theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 27855, when the consultation for a reformed decent homes standard will be published and; what its scope will be. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government will bring forward a consultation this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question HL4075 on Royal Mint: Buildings, what steps the Planning Inspectorate is taking to ensure that it receives advice on national security matters as part of its inquiry on the Chinese Embassy application; and whether such advice must be shared with the applicant. \p Matthew Pennycook: When dealing with evidence relating to national security, or any other matters, the Inspector will exercise impartial judgment and must not be subject to any improper influence, nor appear to be subject to such influence.

There should be no evidence before the Inspector, which is not also available to the parties, and it will be solely for the Inspector to decide what weight to attribute to any evidence when writing their report to the Secretary of State.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 28587 on Schools: Standards, how many and what proportion of the schools expected to experience mandatory intervention will be (a) academised and (b) rebrokered. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department expects twice as many mandatory interventions in schools, through both structural intervention and targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) interventions. This is expected to total around 370 schools experiencing mandatory intervention averaged annually over the next three years, based on the pattern of Ofsted inspections in recent years and the number of schools already meeting proposed intervention criteria. Over the past three years, the numbers of maintained schools and academies placed in an Ofsted category of concern were roughly equal, and we anticipate a similar picture in future years.

The government’s consultation on school accountability reform proposes a better and faster approach to intervention in all schools, regardless of whether they are maintained schools or academies.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff employed by single academy trusts were paid (a) between £150,000 and £199,999, (b) between £200,000 and £249,999 and (c) in excess of £250,000 in each of the last five years by trust. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department collates and publishes data annually in the ‘Academies sector annual report and accounts’ on the number of academy trusts with an individual staff member whose emoluments are above £100,000. The data is available in the attached spreadsheet and can also be accessed in the reports published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academies-sector-annual-reports-and-accounts.

Emoluments include salary, employer pension contributions and other benefits received during the year. These are reported in bandings of £100,000 to £150,000 and £150,000 and above.

The department also publishes an annex alongside the academy sector accounts listing academy trusts paying one or more staff member remuneration of £150,000 in that year.

The academies sector annual report and accounts is drawn from academy trusts’ accounts data. The report for 2022/23 will be published shortly. The deadline for academy trusts to submit data for 2023/24 to the department was 28 January 2025 and this data is currently collated for publication. Academy trusts must also publish pay information in their annual audited accounts and on their website.

31728_32458_emoluments_of_academy_trusts (xlsx, 26.8KB)
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support intermediate and advanced apprenticeships. \p Janet Daby: This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, the department will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs.

There are over 360 apprenticeships at intermediate and advanced levels which are supporting people to train in occupations such as adult care worker, bricklayer or cyber security technician. A wide range of apprenticeships are also available at higher levels including data analyst, nuclear technician and registered nurse.

So far this academic year, between August and October 2024, there have been 132,560 apprenticeship starts across all levels; this is 1.3% higher than the same period in the previous year.

To support the development of skills at all levels, the government will reform the apprenticeships levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills levy that is aligned to the Industrial Strategy. This will create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries.

As a first step, flexibilities will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people. The department will set out more detail on these plans in due course.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of university students left their university courses early due to mental health issues in the 2024-25 academic year. \p Janet Daby: This government is breaking down barriers to opportunity by ensuring young people receive the mental health support they deserve. It is vital that higher education (HE) students are supported to achieve and thrive during their time at university.

Figures on non-continuation following year one of entry to HE are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for full-time first-degree entrants starting courses between the 2014/15 and 2019/20 academic years. Further information is available in Table T3 at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation.

More recent information on continuation rates, which are the inverse of non-continuation, for first year full-time degree entrants entering HE are published by the Office for Students (OfS). This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.

The proportion of UK domiciled student enrolments to HE providers who declared a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder, was 5.6% in the 2022/23 academic year, compared with 1.8% in 2014/15. Although specific data on the number of students who have left their course due to a mental health issue is not known, we are determined that action is taken so students can maximise the opportunity to study in HE.

This government has committed to recruiting 8,500 additional staff across children and adult NHS mental health services.

To drive meaningful change in HE mental health support, the HE Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, is chairing the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The taskforce includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. The taskforce published its second stage report in December, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce.

