theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his department will conduct a review into current fireworks legislation to determine whether it is fit for purpose and efficiently protects animals and vulnerable people. \p Kate Dearden: The Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting animals and vulnerable people, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action and review into the current fireworks legislation.

The Government has also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes new guidance for those running community fireworks events, and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to hold discussions with (a) fireworks industry stakeholders, such as Fireworks Impact Coalition, and (b) animal welfare focused charities on the adequacy of fireworks legislation. \p Kate Dearden: Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues.

The insights from these discussions, as well as other evidence gathered on the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people will guide future action. They also helped to inform the public safety campaign that I launched for this year’s fireworks season.

The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Employment Tribunal penalties in deterring repeated breaches of employment law by large employers. \p Kate Dearden: The Government has not undertaken such an assessment, however; through the Plan for Change we will ensure employment rights are fit for a modern economy, contributing to economic growth. As part of this we will look at ways of strengthening enforcement options, including the Employment Tribunal Penalty scheme which will move to the Fair Work Agency (FWA) once established.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to promote British creative sector exports over the next three years. \p Chris Bryant: Over the next three years, the UK government will boost creative sector exports by increasing trade missions, targeting new and traditional markets, and expanding export finance through UK Export Finance (UKEF). In 2024/25, UKEF provided £14.5 billion in support for UK exports and maintains a nationwide network of export finance managers to advise local businesses. The Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB) will be reformed to champion exports, while export promotion will be enhanced through events such as the BFI Film Festival and London Games Festival. The Department also funds the Music Export Growth Scheme which does what its name suggests. Alongside the GREAT campaign, these measures will strengthen the UK’s global creative leadership.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding his Department has allocated for AI and digital technology to replace staff removed from export support services. \p Chris Bryant: DBT is making use of AI tools to improve our services to business, but we are not replacing staff with AI and digital technology.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to publish a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin. \p Chris Bryant: Once the Call for Evidence has closed, the government will review and analyse the responses received and decide how best to proceed and what to publish.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what methods will be used to reduce staffing levels in export support services; and whether these will include (a) redundancy, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) redeployment to other departments, and (d) non-replacement of retiring staff. \p Chris Bryant: All staff in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) were able to apply for a voluntary exit scheme, before the announcement of workforce reductions. Staff impacted in export support services and in other areas of DBT may be offered redundancy, voluntary redundancy and redeployment opportunities in line with the rest of the department.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the time and resources required to negotiate UK accession to the PEM Convention with existing members. \p Chris Bryant: No decision has been made on UK accession to the PEM Convention. As set out in the Trade Strategy, we are now engaging business and PEM partners to consider the potential merits of accession and launched a Call for Evidence on 17 November. A decision to seek to join the PEM Convention will only be taken if it is in the national interest and reflects business sentiment. It would be premature therefore to comment on the nature of hypothetical negotiations or the resources that might be required to engage in them, hypothetically.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, over what time period workforce reductions in export support services will take place. \p Chris Bryant: The Department for Business and Trade’s new export structures in the UK are expected to be in place from 1 April, however the workforce reductions in teams involved in export work across the UK and overseas will be ongoing over the course of 2026.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding has been allocated for redundancy packages related to workforce reductions in export support services. \p Chris Bryant: A programme of transformation for the Department for Business and Trade’s export services is ongoing and will entail workforce changes. It is not yet possible to determine a level of redundancies that might result from that process. Any related funding needs will be addressed within the course of business planning.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate has been made of the total savings to be achieved through workforce reductions in export support services. \p Chris Bryant: The transformation of the department is ongoing and it is not yet possible to determine how many staff might be redeployed or may leave the department. Therefore, it is not yet possible to determine total savings that will be achieved.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has conducted a sectoral impact analysis of the potential UK accession to the PEM Convention. \p Chris Bryant: As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government recognises that PEM accession could bring benefits to British businesses but that the potential benefits and risks will likely vary both within and across sectors. Our Call for Evidence, launched on 17 November, seeks input from business directly to better understand these sectoral impacts. It will end on 15 December.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits and risks to UK exporters of joining the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention. \p Chris Bryant: As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, joining the PEM Convention could simplify rules of origin across the UK’s nearest neighbours and increase supply chain flexibility for UK exporters. However, the Government recognises the benefits and risks of accession could vary both within and across sectors. We have therefore launched a Call for Evidence to seek direct business and partner input on the opportunities and risks that might flow from joining PEM. This will run until 15 December.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of export support services during workforce reductions. \p Chris Bryant: We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective.

