theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) employment and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Great Yarmouth constituency \p Alison McGovern: The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.

That is why as part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.

DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

For example, In Great Yarmouth, Jobcentre Work Coaches refer 16- to 24-year-olds to the Mason Trust's 'Step Forward' programme for employability support, including CV drafting, confidence building, and interview preparation. They also refer 16- to 19-year-olds in Nelson Ward to the Matthew Project's 'On Track' programme, offering 1:1 coaching and community engagement for those NEET or at risk. Jobcentres host regular Job Fairs and Provider Events, showcasing employment and training opportunities, including local apprenticeships, with around 30 employers participating.

Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda and a route to employment, open to everyone aged 16+, from career starters to those looking to upskill or retrain them. Work coaches nationwide, including Great Yarmouth, promote apprenticeships as a career path, and DWP employer-facing teams encourage businesses to develop suitable apprenticeship opportunities for customers.

The Government is reforming the apprenticeships to be more flexible and aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation and shorter apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors. These will help more people gain high-quality skills, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.
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Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, on Wales. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. Future publications will include some information on people in Wales affected.

These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposed changes to disability benefits on (a) people who receive social care support and (b) social care support providers. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This Government has already started to bring about change to address health-related economic inactivity. We are injecting almost £26 billion of extra funding next year to get the health and social care system back on its feet and bring down waiting lists.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans to reform the health and disability and employment support system. As we bring forward changes, we will ensure that the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected, so that they can live with dignity and security.

For those affected by the changes to PIP eligibility, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. For new claimants on the Universal Credit health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected.

As we develop detailed proposals for change, we will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the perspectives of older people are included in her Department's policy decision-making. \p Alison McGovern: We know that work helps everyone, including older people, play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. That is why we are reforming

employment support to ensure it helps everyone who needs it.

This includes creating a new Jobs and Careers service that will enable everyone, regardless of age, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings.

We are also committing to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop the reforms set out in our Pathways to Work Green Paper. These will bring together groups of people for specific work areas, including older people, collaborating with civil servants to provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations.

We have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent “Keep Britain Working” review as a part of the plan to Get Britain Working again. In recognition of employer's vital role, his review is considering recommendations to support and enable employers to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence, and recruit and retain more disabled people and people with health conditions. This includes the perspectives of older people themselves, as well as engaging with the Centre for Ageing Better.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will issue guidance to local transport authorities on the applicability of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to concessionary fares to limited stop stage carriage bus services. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has published guidance to assist Local Authorities in how to administer the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). This includes guidance on which services are eligible under the ENCTS in accordance with the ‘Travel concessions (eligible services) (amendment) order 2009’.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of potential merits of introducing a new public media campaign to promote the (a) financial and (b) environmental benefits of electric vehicles. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government is committed to accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles and increasing awareness of the benefits of electric vehicle ownership. We are working closely with the electric vehicle sector and key partners to ensure that we are delivering consistent and clear information to drivers about making the switch to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Combating misinformation is a key part of this, and we continue to assess how we can do this most effectively.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46252 on Cars: Lighting, if she will send a copy of the report to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot when it is complete. \p Lilian Greenwood: Once the independent research on headlamp glare completes, the research organisation will publish a report on their website which will be accessible to the public. The Department will provide the Honourable Member for Newton Abbot with the weblink to the report at that time.
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to ensure the reliability of bus services. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across 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. Bill measures aim to enable public access to a new database of information about local services. This will help ensure transparency in LTA and operator service delivery.

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 across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to services and infrastructure to help improve reliability. Wiltshire Council have been allocated over £6.7 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area, including Melksham and Devizes.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department issues guidance on ensuring that bus replacement services have sufficient capacity to accommodate passengers from cancelled train services. \p Simon Lightwood: Train operating companies are subject to a number of requirements relating to the provision of rail replacement services. The Office of Rail and Road hold train operating companies to account against their obligations under the passenger information licence conditions.

The Department for Transport contracts with train operating companies include requirements to provide rail replacement services in the event of planned or unplanned disruption. The type of vehicle used for rail replacement depends on service frequency and customer numbers and may include coaches, buses, taxis, or minibuses with capacity varying according to time of travel.

