theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Natalie Fleet:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when domestic properties located in Newton purchased as part of the HS2 project will be brought back onto the property market for purchase. \p Simon Lightwood: The government recognises there is a desire for more detail on the long-term future of the properties acquired for HS2, following the lifting of safeguarding along the former Phase 2 Eastern Leg and the announcement of the planned disposal programme for Phase 2 properties in July this year.

The government is currently procuring a specialist agent to lead development of a disposal strategy and to deliver the programme. The programme will start on the former Eastern Leg. We expect to begin sales on the open market from Spring 2026 onwards. We aim to dispose of surplus property in a sensitive and sensible way in compliance with Treasury rules. We will ensure that wherever possible tenancies can come to their natural end and that we do not flood local markets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78706 on Motorcycles: Manufacturing Industries, how many (a) motorcycles, (b) British-built motorcycles, and (c) Maeving motorcycles have received support through the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant. \p Keir Mather: Since 2017, the Plug-in Motorcycle grant has supported 13,349 motorcycles.

The Department does not collect data on the location of vehicle assembly.

The Department cannot provide breakdown of support to an individual manufacturer due to commercial sensitivity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78696 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has set a timetable for the completion of the installation of those chargepoints. \p Keir Mather: Local authorities are at different stages with their Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) projects and chargepoint deployment more widely. The first LEVI projects have now signed contracts and some are starting to install chargepoints. Local authorities are responsible for determining appropriate timetables for their projects in line with their chargepoint strategies. They are required to update the Department quarterly on project progress, including completed chargepoint installations. Installation rates will increase as more projects enter delivery and continue over the next few years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the average cost per new HGV parking space delivered through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund to date and (b) the total expenditure on that Fund since its launch. \p Keir Mather: No assessment has been made of the average cost per new HGV parking space delivered by the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as costs can vary significantly based on location and extent of work required.

The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects by this scheme, as of 23 October, is £13,849,303.45 of which £10,172,066.38 has been spent to date.

Up to 1,500 parking spaces will be created alongside wider improvements including to security, welfare facilities such as showers, toilets and dining facilities and decarbonisation measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 82739 on Electric Vehicles: Grants, whether her Department holds provisional data on the country of manufacture of vehicles subsidised through the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme during the 2025–26 financial year; what the average time lag is between an order and the payment of a grant; and when the Department expects to hold complete data for that period. \p Keir Mather: A completed order is defined as logged on the grant portal, registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and delivered to the customer within nine calendar months. The Department does hold provisional order data for the total 2025-26 scheme year.

As of 23 October, a provisional total of over 27,800 Electric Car Grant orders have been placed since launch. The Department expects to hold completed data for the 2025-26 financial year in line with the definition of completion: nine months following the end of the 2025-26 financial year (January 2027).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the total compliance cost to small and medium-sized (a) logistics and (b) coach businesses of meeting zero emission vehicle mandate requirements. \p Keir Mather: The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and its compliance requirements apply only to manufacturers of new cars and vans, not to logistics or coach businesses, but we recognise the importance of supporting businesses across the economy as they transition to zero emission. That is why the Government confirmed in August vital funding to support the uptake of electric vans and trucks, with the plug-in van and truck grant offering discounts of up to £25,000.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on establishing a cross-government mechanism to support UK participation in international research partnerships on transport decarbonisation and sustainable mobility. \p Keir Mather: My Department remains committed to supporting international research, for example, through encouraging UK participation in Horizon Europe, and as an active participant in the International Transport Forum, including supporting research projects on decarbonisation and sustainable mobility. To date, there has been no specific discussion with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on setting up a cross-government mechanism to support the UK in participating in international research partnerships on these topics.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78714 on Railways: Tickets, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the number of participants in the Digital Pay As You Go trials in evaluating the success of that scheme. \p Keir Mather: We want to ensure the evaluation of the trials is as robust as possible, while remaining proportionate to the scale of the scheme. The 1,000 participants per trial will allow the Department to gain valuable insights into how passengers engage with this technology, their perception of it, how it is working, and what improvements could be considered in future. We are confident the limited trial approach will allow us to effectively evaluate this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82745 on Roads: Freight, on what dates her Department has met representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss cost pressures since July 2024. \p Keir Mather: Department for Transport officials regularly meet representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss a wide range of issues impacting the industry. Meetings of industry forums at which road freight representatives were present include:

Meetings of the Freight Council on 7 April, 24 June and 6 October 2025

The Freight Workforce Group meetings on 23 October 2024 (as the People and Skills Group) and on 30 April, 5 June and 17 September 2025.