We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff positions in export support services will be reduced in each individual export market as a result of the Department's workforce reduction programme. \p Chris Bryant: As set out in the Trade Strategy our overseas network will increasingly focus on the markets, sectors and opportunities that will drive UK economic growth for the next decade and beyond. We will have fewer export support staff in some markets as we focus more of our resource on attracting high value inward investment and tackling the market access barriers that hold British exporters back. We are working through the specific impact in each market, but directly supporting British exporters will remain the biggest part of what DBT teams do overseas.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to protect workers’ terms and conditions including through the implementation of short-time working arrangements in the construction industry. \p Chris McDonald: The Construction Industry Working Rule Agreement, collectively negotiated between employer organisations and trade unions to establish agreed terms and conditions, is a matter for the industry. This agreement provides a consistent framework for fair treatment of workers across the sector, supporting stability and clarity for both employers and employees.

Looking ahead, the Employment Rights Bill will modernise our employment rights legislation. It will provide a new baseline of security for workers including through day one protection from unfair dismissal, increasing protection from sexual harassment, strengthening Statutory Sick Pay and ending exploitative zero hours contacts and tackling fire and rehire.
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Matt Western:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to launch the steel strategy. \p Chris McDonald: The Government is developing a Steel Strategy to be published in 2025 that will set out a long-term vision for a bright and sustainable steel sector in the UK and the actions needed to get there.

The strategy will articulate what is needed to create a competitive business environment in the UK with the aim of attracting new private investment to secure and expand UK steelmaking capability and capacity which is aligned with our Net Zero goals.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what process Great British Railways will follow when preparing and consulting on its long-term strategic plan for the rail network. \p Keir Mather: GBR will engage with stakeholders as it develops its short, medium and long-term plans. However, it will be a matter for GBR to decide on its systems and processes when it is established.

With regard to the Secretary of State's Long-Term Rail Strategy, allowed for in the Railways Bill recently introduced, there will be extensive engagement with key stakeholders as the strategy is developed with statutory consultees, such as the Welsh Government.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department holds records on the number of privately owned e-scooters currently in use by the general public that are not covered by appropriate motor vehicle insurance policies; and whether any specific enforcement measures are either in-place, or being considered to ensure compliance with relevant insurance requirements. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested.

Enforcement of illegal e-scooter use is a matter for the police and a range of motoring offences and penalties already apply.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the approval and delivery of Lower Thames Crossing in light of the change of responsibilities for the project. \p Simon Lightwood: As with all Tier 1 projects, the Lower Thames Crossing is governed and funded by Government, with delivery by National Highways. The Development Consent Order was approved in March 2025 and enabling works will begin this year. Government is exploring funding options, including private finance, to support mid 2030s completion.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Department is having with relevant stakeholders on improving local bus services in the Hexham constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is committed to helping local leaders improve local bus services and grow usage across England, including the North East, Northumberland and Hexham constituency. The Department for Transport regularly engages with local authority representatives from the North East Combined Authority, including as part of our continued support to local transport authorities pursuing bus franchising.

We are taking action to give local leaders the powers they need to deliver better bus services for passengers, including through the Bus Services Act 2025, and investing over £1 billion in 2025/26 to support and improve bus services in England outside London, of which £23.8 million has been allocated to the North East Combined Authority. This funding can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on ensuring that public transport infrastructure remains (a) resilient and (b) operational during winter 2025-26 in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: My officials hold regular meetings with Surrey County Council to discuss transport in Surrey. We will shortly announce the regional allocations for the majority of the transport funding announced in the Spending Review. We have informed Surrey County Council of their allocation of the Local Transport Grant which is £38.19 million for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicle registration numbers are held on expired retention certificates; and what the estimated value of those registration numbers is. \p Simon Lightwood: While the information requested about expired retention certificates may be available, it would need to be extracted from different databases and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87314, what discussions she has had with (a) Mayor Parker and (b) the West Midlands Combined Authority on funding to enable the Aldridge station project to progress from design work to delivery and completion. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government recently announced a £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding settlement for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which will be available to spend from 2027/2028 to 2031/2032.

Decisions on how this money is to be spent are devolved to Mayor Richard Parker and WMCA.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the reopening of the Camp Hill line in Birmingham. \p Simon Lightwood: My officials are in regular contact with West Midlands Rail Executive and the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are reopening the Camp Hill line with three new stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road.