We expect train operating companies to use all reasonable endeavours to provide or secure the provision of alternative transport arrangements in the event of any planned or unplanned disruption to railway passenger services and ensure that passengers have accurate and timely information about their travel options, so that they can plan and make journeys with confidence, including during disruption. Complementary requirements are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel and the Passenger’s Charter, issued by train operators.

Train operating companies are responsible for the procurement, planning and setting of the timetable for rail replacement services and work with Network Rail to ensure that any rail replacement services are co-ordinated with any planned engineering work or other disruptions on the railway.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reopening Baschurch railway station on the economy. \p Simon Lightwood: In light of the current spending review, it is vital that government spending is focused on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, and that every pound of taxpayers’ money represents value for money. Therefore, new projects must be carefully considered. I would encourage my honourable member to work with your Local Transport Authority, Shropshire Council, to develop a case for this proposal should it represent a local transport priority.
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding provided to local authorities for (a) street maintenance and (b) pothole repairs in Kirklees. \p Lilian Greenwood: Kirklees Council is a constituent authority of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA). Between 2022/23 – 2026/27, WYCA will receive over £167 million a year through its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which includes highway maintenance funding.

In 2025/26, WYCA received over £14 million in additional funding for highway maintenance as part of the £500 million uplift announced in Budget 2024. It is entirely a matter for WYCA to determine how to allocate this funding to its constituent authorities, including Kirklees Council, based on local needs and priorities.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding she plans to provide through the (a) Bus Service Operator Grant and (b) Bus Service Improvement Plan in the Spending Review 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: 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 across the country, consisting of both Bus Service Operators Grant and Bus Service Improvement Plan funding.

All future bus funding is being considered as part of the ongoing multi-year Spending Review, which provides the opportunity for the Department to assess the sector’s funding needs so that bus services are adequately funded to support the government’s missions on economic growth and overcoming barriers to opportunity.
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve (a) investment and (b) connectivity in transport in Huddersfield constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is taking steps to boost investment and improve connectivity in transport as part of its commitment to driving economic growth in all parts of the UK.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has been allocated £830m through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a five-year £5.7bn government investment to improve the transport networks across eight city regions in England from 2022/23 to 2026/27. As part of this, funding is expected to support transport improvements in Huddersfield town centre, including enhancements to active travel routes on key approaches and upgrades to Huddersfield Bus Station.

While these schemes are in development, it a decision for WYCA whether they will progress to construction.

Future funding beyond 2025-26 will be reviewed in the spring multi-year spending review, aligning with the Integrated National Transport Strategy for long-term interests.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) will deliver faster, greener and more reliable rail journeys, better connecting key northern cities including Manchester to York via Huddersfield and Leeds, transporting people to work, education and leisure opportunities whilst supporting economic growth. TRU will provide an additional two platforms at Huddersfield and extend existing ones to increase capacity, as well as installing a new footbridge and lifts to improve accessibility.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46122 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, how much of the Local EV Infrastructure Fund will be allocated to local authorities in Huntingdon constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which includes Huntingdon constituency, has been allocated almost £6m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, to transform the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding will be allocated to electric vehicle charging points in Northern Ireland. \p Lilian Greenwood: Northern Ireland will receive funding as part of their devolved settlement. Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ domestic and commercial chargepoint grants are available throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland.

In addition, Northern Ireland has been awarded £1.35m through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, to install 127 public chargepoints.
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she has made an assessment of the potential merits of an increased power supply on the East Coast Mainline north of Berwick. \p Lilian Greenwood: In order to support the planned introduction of the route’s recast timetable in December 2025, Network Rail have conducted detailed route-wide power modelling. Network Rail will continue to undertake similar activity to help inform future plans for East Coast Main Line investment, including sections of the route north of Berwick.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with local leaders in Bedfordshire on the adequacy of bus capacity in the context of increased visitors to the Universal Bedfordshire project. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport will work with local authorities and bus operators to ensure that bus services reflect the needs of the local communities that rely on them. We believe local leaders know their areas best and so are best placed to make decisions about their bus networks.

The Government is working towards delivering a major investment in infrastructure around the Universal site to support the delivery of the project and ensure it is well connected and easily accessible. Further details will be set out in due course.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities on balancing carbon reduction initiatives with pedestrian and road user safety in relation to street lighting. \p Lilian Greenwood: The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, such as Dorset Council. They have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Local authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

The Department is funding “Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK”, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme that aims to help decarbonise the local highway network. Learning and best practice from this programme will be shared with all highway authorities. One of the projects is trialling innovative ways to reduce the carbon emissions from streetlighting while also making roads safer.