The Road Freight Industry Engagement Group meetings on 25 July 2024, and on 27 February, 29 April, 26 June and 23 September 2025.

In addition, officials hold ad hoc meetings with road haulage businesses and trade associations to discuss issues raised by the sector, including those relating to costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78703 on Shipping: Investment, what proportion of that £448 million will be spent in coastal (a) towns and (b) cities; and what steps she is taking to ensure that funding is directed to those areas. \p Keir Mather: The £448 million funding will primarily be allocated through open competitions rather than direct grants to select coastal towns or cities. The competitions are designed to support maritime businesses including those in the UK’s coastal communities. Detailed competition scopes and assessment criteria will be published alongside competition announcements during the funding period.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78701 on Roads: Repairs and Maintenance, what proportion of that £6.5 billion funding was spent specifically on pothole repairs; what the real-terms change in funding was for local highway maintenance between 2019-20 and 2025-26, and what share of that funding was allocated to authorities outside City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement areas. \p Simon Lightwood: I have since issued a written ministerial correction to clarify that the Department allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2021/22 to 2025/26 alongside an explanation of what funds this figure takes into account.

It is not possible to determine the proportion of this that was spent specifically on pothole repairs by local highway authorities as it is for these authorities to assess which parts of their network need repair and to determine and deliver their maintenance programmes. The Department has earlier this year introduced new reporting requirements which require each local highway authority to publish a transparency report on their maintenance programme on their website. In these reports, local highway authorities were also required to provide an estimate of the number of potholes that they filled in previous years.

In real terms, highways maintenance funding in 2025/26 is around £300 million higher than in 2019/20.

City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) payments began in 2022/23. Since 2022/23, approximately 85% of funding has been allocated to areas outside of areas eligible for CRSTS funding. This figure is exclusive of highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. 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.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77643 on London Underground: Strikes, whether she plans to meet with other regional transport authorities impacted by industrial action. \p Simon Lightwood: Where transport matters are devolved, it is for the devolved authority to deal with any industrial action which may arise. The government would always encourage all sides to work together to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, in the interests of keeping Britain moving.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the decision to defer work on the Handsacre link on journey times between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow; and what impact this will have on the overall economic case for HS2. \p Keir Mather: HS2 Ltd has extended the deferral of works between Birmingham and Handsacre, in place since spring 2023, to focus efforts on the cost-efficient delivery of the opening stage of HS2 between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. Given the Department remains committed to delivering Phase 1 in full, including the Handsacre link to the West Coast Main Line, the deferral is not expected to have any impact on journey time improvements between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow once delivery is complete.

The deferral will enable the delivery of HS2’s opening stage as soon as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost to taxpayers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her department holds on the potential benefit of the (a) construction and (b) operation of a western rail link to Heathrow Airport on (i) trends in the level of economic growth (ii) the environment and (iii) civil society. \p Keir Mather: The economic and societal benefits of a western rail link to Heathrow Airport were previously assessed as part of a business case development process which concluded in 2021. No further work to assess the benefits of a rail link has been undertaken by DfT since then, as Heathrow expansion plans were not progressed at the time. Given changes in commuter and leisure travel patterns and the wider economy since that time, the benefits of any such scheme will need to be revisited. Any promoter is expected to develop a clear surface access strategy as part of their expansion plans, and any necessary surface access improvements will be financed through private funding.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to provide funding by the end of this Parliament to local authorities to enable them establish a minimum level of public transport connectivity. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The Government is already providing funding to local authorities to help them deliver improved local transport and bus services. This includes over £700 million to support and improve local bus services in 2025/26 as part of over £1 billion confirmed at the Autumn 2024 Budget. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council have been allocated £6 million of this funding.

At the Spending Review, we confirmed additional funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services and will announce individual multi-year allocations for local authorities later this year.

This investment sits alongside the Government’s Bus Services Act 2025, which became law on 27 October. This legislation will put 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 Spending Review also confirmed £2.3 billion through the Local Transport Grant over the Spending Review period for local transport improvements in places outside areas receiving Transport for City Regions settlements. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has been allocated nearly £20 million of this funding over the financial years 2026-2030.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of road traffic accidents caused by LED headlights affecting drivers' vision. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department does not hold data relating to the number of collisions caused by LED highlights specifically.

