theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral forums through which his Department is engaging with the European Commission in relation to the UK’s sandeel fishing ban. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK Government published its assessment of the ecosystem risks and benefits of a full prohibition of industrial sandeel fishing in the UK waters of the North Sea in 2023. This report, which is publicly available, includes an assessment of the impacts and benefits accruing to seabirds and other marine life.

In March 2024, and following separate public consultations, the UK and Scottish Governments closed English Waters of the North Sea and all Scottish Waters to sandeel fishing.

The closure shields sandeel as an essential food source for threatened seabird populations (such as kittiwakes and puffins), commercially valuable fish (such as haddock and whiting) and for marine mammals (such as porpoise and minke whales).

The UK will continue to support the ongoing monitoring of sandeel stocks in the North Sea. We will work with ICES to ensure that sufficient data are available to provide stock status information for sandeel stocks and to ensure that multispecies/ecosystem models for the North Sea still have appropriate levels of information.

The EU has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The UK is defending its decision. We anticipate the tribunal will deliver its report by April 2025.

UK officials continue to engage with representatives of all Coastal States, including the EU, on fisheries management measures and policy.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on consultancy work undertaken by McKinsey and Company as part of its Arm’s Length Body Transformation Programme; and if he will publish the (a) reports and (b) recommendations made by McKinsey and Company on that work. \p Daniel Zeichner: This information is in the public domain and can be accessed through here.

The cost towards “ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY WORK” for McKinsey was £403,385.

Defra does not plan to publish the McKinsey report and its recommendations, as it relates to work under the previous Government.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make a decision on the inclusion of decapod crustaceans in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on their inclusion in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government is committed to an evidence-based approach to improve welfare standards for decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs. Defra is commissioning research and expert opinion to inform any future policy decisions and welcomes the continued dialogue with stakeholders. No policy decisions have been made.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: We have committed £200m funding in the Autumn budget to support charging infrastructure rollout. This is on top of over £6 billion in private investment committed out to 2030, and bolsters existing grants and funding to support chargepoint installation. There are now over 74,000 public chargepoints in the UK, with almost 20,000 new chargepoints added and a 45% increase in rural chargepoints in 2024. On 24 December, we announced a range of measures to remove barriers to chargepoint rollout, including to improve grid connections for chargepoints.
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22818 on Large Goods Vehicles: Concrete, what her Department's timetable is for publishing the findings from the call to evidence on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department will publish its findings shortly.
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Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing blue badge holders to temporarily use an expired badge while its renewal is being processed. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has no plans to allow the temporary use of an expired Blue Badge. It is an offence to use an expired badge which should be returned to the issuing local authority.

Allowing the use of expired badges would undermine the effective enforcement of the scheme.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of electric cars charging infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: A widespread, easy-to-use and reliable network of public chargepoints is crucial to support the electric vehicle transition. As of 1 February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,234 publicly available charging devices in the UK, alongside over 680,000 private chargepoints in England alone, supporting drivers to switch to EVs.

In 2024, nearly 20,000 public charging devices were added to the network, making it a record year. Government investment will continue to support public chargepoint rollout, including the £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund which, alongside private investment, is estimated to deliver a further 100,000 chargepoints alone.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing permanent weight limits of (a) 38.4 tonnes for four-axle rigid Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs) and (b) 44 tonnes for five-axle rigid VCMs, in the context of the expiration of the derogation agreement in 2028. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings shortly. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of farmland that will be used to produce alternative aviation fuels in (a) 2030, (b) 2040 and (c) 2050. \p Mike Kane: The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate introduced in January 2025 sets targets for the future supply of low carbon alternatives to fossil fuels used in aviation. The scheme only supports SAF made from sustainable wastes or residues (such as used cooking oil or forestry residues), recycled carbon fuels (e.g. unrecyclable plastics), or be power to liquid fuels made using low carbon (renewable or nuclear) electricity. Given these feedstocks do not require land there is no impact on farmland.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26600 on Parking: Databases, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) retaining the National Parking Platform in the public sector and (b) allowing it to recoup its operating costs by charging fees to car park operators. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government has had to make many difficult decisions about public spending. We recognise the merits of the National Parking Platform and are continuing to support this by working with the parking industry, who we believe are best placed to take the initiative forward, as set out in my previous reply.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that disabled travellers are not discriminated against when using (a) aircraft, (b) trains and (c) ferries and cruise ships. \p Mike Kane: Discrimination on transport is not acceptable, and this Government is committed to making our transport networks safe and easy to use, allowing disabled passengers to travel confidently and with dignity.