The Department has also started the process of reviewing the UK Roads Leadership Group’s (UKRLG) ‘Well Managed-Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’, which provides guidance for highway authorities and their contractors on all aspects of highway infrastructure, including street lighting. This will take account of lessons learned from the Live Labs 2 trials.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure synchronisation between bus and train timetables. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government knows that a modern, integrated public transport network is vital to providing access to services for all users of the system 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, including £3.8 million allocated to Dorset Council.

These measures are designed to empower local transport authorities (LTAs) to deliver bus services that meet the needs of their communities, including ensuring services are more accessible and better integrated with other modes of transport. The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive, and better integrated with other modes, including more bus-rail interchange and integration.

The Government has also announced plans to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy to set the long-term vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it and ensure that the transport network is complementary, including the interaction between different modes of travel.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the level of funds invested by Chinese firms in the UK transport sector in the next ten years. \p Mike Kane: The Department does not have an estimate of the level of funds to be invested by Chinese firms in the UK transport sector over the next ten years.

This Government will continue to support UK business to engage with the second largest economy in the world – one of our largest trading partners – while being open-eyed to any risks and ensuring security and resilience.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on trends in the level of usage of coach transport (a) over time and (b) by sector. \p Simon Lightwood: The National Travel Survey asks individuals how frequently they use different modes of transport. Reported frequency of use of coach travel is as follows:

Frequency of use of coach or express bus: England, 2003 onwards

Less than once a year or never

Once or more per year but less than once a month

Once a month or more

2003

83%

15%

2%

2005

84%

15%

2%

2007

85%

13%

2%

2009

86%

12%

2%

2010

86%

12%

2%

2011

85%

13%

2%

2012

85%

13%

2%

2013

86%

13%

1%

2014

87%

11%

2%

2015

86%

12%

2%

2016

87%

12%

2%

2017

86%

12%

2%

2018

87%

12%

2%

2019

88%

10%

2%

2020

92%

7%

1%

2021

95%

4%

1%

2022

91%

7%

1%

2023

89%

9%

2%

These data are available only for the sector as a whole.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide additional funding for pothole repair in Newton Abbot constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog.

Devon County Council is the highway authority for Devon including the Newton Abbot constituency. The Government is providing Devon County Council with over £83 million for highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of £22.5 million compared to 2024/25.

25% of the additional £22.5 million funding is contingent on Devon County Council demonstrating to HM Government that they are complying with certain criteria, aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highway maintenance best practice.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44602 on Seafarer training and skills, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new training scheme on the (a) qualifications and (b) work of seafarer (i) Ratings and (ii) apprentices. \p Mike Kane: The Department for Transport is actively undertaking multiple projects in collaboration with industry stakeholders to update and modernise seafarer training. Two key examples of these initiatives are:

While apprenticeships are industry-led, the department actively plays a role in their development to ensure that the qualifications achieved enable seafarers to obtain internationally recognised maritime qualifications.

The collaborative approach of the Department with employers, seafarer representatives, and maritime training institutions aims to reflect current industry practices and technologies, ensuring that ratings are equipped with the necessary skills to perform their roles effectively. This strategy aims to enhance the employability of UK seafarers in a globally competitive market.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to take steps to help reduce the cost of using the public electric vehicle charging network. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government is committed to ensuring that the public charging network is affordable and accessible. The Government’s Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 increase transparency of public charging costs and make it easier for drivers to pay.

Under the regulations, companies are required to clearly provide the price of charging in pence per kilowatt hour. The maximum price cannot increase once a session has started. Whilst this does not cap the cost, it does ensure consistency in the way prices are displayed, making it easy for drivers to compare and understand prices across different public chargepoints. This will allow customers to choose the chargepoint and the price most appropriate for their needs.

The Government will continue to work with other Government departments and industry on measures to keep the cost of EV charging affordable for consumers.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to incentivise local authorities to provide funding for public electronic vehicle charging points. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government's £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry to transform the availability of public EV charging infrastructure. The funding, which is expected to leverage significant further private investment, will support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across the country.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle theft of electric vehicle infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: I have raised this issue with the Home Office and my Department will continue to work with them on this.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating parking bays for electric vehicles through traffic regulation orders. \p Lilian Greenwood: Traffic regulation orders (TRO) can already be used to designate and enforce electric vehicle only, on-street parking bays. Their use is at the discretion of the local traffic authority.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing 90 day termination convenience clauses from charge point operator contracts. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has worked extensively with stakeholders including industry to develop procurement guidance for local authorities which encourages private investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This includes recommendations around the appropriate termination clauses, where termination at convenience is explicitly excluded.

