targeted fares measures that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it most – such as young people.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has for land safeguarded for HS2 in Nottinghamshire. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government is thoroughly reviewing the position it has inherited on HS2 and wider rail infrastructure and will set out detailed plans in due course, including future plans for HS2 Phase 2b safeguarding in Nottinghamshire and a disposals programme for land and property acquired for HS2 that is no longer required.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in (a) standing and (b) capacity charges on the commercial viability of EV charging infrastructure deployment. \p Lilian Greenwood: Standing and capacity charges vary by site and location and are a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator.

Due to the commercial sensitivities of private companies, it is not possible for us to make a definitive assessment. However, we are aware of this issue through ongoing engagement with industry stakeholders.

We, in collaboration with Ofgem, continue to closely monitor the situation. Ofgem will be undertaking a broad review of system costs and are considering with industry whether there are other cost recovery options.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Connor Naismith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure airlines do not discriminate against elderly people who are not able to digitally check-in. \p Mike Kane: Nobody should be discriminated against because of their age when travelling by air.

All passengers have the choice to check in for their flight at the airport.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Cabinet Office’s FOI disclosure referenced FOI2024/14571 of 4 December 2024, on which dates the Special Adviser People Board has met since the 5 July 2024; and which special advisers attended each meeting. \p Georgia Gould: Alongside the wider work of the Special Adviser People Board, it met on 17 October 2024 and was attended by Morgan McSweeney.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the publication entitled Number 10 special advisers hospitality, July to September 2024, published on 30 January 2025, for what reason the transparency data does not include an indicative financial value for the lunches received. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Government is committed to publishing details of all special advisers' gifts, hospitality and meetings with senior media figures on a quarterly basis. As has been the case under successive administrations, this information does not contain the value of hospitality.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in dealing with (a) calls and (b) correspondence from potential claimants. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: I am informed that in January, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority handled 709 calls and responded to 832 emails. The Authority is taking the approach of having single points of contact for claimants, and I was pleased to learn how this has fostered positive relationships with many of those in the infected blood community.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued to Ministers on what costs for moving (a) in and (b) out of official residences can be paid for from the public purse. \p Georgia Gould: No standing guidance is issued to Ministers on this specific issue, as was the case under the previous administration. The appropriate use of public resources is a matter for the relevant Accounting Officer and their individual ministers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 21390 on Armed Forces: Equality and with reference to the written ministerial statement of 14 May 2024, HCWS464, on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Civil Service, whether his Department's review of the cost of equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure by civil service organisations in the 2022-23 financial year included the Armed Forces. \p Georgia Gould: The review into Equality, Diversity and Equality (EDI) expenditure carried under the previous administration did not include the Armed Forces.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing Street had with the French Government on the renaming of HMS Agincourt. \p Georgia Gould: The name was proposed by the Royal Navy Ships Names and Badging committee and approved by His Majesty the King.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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James Wild:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether flights made by (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Ministers in the Royal Air Force's No. 32 Squadron are subject to Air Passenger Duty. \p Georgia Gould: Air Passenger Duty (APD) is payable for travel undertaken on aircraft that are on the civilian register – it is not payable for aircraft on the military register.

It is therefore payable for all ministerial travel undertaken on the RAF Envoy as that is currently on the civilian register.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses in Bromsgrove constituency (a) in July 2024 and (b) as of 6 February 2025. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th February is attached.

Letter from the UK National Statistician (pdf, 116.3KB)
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23478 on Admiralty House, for what reason the Secretary of State for Defence occupied Admiralty House on a time-limited basis. \p Georgia Gould: As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister allocates official residences to ministers, either on the grounds of security or to allow them to better perform their official duties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Brian Mathew:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help prevent Russian interference in UK democratic processes. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: I refer the honourable member to my previous answer dated 20/01/2025 [UIN 23400].
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23329 on Red Sea: British Nationals Abroad, what engagement he has had with the families of victims of recent fatalities in the Red Sea. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The FCDO continues to provide support to those British nationals and families affected by recent tragic incidents in the Red Sea, including the sinking of the Sea Story in November 2024 and the tragic fire on board the Hurricane in June 2023. We remain in contact with the relevant local authorities and our sincere condolences are with all the victims and their families.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the restoration of funding to UNRWA on the UK's relations with the United States. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million this financial year to UNRWA, to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. We reiterated this position in our E3 joint Foreign Ministers' statement of 31 January, alongside France and Germany.

We continue to work together with the new US administration to ensure regional security and stability, including ensuring lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and we thank the US for the integral role it played in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The Prime Minister reiterated this in his call with President Trump on 26 January. Our shared priority must be to work together to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full, becomes permanent, and supports a pathway to a sustainable peace.