The Department’s published road casualty statistics include figures for the number of collisions where ‘vision affected by dazzling headlights’ was recorded as a contributory factor by a police officer attending the scene. In 2023, the latest year for which this data is available, there were 216 reported injury collisions with this factor assigned.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on taking steps to reduce the drink drive limit; and when she plans to publish (a) a draft of and (b) a consultation on the road safety strategy. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.

We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences, such as drink driving.

We are considering concerns raised by campaigners and bereaved families.

We will set out more details in due course.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of (i) Roadmender technology and (ii) other advanced pothole repair systems. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks.

This year, the Government made available an additional £500m for local highways maintenance. 25% of that uplift is subject to local highway authorities demonstrating how they are complying with best practice in highways maintenance, including in relation to adopting innovative technologies to more effectively repair potholes and improve local road condition.

Local highway authorities have a duty, under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances and best practice guidance. Whilst the government has no powers to override local decisions in these matters, it nonetheless encourages the adoption of best practice and innovative technologies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on drug-driving (a) enforcement and (b) communications campaigns in each year since 2023; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those campaigns. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport does not hold responsibility for enforcement, this is a matter for police forces.

The last paid THINK! drug driving campaign ran in 2015, to coincide with a change in drug driving legislation. To address an increase in drug driving casualties over the last decade, THINK! are finalising a new drug driving campaign to launch later this year.

Please find drug driving campaign expenditure since 2023 below:

Total spend to date

Financial year 2024/25

£35,000

Financial year 2025/26

£339,719.71

All campaigns are rooted in insight and will use pre and post campaign tracking to measure effectiveness, including immediate impact on recognition, recall, engagement and planned or considered behaviour change. These learnings are used to adapt and evolve future strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the (a) potential cost and (b) carbon savings achieved through using (i) recycled materials, (ii) graphene additives,(iii) Elastomac and (iv) other innovative road repair technologies; and whether she plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities on the wider adoption of such technologies. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks in a way that is cost effective and reduces carbon impacts.

While no estimate has been made of the potential cost and carbon savings achieved through using recycled materials, graphene additives, Elastomac and other innovative road repair technologies, the Department for Transport is taking a range of action that will support these sorts of innovative solutions.

This year, the Government made available an additional £500m for local highways maintenance. 25% of that uplift is subject to local highway authorities demonstrating how they are complying with best practice in highways maintenance, including in relation to adopting innovative technologies and reducing carbon impacts.

The Department has also funded Live Labs 2, a three-year, £30 million programme designed to support the local highways sector to adopt innovation and reduce its carbon impacts. Projects funded under the programme include the trialling and demonstration of sustainable materials and processes, such as warm-mix asphalts and asphalt modifiers, and the creation of toolkits and databases so that all local highway authorities can access findings and lessons learned from the programme.

The Department is also supporting a new Carbon Leadership Programme, which will support local highway authorities in benchmarking the carbon intensity of their operations and gain insights into actions they could take to reduce carbon emissions.

Finally, the Department is currently updating the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highways Infrastructure. This update will ensure the Code reflects the latest best practice on innovative and low-carbon road repair technologies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase opportunities for UK-US research in transport innovation by (a) the NSF–UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity and (b) other research and development programmes. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department continues to maintain close relationships with the US on transport innovation. We welcome bids by UK academics to the NSF-UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity and are happy to offer letters of support to suitable proposals.
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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations she received from the former Member of Parliament for Runcorn & Helsby on the condition of roads in that constituency between 5 July 2024 and 30 April 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: Parliamentary Questions and their answers are publicly available on the parliament website.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to extend drink driving offences to include a) persons on cycles, b) riding horses and c) in charge of horse drawn vehicles. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.

We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences such as drink driving.

We intend to publish by the end of the year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76334 on Driving Licences: Moldova, if her Department will publish the technical evaluation undertaken by the (a) DVLA and (b) DVSA on Moldovan driving test standards; what the date was of that assessment; and whether any independent verification was sought. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) initially assessed the current driver testing standards in Moldova in December 2022.