Aviation must be accessible; everyone should be able to fly with dignity and ease. There is specific legislation that prevents discrimination against disabled passengers in air travel, which is enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s aviation regulator.

The Department launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group in November that is led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, bringing together industry and consumer representatives to develop practical and achievable actions to improve aviation accessibility.

Similarly accessibility for all rail passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).  An ATP sets out, amongst other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use.

Accessible travel also extends to the seas, including crucial lifeline ferry services. Maritime officials and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) work together to understand passenger needs, through initiatives including the annual passenger surveys. As the designated regulatory National Enforcement Body, the MCA has powers to enforce compliance with the accessibility standards.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support the development of Electric/hydrogen Regional Air Mobility. \p Mike Kane: The Government is supporting and accelerating the introduction and use of new aviation technologies, including electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) and other zero-emission regional air mobility aircraft.

My Department is working closely with industry, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and community representatives on the uses of these aircraft to ensure that they are sustainable, safe and offer benefits and opportunities across the UK.

I have committed my Department to working toward seeing initial demonstrations of piloted eVTOLs, followed by routine operations and then demonstrations of autonomous eVTOL flights - once the technology has been proven. I will be chairing the Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing government and the CAA together with industry leaders to discuss future of flight technologies, including eVTOLs.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support the development of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles. \p Mike Kane: The Government is supporting and accelerating the introduction and use of new aviation technologies, including electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) and other zero-emission regional air mobility aircraft.

My Department is working closely with industry, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and community representatives on the uses of these aircraft to ensure that they are sustainable, safe and offer benefits and opportunities across the UK.

I have committed my Department to working toward seeing initial demonstrations of piloted eVTOLs, followed by routine operations and then demonstrations of autonomous eVTOL flights - once the technology has been proven. I will be chairing the Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing government and the CAA together with industry leaders to discuss future of flight technologies, including eVTOLs.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in her Department in 2024. \p Mike Kane: The Department for Transport provides an online training course entitled “Civil Service Expectations”. The course focuses on diversity and inclusion, The Equality Act 2010, Civil Service code, and Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. This course is provided by Government Campus and is free at the point of delivery.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to revise the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, in the context of the proposed Heathrow Airport expansion. \p Mike Kane: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations.

Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) debt levels and (b) regulated asset base gearing by UK airports. \p Mike Kane: The UK aviation sector operates predominantly within the private market, and decisions regarding asset financing are at the discretion of individual airports and their owners.

Heathrow Airport is unique amongst UK airports in maintaining an active Regulatory Asset Base as part of its economic regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Since this regulation is independent from Government, the Department does not conduct routine analysis of debt and gearing levels in relation to Heathrow.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to support the use of non-passenger-carrying drones to convey freight. \p Mike Kane: This Government is supporting and accelerating the use of drone technologies for freight logistics in both the commercial and public sectors, such as for the transport of vital medical supplies within the NHS.

I am committed to enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations at scale in integrated airspace. I will be chairing the Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing together industry leaders, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and local representatives to help realise the benefits of drones and other future flight technologies for freight and other uses in a safe and sustainable way.

My Department is also funding the CAA to deliver on its BVLOS Technical Strategy which was published in September 2024 and sets out a roadmap towards routine BVLOS operations; as well as funding the £7 million Freight Innovation Fund which supports the commercialisation of late-stage innovative solutions, including drones.
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Mr Jonathan Brash:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve rail services in Hartlepool. \p Simon Lightwood: As well as allocating significant investment to reopen Hartlepool platform 3 in June 2024, we are working with train operators to make the best use of the available infrastructure and to improve reliability to deliver the services passengers need.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a direct train services from Shropshire (via Telford) to London on economic growth; and what her planned timetable is for announcing a decision on the application for the new line between Wrexham General and London Euston (via Telford). \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport provided a response to the Office of Rail and road regarding the live Open Access application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway to operate services between Wrexham General and London Euston on 4 February 2025. This letter set out our broad support for the proposal. We note the benefits of improved connectivity that these services would bring to a number of communities, but access to the rail network is ultimately a decision for the regulator, who will weigh stakeholder views against statutory duties and publish its decision in due course.
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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth. \p Simon Lightwood: Growth is the priority Mission of this government. Transport provides the connectivity needed to achieve it.