Construction is close to completion; the stations are expected to be open for public use early next year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which bodies Great British Railways will be statutorily required to consult when proposing service or infrastructure changes. \p Simon Lightwood: Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways (GBR), which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. GBR will set out their plans for passenger services and infrastructure in an Integrated Business Plan, which the Secretary of State will approve. When GBR proposes to update its business plan, under the Railways Bill it will be required to consult the Office of Rail and Road and Passenger Watchdog, as well as seek approval from the Secretary of State. This will ensure that there is expert, third party scrutiny on proposed material updates before delivery changes.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of highways maintenance funding allocated to the West Midlands for 2025–26. \p Simon Lightwood: West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is in receipt of £1.05bn of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and has been allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. These funding settlements are for investment in the West Midlands local transport network including local highways maintenance.

For 2025/26, the Department has allocated £1.6 billion in capital funding for local highways maintenance nationally, including a £500 million uplift compared to the previous year. 25% of this uplift is contingent on local authorities adhering to reporting requirements and demonstrating that they are following best practice in highways maintenance. WMCA are eligible to receive an additional £8.6 million from this additional funding.

Decisions on how this funding is spent across the city region rests with the combined authority in line with local priorities.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the coach industry on battery electric motorway charging networks. \p Simon Lightwood: In line with the Government’s ambitions for zero emission vehicles, the Government is working with industry to make charging for longer journeys easy, fast and reliable.

Officials continue to engage with industry, including motorway service area operators, chargepoint operators, and coach operators, on supporting provision for larger vehicles such as coaches.

Coach operators were also eligible for the up to £30 million Depot Charging Scheme, which opened in July 2025 and for which applications are now being assessed.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84275, how much highways maintenance funding was provided to local authorities in aggregate in real terms in each year since 2019-20, including 2025-26. \p Simon Lightwood: Funding Year

Total in real terms (2024 to 2025 millions of £)

Total in cash terms (millions of £)

2019 to 2020

1,575

1,278

2020 to 2021

2,017

1,722

2021 to 2022

1,636

1,400

2022 to 2023

1,512

1,385

2023 to 2024

1,799

1,735

2024 to 2025

1,535

1,535

2025 to 2026

1,912*

1,963

Total

11,986

11,018

The above table includes highways maintenance capital funding from the Department for Transport, including the Highways Maintenance Block, Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) between 2022/23 to 2024/25. The figures also include funding from the Pothole Action Fund, the Wet Weather Resilience Fund, and the Traffic Signals Maintenance Scheme.

The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements.

*For 2025/26, the figures are exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use. The real terms figure provided for 2025/26 would thus be higher if it were possible to include these figures.

These figures are presented in real terms and adjusted for inflation using 2024-25 prices. GDP deflators as of 30 September 2025 were used.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of active-travel funding allocations to local authorities. \p Lilian Greenwood: Active travel funding allocations are based on capability level as assessed through Active Travel England’s annual capability ratings process. The ratings are used to allocate funding and to provide the right support to authorities to help them develop capability to deliver high quality schemes. This process has resulted in an increase in the number of active travel schemes completed on schedule from 58% in 2023/4 to 69% in 2024/5.

Since being established in 2022, Active Travel England (ATE) has provided over £560 million of funding to authorities. ATE have overseen the creation of over 400 miles of new walking and cycling routes (and hundreds of safer crossing and junctions) that the above funding has provided.

There has also been a 9% improvement in the (published) assessment by Active Travel England on local councils’ ability to deliver schemes overall (from 2022/23 to 2023/24).
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department holds information on the number of UK road traffic accidents caused by immigrants driving without a valid full or provisional UK driving licence. \p Lilian Greenwood: This information is not held by the Department for Transport.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support bus operators in the West Midlands to maintain service frequency on key local routes, including those serving Aldridge and surrounding communities. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government knows that reliable and frequent bus services are vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The Government’s Bus Services Act 2025 puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 and keep fares affordable. This includes £243 million for operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) and BSOGPlus, and £712 million for local authorities. The BSOG helps operators to keep fares down and run services that might otherwise be unprofitable and could lead to cancellation. Of the £712 million for local authorities, the West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £50 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving frequency.