When DVSA receives an application from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency under the mutual exchange of driving licences, DVSA carries out an evaluation from its own panel of subject matter experts. This panel has the expertise in each of the categories of driving test and licence exchange being applied for. External evaluation is not sought as part of this process.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on (a) consultancy, (b) pilot, (c) communications, (d) branding and (e) marketing activity linked to net zero transition programmes in the commercial vehicle sector; how many (i) officials and (ii) external consultants are employed to administer those programmes; what the total annual staff cost is; and what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of this expenditure. \p Simon Lightwood: Existing public communication activity for zero emission vehicles has not incurred any additional costs to the Department for Transport (DfT) and has been delivered by internal DfT staff as part of existing communications roles. Any other paid public communication activity has been delivered via the total Clean Energy Mission where the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is the lead Department and budget holder.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on trends in the level of incidents of (a) violence and (b) abuse towards public transport workers. \p Lilian Greenwood: The British Transport Police are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales and they record the number of incidents of violence and abuse against rail workers. Analysis by the Department of Violence Against the Person offences shows in 2022/23 there were 5.1 violence against person offences per 1 million passenger journeys of which 1.3 were against staff, in 2024/25 this proportion of staff was 1.4.

The Department does not hold data for other modes of transport.

We are committed to ensuring that public transport is safe for passengers and staff. There is no place for abuse or violence against any worker, and we are supporting industry to develop practical interventions to keep workers safe.

We must also ensure that when staff are victims of crime they are supported through the reporting and investigation process. The Department’s analysis also showed 1 in 4 investigations are discontinued because of the victim declining or withdrawing support for a prosecution and we are undertaking further work with rail industry to understand why this is the case.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what resources her Department has allocated to the enforcement of heavy goods vehicle operator licensing standards; and what plans her Department has to strengthen enforcement in this area. \p Simon Lightwood: There is a robust operator licensing system administered by independent Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain who act as gatekeepers to the industry. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supports this process by providing compliance and enforcement information, both as part of gatekeeper checks and in relation to existing operators. Traffic Commissioners have the authority to take regulatory action against licence holders, including suspending or revoking licences, if it is found that an operator does not hold the correct licence type or fails to meet the required standards.

DVSA carry out a number of enforcement interventions to ensure heavy goods vehicle operators hold the correct licences.

Specific sanctions relating to no or incorrect operator licenses include:

Impounding activity: DVSA impounded 45 vehicles in 2024/25 and 18 year to date, this is for heavy goods vehicles (or passenger carrying vehicles) being used without an operator’s licence

Prosecutions: DVSA successfully prosecuted 31 operator licence offences in 24/25 with 17 years to date. These figures are for cases that have resulted in court.

DVSA is continuing to invest in new technology to support enforcement activities and deliver more effective and efficient compliance checks. This includes using vehicle technology to provide information, without having to stop the vehicle.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data the DLVA records on where a driver passed their driving test when exchanging a non-UK licence for a UK licence. \p Simon Lightwood: When a GB driving licence is issued in exchange for a licence issued in a non-GB country, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) add a ‘Code 70’ to the driver’s record to indicate that the driving licence was obtained through an exchange. Also, the driver record and the photocard driving licence display the country in which the exchanged licence was issued, the driving categories that the licence holder is entitled to drive and the start dates for each category.

To be eligible to exchange a foreign licence for a GB equivalent, the applicant would have to have passed their test in a European Union/European Economic Area country or a country designated for driving licence exchange.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that data on (a) aircraft noise and (b) emissions from Farnborough Airport is (i) publicly available and (ii) independently verified. \p Keir Mather: The availability and independent verification of aircraft noise data from Farnborough Airport is a matter for Rushmoor Borough Council.

Farnborough Airport Company Limited has published information through their Annual report and Roadmap to Net Zero 2030 document on the environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions, of the airport and other parts of the company. These documents discuss the company’s adherence to a range of legal requirements concerning the environment. DfT has not verified the information within the reports.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the public safety zone around Farnborough Airport in the context of the proposed increase in flight numbers. \p Keir Mather: The size of public safety zones at aerodromes is based off the annual commercial air traffic movements. This can extend to 1,500 metres from landing thresholds for those airports with 45,000 or more movements, which includes Farnborough airport. While overall policy is set by the department, administration is via the Civil Aviation Authority and implementation via local planning authorities. There are no current plans to review this approach.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increased weekend flight operations at Farnborough Airport on the (a) wellbeing and (b) quality of life of people in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Keir Mather: Assessment of the potential impact of Farnborough Airport’s increased weekend flight operations is a matter for Rushmoor Borough Council as the local planning authority responsible for considering the airport’s planning application.
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with Manchester Airport on the level of that airport's (a) drop-off and (b) pick-up charges. \p Keir Mather: Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and the provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop-off and pick-up charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify.

However, DfT expects car parking at airports, such as Manchester, to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to (a) road maintenance and (b) pothole repairs in each year since 2022; and what the total amount is allocated over that period. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2021/22 to 2025/26.

This includes a range of funding sources including the Highways Maintenance Block, the 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).