We appointed the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health to undertake a National Review of HE Student Suicides. This review has seen excellent engagement from universities and will publish its report in the spring, with a focus on highlighting lessons learned and recommendations for better prevention of student suicides.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the report by Freedom from Torture entitled No Questions Asked: UK universities provide postgraduate security education to security personnel from torturing states, published in February 2025. \p Janet Daby: Universities are independent from government and manage their own admissions decisions. However, the department expects the higher education sector to be responsible and alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998, and the registration conditions set by the Office for Students (OfS).

Any international arrangements made by registered higher education providers in England must be within the law and must comply with the registration conditions set by the OfS, including a commitment to their public interest governance principles.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on increasing the availability of apprenticeships to young people. \p Janet Daby: This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high-quality opportunities, and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.

The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.

The department also continues to provide employers and providers with additional funding to support more apprenticeship opportunities for young people. The department provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in local authority care. These payments can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms or travel.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations in the report entitled Addressing the UK’s heritage skills crisis: why we must act now, published by the University of Manchester in January 2025. \p Janet Daby: The department supports vocational education and training programmes that include heritage conservation skills. This includes funding for courses at further education colleges and specialist training providers. A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include apprenticeships, T Levels, Skills Bootcamps, and Higher Technical Qualifications.

Together with employers, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) have developed 90 apprenticeship standards in the construction and built environment sector. These apprenticeships provide hands-on experience and formal qualifications in heritage areas such as heritage construction specialist, cultural heritage conservation technician, craft carpenter and joinery, and stained glass craftsperson. IfATE works with key stakeholders such as Grosvenor, Peabody, Historic England, the National Trust, and the Crown Estate to ensure that employers can access the heritage construction skills they need.

The department is working across government and in partnership with industry through the Construction Skills Delivery Group (CSDG) and the Construction Leadership Council to identify policy levers and other actions to ensure that our skills offer, including apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps and T Levels, meets the needs of employers in the sector, including small and medium enterprises. The department works closely with Historic England, through the CSDG, to ensure that training programs meet the needs of the heritage sector.
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Alison Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can access Level 7 apprenticeships. \p Janet Daby: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth with the support of a strong skills system.

To support young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to access apprenticeships in England, the department is promoting apprenticeships to students in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and targeting young people through the Skills for Life campaign.

The department is also transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships. The department has committed to improve careers advice and guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into work and help them get on at work.​

This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. In 2023/24, 65% of level 7 starts were by people over 25 years old. The future funding for apprenticeships at level 7 is under review and we will be asking more employers to step forward and fund these themselves. The department is taking advice from Skills England, who engaged with employers over the autumn, and the department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly.

To support more young people, who have the most to gain from apprenticeships, to access high-quality training, the department is developing new foundation apprenticeships. These will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with teachers on recent trends in the level of (a) misogynistic and (b) violent attitudes towards women and girls expressed by boys in education settings. \p Stephen Morgan: As set out in the government’s Plan for Change, the Safer Streets Mission aims to reduce serious harm and increase public confidence in policing and in the criminal justice system. Integral to this is the ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The department plays an important role in delivering that ambition.

The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, currently under review, is designed to provide a comprehensive basis, from primary school onwards, for building respectful, healthy relationships, recognising prejudice and the impact of stereotypes, and understanding what counts as harmful or abusive behaviour. The guidance is clear that schools should be alive to issues such as everyday sexism, misogyny, homophobia and gender stereotypes and take positive action to build a culture where these are not tolerated, and any occurrences are identified and tackled. The RSHE curriculum is supported by teacher training modules available online.

The department’s Ministers and officials engage regularly with school staff and their representative bodies on a wide range of issues, including on the behaviour of pupils and students. As part of the work to review the current RSHE statutory guidance, we have been discussing with stakeholders and are planning further engagement directly with teachers.

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire for (i) road maintenance and (ii) pothole filling since July 2024. \p Lilian Greenwood: Staffordshire County Council is the local highway authority for Newcastle-under-Lyme. For the 2024/25 financial year, the previous Government allocated Staffordshire County Council £28.935 million for local highway maintenance. For the 2025/26 financial year, this Government is providing Staffordshire County Council with £39.465 million, an increase of around £10.5 million, for local highway maintenance. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Staffordshire County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network according to its needs and circumstances.