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings her Department has held with motorcycling organisations on the forthcoming Road Safety Strategy; and if she will announce measures to support motorcycle safety. \p Lilian Greenwood: The National Motorcyclists Council attended a Ministerial road safety roundtable on 7 October 2024 which commenced external engagement on a future road safety strategy. Officials met bilaterally with the Motorcycle Action Group on 29 August 2025 to respond to a range of matters of concern to motorcyclists which included a brief update on the development of the Road Safety Strategy. An update was also provided at the most recent meeting of the officials led Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on 15 September, chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83389 on Transport: Exhaust Emissions, if she will provide a breakdown of the remaining 33.7MtCO₂e by mode, including (a) HGVs, (b) buses and coaches, (c) rail, (d) domestic and international aviation attributable to the UK, (e) domestic shipping, and (f) other transport sources. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions annually. The most recent accredited official statistics cover the period 1990 to 2023 and are available online as part of the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions statistics.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings her Department has held with motorcycling organisations on the forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy; and if she will recognise motorcycling as a means of transport for access to work and education. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public to inform the strategy and has heard directly from motorcyclists and motorcycle representative groups including Motorcycle Action Group through our Call for Ideas and Regional Roadshow.

The insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are directly informing the strategy as it continues to evolve.

Officials also met bilaterally with the Motorcycle Action Group on 29 August 2025 to respond to a range of matters of concern to motorcyclists which included an update on the development of the strategy. An update was also provided at the most recent meeting of the officials led Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on 15 September, chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84703 on Transport: Research, how many bids by UK academics to the NSF–UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity her Department has supported with letters of endorsement since that scheme’s launch. \p Lilian Greenwood: Since the launch of the National Science Foundation – UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity, the Department for Transport has provided one letter of support for a bid by UK academics. The scheme is administered by UK Research and Innovation, and the Department is not routinely involved in the application process.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of UK transport-sector decarbonisation policies relating to (a) the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate for cars and vans, (b) HGV decarbonisation programmes, (c) bus and coach decarbonisation schemes and (d) sustainable aviation fuel and wider aviation decarbonisation initiatives by mode. \p Keir Mather: The transition to zero emission vehicles, including cars, vans and HGVs, received £1.8bn in the spending review settlement, which is additional to the £320m allocated at Autumn Budget 2024.

£40m was allocated for zero emission bus projects through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Scheme at Autumn Budget 2024.

£63m in 2025/2026 will support Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund. Further support is committed through the next SR period to 2029/30 – the parameters of this funding will be published in due course.

The SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism will be industry funded.

The Government has announced up to £2.3bn of funding over ten years to extend the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme to 2035. The programme supports industry led projects including the development of new low and zero carbon aircraft.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish a separation policy for its operational and infrastructure functions. \p Keir Mather: The aim of the Railways Bill is to unite track and train and to reduce the fragmentation that comes with the separation of infrastructure and passenger services operations – a model which has repeatedly failed passengers over many years. However, where there is a need for safeguards, there will be separation. For example, there will be separation of decision-making between GBR's retailer and the wider retail industry management functions for which GBR will be responsible. This will be delivered via a code of practice, which will be owned and managed by the ORR and have the force of a licence condition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_257

Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to establish an independent mechanism for public reporting of rail safety incidents. \p Keir Mather: The main independent mechanism for publicly reporting safety incidents on the railways is the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS). The Office of Rail and Road also operate an anonymous whistleblowing service. Therefore, no plans exist to create an additional independent mechanism for public reporting of rail safety incidents.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_258

Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish all access decisions and criteria used in determining them. \p Keir Mather: GBR will take access decisions against duties clearly defined in the bill and public law principles including to act fairly and transparently. As ORR do now, we would expect GBR to publish its access decisions. GBR will be required in Legislation to publish its criteria for taking access decisions in its Access and Use Policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_259

Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which bodies Great British Railways will be statutorily required to consult when proposing service or infrastructure changes. \p Keir Mather: Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways (GBR), which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. GBR will set out their plans for passenger services and infrastructure in an Integrated Business Plan, which the Secretary of State will approve. When GBR proposes to update its business plan, under the Railways Bill it will be required to consult the Office of Rail and Road and Passenger Watchdog, as well as seek approval from the Secretary of State. This will ensure that there is expert, third party scrutiny on proposed material updates before delivery changes
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_260

Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Railways Bill factsheet: tickets and retail, published on 5 November 2025, whether the Office of Rail and Road will lead the consultation on the statutory Code of Practice or whether this will be undertaken jointly with her Department. \p Keir Mather: The future rail retail industry code of practice will set out clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) interacts with all market participants. It will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road, and GBR’s licence will require compliance with it. The Railways Bill enables the Secretary of State to introduce the licence condition that will underpin the code of practice and give it force.