We are improving connectivity through infrastructure programmes such as HS2, East West Rail, and the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

We are empowering leaders, improving bus services, and better integrating networks to improve access to opportunities.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve transport infrastructure in Gloucestershire. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government recognises that dynamic transport infrastructure like the new Arle Court Transport Hub in Cheltenham is essential for helping people go about their daily lives. We have already awarded Gloucestershire nearly £4.2m capital funding for bus service improvements in 2025/26 and will make further funding announcements later this year.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many e-bike riders were held responsible in an accident involving an e-bike in each of the last five years. \p Simon Lightwood: The information requested is not held by the Department.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the (a) schedule for e-scooter trials and (b) data obtained from those trials. \p Simon Lightwood: There are currently 17 e-scooter trials running in England and they are currently due to run until May 2026. Guidance for the trials, including the requirements for users, operators and local authorities are published on gov.uk.

Published findings from the first national evaluation of the e-scooter trials included trip data and e-scooter deployment numbers (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-evaluation-of-e-scooter-trials-report).

A second evaluation of the e-scooter trials is due to start in Spring 2025. The evaluation will gather new evidence and build on findings from the first evaluation including: the journeys e-scooters are replacing; how they integrate with public transport; their safety for users and for others; and the accessibility impacts of e-scooters.

The findings from this evaluation, including trip data, will be published once the second evaluation has concluded.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what purposes the Vehicle Certification Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is trialling Microsoft 365 Copilot to support its activities across Microsoft productivity tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams). No other AI or machine learning has taken place.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce emissions from transport refrigeration units. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has commissioned research on emissions from auxiliary engines mounted on road freight vehicles. The interim reports were published on 9 February and 28 October 2024. The final report is due shortly.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving the police have involved e-bikes in the last five years. \p Lilian Greenwood: The information requested is not held by the Department.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring e-bike owners to (a) have a driving license, (b) have vehicle insurance, (c) pay road tax and (d) take an annual MOT. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government has no plans to require e-cycle owners to do any of these things, provided that their e-cycles comply in full with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations. If their e-cycles do not comply with these requirements, they are in effect e-mopeds and must be registered, taxed and insured, with riders also required to have a valid driving licence and wear a motorcycle helmet that meets British safety standards.

A national licensing scheme for people who ride e-cycles would be required to underpin all of the above. This would be expensive to design and administer, and the costs would be likely to outweigh the possible benefits. Requirements of this sort would also be likely to put people off cycling, with negative health and other impacts.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the allocation of the transport budget in England for walking and cycling initiatives. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government recognises that investment in active travel supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets, reduce emissions, and enable people to live longer, healthier lives.

We have already announced an additional £100 million investment in walking and cycling infrastructure for 2025/26, to enable local authorities to install cycling infrastructure and upgrade pavements and paths. Decisions on funding for active travel for 2026/27 and beyond will be a matter for the Spending Review.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating her Department's guidance for local transport authorities to require them to have an alternative dispute resolution when franchising services. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport published guidance to local authorities on tendering for road passenger transport contracts in 2013. This included advice on dispute resolution. There are no plans to revise that guidance because there are no specific rules or requirements for tendering or awarding bus contracts in buses legislation. It is for individual franchising authorities to determine the appropriate dispute resolution process when tendering or awarding local service contracts.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Road Safety Strategy; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing graduated driving licences for young people in that strategy. \p Lilian Greenwood: Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.