The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375, if she will ask National Highways to make an estimate of the amount spent on maintaining balancing ponds in Bedfordshire in each of the last five financial years. \p Lilian Greenwood: National Highways’ financial systems do not categorise spending to this granularity, however, National Highways estimate approximately £380,000 has been spent on balancing ponds in Bedfordshire since October 2019. Spend on balancing ponds includes general maintenance such as de-reeding, de-silting and jetting, alongside ancillary work including clearance of vegetation, removing fly-tipped waste and renewing fences around the ponds.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375 on National Highways: Flood Control, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining balancing ponds owned by National Highways on the climate resilience of the transport network. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department does not plan to make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining balancing ponds owned by National Highways on the climate resilience of the transport network; National Highways already follow prescribed maintenance regimes so the capacity of balancing ponds is retained.

The provision of balancing ponds for flood mitigation has been common practice in highway design for many decades and is usually determined as part of a flood risk assessment during the design of a road. It should, however, be noted that the provision of balancing ponds is not usually for the protection of the highway, but to prevent downstream flooding once the water leaves National Highways’ boundary.

Additionally, I would like to reassure you that that climate change requirements are included in National Highways’ drainage design standards, having been introduced in 2006. Since then, National Highways drainage schemes, including balancing ponds, are designed with the latest climate change allowances in accordance with relevant published national policy to ensure resilience to flooding.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26374, if she will make a specific assessment on the effectiveness of the standards for maintaining SRN balancing ponds. \p Lilian Greenwood: The GM701 standard (as referenced in the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26374) covers the asset maintenance requirements of the Strategic Road Network. National Highways determines the maintenance works to be undertaken on all assets based on the GM701 standard, asset need and budget availability and this assessment is undertaken annually, with updates undertaken periodically.

The Department does not have any current plans to assess the standard GM701.

Independent assessment and monitoring of National Highways is, however, undertaken by the Highways Monitor, the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), to ensure effectiveness in operating the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and compliance with its Licence. The ORR have previously set out clear expectations of maintenance in their annual reports, which also includes assessment of National Highways’ Asset Management strategy and performance or compliance with standards.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26373, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring balancing ponds owned by National Highways to Internal Drainage Boards. \p Lilian Greenwood: The ownership and management of National Highways’ assets, at this level, fall within National Highways’ delegated authority. The Department does not plan to make an assessment on the future ownership of balancing ponds owned by National Highways.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to limit the brightness of LED car headlights. \p Lilian Greenwood: All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested, and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare and ensure safety on a broad range of roads and environments.

However, noting increased public concern, Government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare. The work is underway and is due to deliver in summer 2025.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26375 on National Highways: Flood Control, whether she has had discussions with National Highways on the amount they are spending on maintaining balancing ponds. \p Lilian Greenwood: Decisions regarding categorisation of spending at this level fall within National Highways’ delegated authority. There have been no discussions with National Highways on its spending on the maintenance of balancing ponds and there are no plans to ask National Highways to change the granularity of its financial reporting in 2025/26.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information does her Department hold on the (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest period of time between (i) Electric Vehicle charging hub operators agreeing a lease with a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and (ii) securing permission to install a DNO connection from highways authorities. \p Lilian Greenwood: We do not hold that information.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the safety of female cyclists travelling after dark. \p Simon Lightwood: Everyone should feel safe cycling and harassment and intimidation of women cycling is totally unacceptable. Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is very much an important part of our mission on VAWG.

Active Travel England is working with local authorities to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure which should help women feel safer when cycling. Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women. This can include providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve road infrastructure to respond to flooding risks in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government takes flooding and its effects seriously, and has established a Floods Resilience Taskforce, which will enable close working between national, regional, and local government, including the devolved administrations, along with flood risk partners.

The Government is providing local authorities with an additional £500 million of funding for local highway maintenance for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25, with Somerset Council receiving £44.9 million in 2025/26 for highway maintenance. It is up to local highway authorities to determine how best to spend this funding on maintaining and protecting their roads, including making them more resilient to flooding.

The Department is also working with the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Adaptation, Biodiversity and Climate Board to produce best practice advice and guidance to local highway authorities to help them deal with the effects of climate change.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of public transport for (a) young people and (b) students. \p Simon Lightwood: Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations for the government, especially as we seek to deliver against our key missions, including removing barriers to opportunity and delivering safer streets. The government is committed to making transport safer, more inclusive and accessible to everyone – young and old alike – allowing them to live healthy lives, making the journeys they want and need.