The Government has confirmed that there will be full consultation on the production of the code of practice. Further detail on that consultation will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_261

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question HL11224 on Railways: Wifi, if she will publish that analysis. \p Keir Mather: The analysis of the costs and benefits of both Low Earth Orbit satellite technology and trackside infrastructure was conducted in the context of the Spending Review and was about prioritisation of potential projects and programmes. We would not ordinarily release this to protect the commercial interests of government and its suppliers. However, we are preparing a Business Case for LEO which we will publish in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_262

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2025, to Question 84335, on Electric Vehicles: Grants, which Chinese firms have received funding under the scheme in 2025-26. \p Keir Mather: The Department cannot provide breakdown of orders per individual manufacturer due to commercial sensitivity. A list of vehicles eligible for grant support is available on Gov.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_263

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84274 on Motorcycles: Manufacturing Industries, if he will name the Chinese firms that are receiving funding under the scheme in 2025-26. \p Keir Mather: The Department cannot provide breakdown of orders per individual manufacturer in 2025-26 due to commercial sensitivity. A list of motorcycles eligible for grant support is published online.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_264

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78699 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, if he will list the number of public charging devices, per capita, by individual local authority. \p Keir Mather: The Department publishes statistics on the number of public charging devices at local authority level as part of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure statistics.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_265

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending contactless rail payment upgrades to stations in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Keir Mather: This Government wants to improve passenger experience and strive towards enhancing and improving ticketing. We are delivering on extensions to Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless ticketing to an additional 50 stations on the 14 December in the Southeast.

Whilst initial delivery does not include upgrades to stations in the Surrey Heath constituency, I would like to assure you that our commitment to improving ticketing for passengers does not end with this tranche of stations. As such, we are considering a number of factors to determine which stations will be included in future phases of PAYG with contactless rollout. We will announce further details in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_266

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 1 September 2025 from the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme. \p Keir Mather: A reply was sent by Lord Hendy on 18 November. I would like to apologise for the delay in replying.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_267

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to improve safety measures on rural A-roads with higher-than-average collision rates. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government recognises that the majority of road fatalities (according to the latest statistics) occurred on rural roads (60%) with fewer fatalities on urban roads (35%) and motorways (5%).

Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government is working hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies which will have national reach. More details will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_268

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help increase driver numbers in the logistics sector. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to supporting the logistics sector in developing the skilled workforces it needs. The Government has confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps in 2025-26 to support more than 40,000 learners. Skills Bootcamps will remain an important part of skills provision and are now funded through Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local areas directly, empowering local leaders with greater control over skills development. Local leaders are considering what occupations, including HGV driving, to prioritise.

The Government also continues to support the sector with skills training through the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver apprenticeships, and through Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) via Jobcentre Plus.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_269

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the value of outstanding Dartford Crossing fines for foreign HGV drivers. \p Keir Mather: The Department does not release this information on the grounds that it could prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs by undermining the collection of Dart Charge.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_270

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that immigrants in the UK do not drive on public roads under a non-GB issued licence for longer than 12 months. \p Simon Lightwood: While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is responsible for issuing driving licences, enforcement of the law is a matter for the police.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_271

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Office of Rail and Road has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years. \p Simon Lightwood: The information is provided in the table below. Most of these costs related to ORR’s role and duties in respect of the Channel Tunnel.

Financial Year

Cost (£)

2020-21

55,223

2021-22

42,713

2022-23

27,717

2023-24

36,033

2024-25

26,081
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-25 conversation_272

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for the total number of people, broken by nationality, on the Department's Person of Interest List concerning individuals involved with taking payment to take driving tests on a third party's behalf. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not capture any information on nationalities at either the theory or practical driving tests.

The DVSA has robust measures in place to stop people using false identities when taking a driving test.

At the start of the driving test, all driving examiners carry out thorough identification and documentation checks to satisfy themselves of the person’s identity, and the validity of the driving licence and theory test pass certificate.

To make it harder for fraudsters to impersonate a candidate, DVSA has worked in partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to give driving examiners access to an enlarged photograph of the candidate, as shown on the driving licence, to help the examiner decide if the person presenting for a test is the correct candidate. If a candidate fails to satisfy the examiner that they have complied with the requirements, the examiner will, under legislation, refuse to take the test.

DVSA takes very seriously any allegations of fraudulent activity, including candidate impersonation. It has a dedicated Intelligence Threat Hub to enable assessment of all information available and prioritisation of investigations, and a dedicated counter fraud and intelligence team to investigate such allegations.