My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details on when it will be published in due course.
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Emma Foody:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's timetable is for the consideration of potential RIS4 pipeline schemes. \p Lilian Greenwood: Alongside other preparatory activities for RIS4, RIS pipeline schemes will continue to be considered on an ongoing basis throughout RIS3.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the maximum authorised mass permitted for volunteer minibus drivers to over 3.5 tonnes. \p Lilian Greenwood: Drivers wishing to operate a passenger carrying vehicle with 8-16 seats must have the D1 entitlement on their driving licence. For drivers using their car licence to drive a minibus where the licence was first obtained after 1 January 1997, this weight is limited to 3,500kgs. Many minibuses come under the proscribed weights and can therefore be driven using additional entitlements on a category B (Car) licence. Any decision to amend existing rules would require a careful assessment of the road safety implications and our international obligations. The Department has no current plans to conduct such an assessment.
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost of the proposed local Thames Crossing funded as a private finance initiative. \p Lilian Greenwood: Officials and National Highways are exploring all funding options for the Lower Thames Crossing, including private finance. As with all capital projects, spending decisions will be subject to the upcoming spending review. The assured cost estimate in line with the 2023 baseline for publicly funding the project is £8.95bn, but it is important to recognise that there is a normal level of uncertainty at this early stage of the development of a project of the size and complexity of the Lower Thames Crossing.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what purposes Active Travel England has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Simon Lightwood: Active Travel England (ATE) currently does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for any formal decision making. ATE uses some AI tools to summarize large sets of publicly available information and is exploring the use of AI to support administrative tasks relating to case management.

ATE does use machine learning and advanced data science techniques in its analytical work, but these techniques lie outside of the commonly accepted definition of AI.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what purposes the Vehicle Certification Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is trialling Microsoft 365 Copilot to support its activities across Microsoft productivity tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams). No other AI or machine learning has taken place.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time taken was for a local authority to adopt a road in each local authority in each of the last five years. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department does not hold this information. Adoption of roads that are not maintainable at public expense is a matter for the relevant local highway authority, and the Department does not typically intervene in such matters. The Department provides advice to developers and highway authorities on the process, which can be found on gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-of-roads-by-highway-authorities.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the plug-in taxi grant on levels of uptake of purpose-built ultra-low emission taxis. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Plug-In Taxi Grant (PITG) was introduced in 2017 to support the early market growth of zero emission capable (ZEC) taxis and has supported the purchase of over 10,000 vehicles of this type.

The grant is funded until at least the end of the current financial year. All grants remain under review to ensure best value for the money for the taxpayer.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of pot-holes in Mid Leicestershire constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: Leicestershire County Council is the local highway authority for the Mid-Leicestershire constituency. The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to helping local highway authorities such as Leicestershire maintain and renew their local highway networks.

At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, with funding allocations to individual English local highway authorities announced on 20 December 2024. Leicestershire County Council will receive up to £28.7 million for local highway maintenance in 2025/26, an increase of around 36% compared to the current financial year.

In addition, the Government publishes data annually on the condition of the local road network in England, including Leicestershire, with the data available on gov.uk. The Department has worked with the British Standards Institute and the wider sector to produce PAS 2161, a new standard for road condition monitoring to help local authorities such as Leicestershire utilise new technologies when monitoring the condition of their road networks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department (a) is undertaking research projects and (b) has issued recent guidance on best practice on pothole repairs. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew the local highway network.

As well as providing highway maintenance capital funding allocations to local highway authorities in England, it also funds the Transport Research Innovation Grant (T-TRIG) programme, run jointly with the Connected Places Catapult, and is funding the £30 million “Live Labs” Decarbonising Roads programme, which enables local authorities to trial innovative low-carbon ways of maintaining their highway networks.

In addition to the funding that the Department provides to local highway authorities, it endorses guidance such as the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice on Well Managed Highway Infrastructure. This recommends that local highway authorities take an integrated, risk-based approach to managing their highway infrastructure, and offers advice on all aspects of highway maintenance, including the frequency of inspections recommended for various types of structures. The Department has committed to updating this guidance and has begun scoping changes with the UKRLG.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of existing regulations for demand responsive transport. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has supported sixteen demand responsive transport (DRT) trials through the Rural Mobility Fund (RMF). Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process which will provide a better understanding of challenges associated with introducing and operating DRT, including those arising from regulation. An interim monitoring data collection and process evaluation report was published in September 2023 and a second concluding process evaluation report will be published later this year.