The Bus Services (No.2) Bill was introduced on 17 December and includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops more inclusive and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability-awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services is one of the government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, to help millions access better opportunities and promote greater bus use by passengers. Moving forward, the government will also explore more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it the most – such as young people.

There are a range of discounts available to young people and students to help with the cost of rail travel. For example, all children under 16 receive 50% off all adult fares, and the 16-17 Saver extends this to 16 and 17-year-olds. For students aged 18 and above, the 16-25 Railcard offers a third off most rail travel.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to require HGV drivers to use HGV-specific satellite navigation systems. \p Lilian Greenwood: There is currently no legal requirement for drivers of any vehicle to have or use satellite navigation equipment. It is important that HGV drivers do not use satellite navigation equipment designed for cars as they may be directed on routes that are unsuitable for the size and weight of their vehicle.

While these systems can be useful, they cannot replace a driver’s knowledge or skill, especially in the case of diversions due to road traffic collisions or roadworks. Therefore, the Government has no plans to mandate their use.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to reduce the number of HGV using small rural roads. \p Lilian Greenwood: Local authorities have powers under Sections 1 & 2 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to restrict or prohibit the use of HGVs on any road, for a wide range of safety and environmental reasons. These measures can be implemented by making Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) without reference to the Department for Transport.

The council can then use signs outlined in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 and work with the police to enforce the restrictions.

Non-complaint vehicle operators or drivers can be reported to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). DVSA has the power to make a referral to the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, who are responsible for the licensing and regulation of those who operate heavy goods vehicles.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to (a) promote and (b) develop green transport infrastructure such as (i) cycle paths, (ii) electric vehicle charging points and (iii) electric bus routes. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has recently announced nearly £300 million of funding to help local authorities and Sustrans to introduce and improve walking and cycling paths, and to fund promote walking, wheeling and cycling.

As of 1 February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,234 publicly available charging devices (including 14,687 rapid charging devices).

Since 2021, the Department has awarded over £460m of dedicated funding for zero emission buses and infrastructure in England (outside London). Future funding to support the continued decarbonisation of the bus sector, as well as to support local authorities to deliver important air quality improvements, will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel. \p Simon Lightwood: Investment in active travel will play a key part in delivering the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero emissions by helping to revitalise high streets, improve air quality and enable people to live longer, healthier lives.

On 12 February, the Government announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6. This will help local authorities to provide high-quality and easily accessible active travel schemes across England and will enable more children to walk and cycle to school. Decisions on future funding for active travel, as well as on other areas of transport expenditure, will be taken as part of the Government’s Spending Review.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is her Department taking to help reopen Hammersmith Bridge to vehicular traffic; and what responsibilities (a) central government, (b) Transport for London and (c) the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have to finance the repairs. \p Simon Lightwood: My Department is continuing to work productively with both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) and Transport for London (TfL) to explore possible next steps for the Hammersmith Bridge restoration project.

As the asset owner, LBHF is ultimately responsible for the repair and maintenance of Hammersmith Bridge. Given the challenging fiscal environment, the Department is clear that any further funding consideration is contingent upon an agreed engineering solution and cost sharing approach between partners.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the national bus fare cap on the number of journeys made by bus. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.

The published full evaluation of the first 10 months of the £2 fare cap found that the scheme contributed approximately a 5% increase in bus patronage, out of a total 13% patronage increase outside of London from January to October 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to create active travel routes (a) to and (b) through green spaces. \p Simon Lightwood: Active Travel England (ATE) recently announced £222.5 million of funding for local authorities to support the development and build out of local networks. It is for local authorities to decide on priorities for this investment, including to and through green spaces.

In addition, ATE is providing £30 million to Sustrans to develop the National Cycle Network in both rural and urban areas. This is on top of £100,000 previously awarded to each National Park Authority in England to develop active travel network plans. These are also designed to improve access to green space for residents and visitors alike.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_128

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle trends in the levels of (a) noise pollution and (b) emissions from motorcycles and cars. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government takes the impact of noise pollution on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Strict noise regulations for motorcycles and cars are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market.

Poor air quality poses a significant risk to public health. Delivering greener transport is a priority for the Department for Transport and we are committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harms of pollution.