The figure is exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. 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 £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.

The above figure also includes the £500m funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26 that the Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Further information on these funding streams is available online, at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-grant-allocations/local-transport-grant-ltg-allocations-2025-to-2026.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using post offices to (a) onboard and (b) support people impacted by (i) identity and (ii) digital exclusion in the context of mandatory digital identity. \p Josh Simons: The government will launch a full public consultation on the design of the new Digital ID, and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations.

At the heart of this will be the largest ever digital inclusion programme ever delivered in this country, to ensure everyone can access this new free ID and benefit from it.

We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, as well as in-person onboarding support for those who struggle to engage digitally. This may include Post Offices but that decision has not yet been made and will depend on several different factors.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to (a) initiate and (b) publish the findings of an emergency census in 2026. \p Josh Simons: In July the Government confirmed the next census of England and Wales will take place in 2031.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to review his Department's guidance entitled Government Function: People – Continuous Improvement Assessment guidance, in the context of the judgment of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16. \p Anna Turley: A Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework is a management tool designed to provide consistent, comparable management information that supports functional assurance and continuous improvement.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Model Contract for Senior Civil Servants. \p Anna Turley: Contracts for SCS are not published publicly, so we will not be publishing a model contract.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Anna Turley: The Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes the external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion from departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which was published on 14 May 2024. Before the guidance was published, combined internal and external expenditure was gathered as part of the one-off Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review.

The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion expenditure in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Anna Turley: The Cabinet Office does not routinely collect data on all expenditure of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion falls within the responsibility of departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance.

In 2023/2024, the Civil Service conducted a one-off review of expenditure; the outcomes of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review have been published in the CS EDI Expenditure Review Data.

Since the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published on 14 May 2024, the Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes only external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Kyrgyz counterpart on the (a) imprisonment and (b) torture of (i) Pastor Pavel Shreider and (ii) members of the True and Free Reform Adventist Church; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK regularly engages with Kyrgyzstan both bilaterally and in multilateral settings on a range of issues, including human rights matters. I raised Human rights concerns during our Strategic Dialogue in February this year. In Kyrgyzstan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review in April this year, the UK raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and recommended amending legislation regarding "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious interregional hatred". Our Embassy in Kyrgyzstan monitors the human rights in the country and works closely with civil society organisations and multilateral partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of attacks on the Indigenous community of Cuahuayula, Mexico on 20 October 2025. \p Chris Elmore: The UK remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights globally, including the rights of Indigenous communities. We are concerned by reports of violence against Indigenous communities in Mexico, including the recent attack in Coahuayula on 20 October. Any violence against Indigenous communities must be fully investigated. We regularly engage with the Mexican authorities and civil society on the issue of protection of civilians, as well as the UN in Mexico on the effective investigation of crimes against human rights defenders.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with allies in Latin America to support (a) regional stability and (b) democratic outcomes. \p Chris Elmore: The UK has worked closely with many Latin American partners over recent years to promote shared interests and values, including strong commitments to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to work closely with allies across the region and promote stability and defend robust democratic outcomes.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of estimated pressures on the NHS in winter 2025-26 on A&E staff in Epsom and Ewell constituency; and what steps he is taking to support A&E staff in winter 2025-26. \p Karin Smyth: The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, including those working in accident and emergency. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive.

The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 aims to learn the lessons from last winter and focuses on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter, helping to reduce the pressure on our hardworking frontline staff. Measures include: improved hospital flow; reduction in ambulance handovers; support discharge capacity planning; and reducing the average length of stay for patients requiring overnight emergency admission.

Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place for supporting their staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.

At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.
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Dan Aldridge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure parity of pay between staff employed by (a) independent sector providers of NHS services and (b) the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service staff pay is set by the Government and usually informed by recommendations made by pay review bodies (PRBs). The PRBs are independent advisory bodies made up of industry experts who carefully consider evidence submitted to them by a range of stakeholders, including the Government and trade unions, to make recommendations for headline pay awards and on related matters.

PRBs make recommendations to the Prime Minister and ministers for most staff working in the NHS. The PRBs do not advise on the pay or terms and conditions for staff employed by independent sector providers of NHS services such as social enterprises.

Independent organisations, such as social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use and the provision of any non-consolidated pay awards.

It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate and how to recoup any additional costs they face.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help support Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not directly fund air ambulance services on a routine basis. Air ambulances in England operate as independent charities and are supported by the National Health Service through the provision and training of key clinical staff.