There is recognition that the regulatory framework covering DRT is complex, not least because it includes elements of taxi, private hire vehicle and bus legislation, including vehicles using community transport permits.

We keep all policies under review and my officials have regular engagement with a range of stakeholders across the DRT sector, ensuring that key regulatory issues are considered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the maximum age threshold of driving volunteer minibus services to 80. \p Simon Lightwood: An individual driving a minibus using additional entitlements through a Category B (Car) driving licence, may drive a minibus after the age of 70 but must demonstrate they meet higher Group 2 medical standards for reasons of passenger safety and safety to other road users. There are no plans to change this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of improving cross-borough public transport links in London on (a) the economy, (b) air quality and (c) social mobility in London. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in London is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London, including assessment of the economic, air quality and social mobility impacts of changes to London’s transport network. However, the Government recognises importance of London’s transport network for the capital’s and UK’s economy and for London’s air quality and social mobility, and at Autumn budget confirmed £485m of capital funding for investment in London’s transport infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with the Mayor of London on proposals for the West London Orbital railway. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). The Department for Transport works closely with TfL to understand the long-term needs of London’s transport infrastructure and opportunities to enhance its network, including potential major projects such as the West London Orbital.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Jo Platt:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a regional transport strategy to improve connectivity between towns. \p Simon Lightwood: Transport doesn’t stop at local authority boundaries. It is therefore important that transport is also considered at a regional level to provide context for transport schemes and help improve connectivity between areas.

In England, regional transport strategies have been developed by the seven Sub-national Transport Bodies (STBs) which represent the entirety of England except London, which is covered by separate arrangements. The strategies produced by STBs reflect the collective priorities of their constituent authorities who are represented by local leaders and Mayors.

The devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each publish their own National Transport Strategies.

Partnership working is also further facilitated by the Council of the Nations and Regions and Mayoral Council. These forums provide unparalleled opportunities for Mayors, working hand in glove with other local leaders, to engage government at the highest levels on a systematic basis.

This government is committed to resetting the relationship with local and regional government, empowering local leaders and Mayors to make the right decisions for their communities, and working together to grow an inclusive economy, reform public services and secure better outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Emma Foody:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding was allocated to (a) the A19 North of Newcastle junctions scheme and (b) improvements to (i) Moor Farm and (ii) Seaton Burn during the allocation of RIS3 pipelines schemes before July 2024. \p Lilian Greenwood: The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) identified 32 schemes to be developed for possible delivery as part of a future Road Investment Strategy, including proposed improvements to both Moor Farm and Seaton Burn junctions as part of the A19 North of Newcastle scheme. Pipeline schemes are funded for their development stages only, and no funding is allocated for their full delivery. A provision of £472 million was originally made in RIS2 for the development of future road investment strategies. This covered development of pipeline schemes and National Highways assessment of the current performance and future investment priorities of its network through its Routes Strategy process. Development of individual Pipeline schemes is through a combination of internal National Highways project and analytical resource and external support and funding is not allocated at an individual scheme level.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Chris Bloore:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the safety measures and responsibilities of local authorities on water crossings. \p Lilian Greenwood: Under the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the highway network in their area, which may include bridges, fords and other types of river crossing. The Act does not set out specific standards of safety or maintenance for these assets. 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 the Government has no plans to change this. The Department does, however, plan to update its guidance to local highway authorities on the management of their highway networks. As part of this it will consider whether more guidance is needed on the management of river crossings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of increasing the bus fare cap on people living in Mid Leicestershire. \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 interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of roads in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) Gloucestershire. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing their local highway networks. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority responsible for the condition and maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency.

The Government has allocated Gloucestershire County Council £35.3 million for 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is £9.4 million more than in the current financial year, an increase of around 36%. It is Gloucestershire County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities. The Government publishes statistics each year on the condition of local roads in different local highway authorities, and these are available on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role the Global Centre of Rail Excellence will have in supporting offline testing of new trains. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in Bromsgrove constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. 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. Worcestershire County Authority have been allocated over £9 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area, including Bromsgrove.