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate sets a clear pathway for the decarbonisation of new cars and vans and is the largest carbon saving measure across government. The Department is committed to decarbonising other vehicle categories and is exploring options for implementation that meet the needs of each segment of the market. Non-ZEV motorcycles and cars are also subject to stringent emissions standards, including strict limits on pollutant emissions such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_129

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on overcrowding on the Elizabeth line’s eastern branch. \p Simon Lightwood: Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However, transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL has overall responsibility for the management of the Elizabeth Line which is operated by their current contractor MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited.
wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_130
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_130

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate coverage of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) rural areas and (b) the Forest of Dean. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,334 publicly available charging devices, up 35% on this time last year. There was particularly strong growth in rural areas in 2024, with chargepoint numbers increasing by 45%.

Going forward, Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated almost £3.7m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints. LEVI funding allocations factored in the proportion of residents in rural areas, meaning local authorities in rural areas were allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_131

Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out the amounts of dedicated funding she has allocated for active travel in England for (a) 2024/5 and (b) 2025/6, each broken down into (i) capital and revenue funding and (ii) funding for local authorities and for non-governmental organisations. \p Simon Lightwood: The dedicated funding allocated for active travel in England is (a) £111.2 million in 2024/25 and (b) £246.4 million in 2025/26, broken down in the table below. The remaining funding covers Active Travel England (ATE) operational costs.

Funding type

2024/25

2025/26

Local authority capital

£48.0m

£128.0m

Local authority revenue

£11.7m

£40.5m

NGO capital

£5.0m

£25.0m

NGO revenue

£34.4m

£38.3m

£99.1m

£231.8m
wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_132
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_132

Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the reliability of train services (a) in Wiltshire and (b) from Melksham station. \p Simon Lightwood: We are working closely with all operators to improve performance as it is the key focus for the Secretary of State. The Department is also working with Great Western Railway to provide a more robust service for Wiltshire and Melksham through improved rolling stock reliability and train crew availability. Performance in the last couple of periods has improved since carrying out significant improvement works around Westbury and driver related cancellations on Sundays have also reduced.
wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_133
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_133

Richard Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed discontinuous electrification of East West Rail on (a) capital costs and (b) operating costs of the railway. \p Simon Lightwood: The cost of discontinuous electrification is already included in the publicised capital cost range of the project and the option of full electrification is still under consideration. However, electrification (discontinuous or full) is expected to significantly reduce operating costs for the line over its whole life.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_134

Alison Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport links in towns where bus services have been reduced. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government.

With respect to bus services in England, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_135

Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that disabled travellers are not discriminated against when using taxi services. \p Simon Lightwood: Disabled people should be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity, like anybody else and the Government understands the importance of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) services in making this possible.

Consistent with other service providers, under the Equality Act 2010 taxi and PHV drivers, and PHV operators, are prohibited from discriminating against disabled passengers on grounds of disability and must make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to access their services. They also have specific duties to accept the carriage of disabled people and not to charge them more than other passengers.

We encourage licensing authorities in England to use the government’s best practice guidance document which emphasises the importance of licensing authorities continuing to improve the inclusivity of the taxi and PHV services they regulate. This includes taking effective action in response to alleged discriminatory conduct by drivers and operators and ensuring that drivers and operator staff complete training in disability awareness.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_136

Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage active travel in Bolton West constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: Bolton West is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) area. GMCA was awarded over £5 million through the fifth round of the Active Travel Fund in 2024 to 2025 and will receive over £15 million as part of the integrated settlements for 2025 to 2026. The funding can be used to develop new walking and cycling routes and for behaviour change initiatives, such as cycle training. Decisions on priorities for the funding, including locations in the Greater Manchester area, are matters for the combined authority.
wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_137
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-26)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-26 conversation_137

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure private train operating companies are held to account for their performance during the transition to rail nationalisation; and what steps she will take to ensure that performance standards are enforced. \p Simon Lightwood: The Secretary of State for Transport will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold all operators to account through a range of measures, including during the transition of services to a public sector operator.

All operators will continue to go through an annual planning process with the Department to agree plans for changes to service specifications, performance improvements and other deliverables. If an operator’s poor performance means that contractual conditions for early termination are met, Ministers will not hesitate to take decisive action.