Local authorities are the contracting authorities responsible for their procurements, who need to make the assessment and determination on termination clauses in their contracts.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support her Department offers to (a) disabled people and (b) carers ineligible for the companion travel pass scheme. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. There is no national companion bus pass scheme. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as offering companion passes for those travelling with someone eligible for the ENCTS. The decision on whether to offer discretionary concessions is for the local authority to make depending on their needs and circumstances.

The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Hampshire County Council has been allocated over £14 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, this could include offering discretionary concessions.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve access to train services in North Shropshire. \p Simon Lightwood: We have allocated over £8 million to Shropshire in 2025/26 to maintain and enhance local transport infrastructure, including the roads, public transport, and active travel connection to rail stations. This is delivered through the £6.78 million of Local Transport Grant and £1.64 million of Integrated Transport Block funding. This figure is in addition to the highways payment and any bus funding Shropshire has received separately.

Shropshire Unitary Authority have been allocated £659,352 under the Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) for the financial year 2025/26. The CATF supports authorities with developing and constructing walking, wheeling and cycling facilities.

The government is committed to delivering better bus services for passengers. In the Budget, the government confirmed investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services, and keep fares affordable in England outside London, including in rural areas. Shropshire Council has been allocated £4.4 million of this funding in 25/26.

This level of government funding will help improve access to railway stations in North Shropshire. Ultimately, however, funding decisions are a matter for local authorities, based on local needs and priorities.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve signage for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: A reliable, accessible public charging network to support electric vehicle (EV) drivers on long journeys is essential. Ensuring this is visible and functional will build consumer confidence, which is vital for mass EV adoption. An EV charging symbol is in use on traffic signs to direct drivers to the growing number of chargepoints. There are now over 5,250 open-access rapid and ultra rapid chargers within one mile of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), having doubled over 18 months.

Government is working with industry, including chargepoint operators, and with National Highways, which manages the SRN in England, to improve signage deployment. This includes looking for opportunities to make it easier to provide signage for EV-only charging hubs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authorities are adequately staffed to (a) build and (b) organise electric vehicle charging infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government’s £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund includes £37.8m capability funding to ensure local authorities can hire staff to plan, procure and tender the delivery of local chargepoints.

The LEVI Fund also supports local authorities through one-to-one guidance, workshops and an online knowledge repository with expert advice on chargepoint planning, procurement and delivery. This is in addition to a dedicated electric vehicle training course, completed by over 150 local authority officers to date. In December 2024 the Department announced a £22m extension to the LEVI Capability Fund in financial year 2025/26, building on the successful work to date.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_248

Torcuil Crichton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Marine Coastguard Agency plan to replace the Sikorsky s92 Search and Rescue helicopter with the Augusta Westland 189 at (a) Stornoway and (b) Sumburgh coastguard base. \p Mike Kane: As set out in the contract for the Second Generation Search and Rescue Aviation programme, search and rescue helicopter provision will transition from the Sikorsky S92 to the Leonardo AW189 in Quarter 4 of 2026 at Stornoway, and in Quarter 1 of 2027 at Sumburgh.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_249

Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help reduce the impact of uninsured drivers on car insurance premiums. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) has enabled action to be taken against those who keep a vehicle without insurance. The scheme allows uninsured vehicles to be identified from a comparison of the DVLA’s vehicle register and the Motor Insurance Database of insurance policies managed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Under CIE keepers of vehicles which appear to be uninsured are sent reminder letters. Those who take no action receive a fixed penalty of £100, followed by enforcement action including prosecution. CIE supplements enforcement action taken by the police on the road.

Since 2005 the police have had the power to seize vehicles that are being driven without insurance. In addition to a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points on their licence for the offence, those whose vehicles have been seized face a cost to recover the vehicle and must provide proof that it has been insured. Seized vehicles that are not claimed within 14 days can be sold or crushed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_250

Gareth Bacon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) ports and (b) shipping companies to (i) cut emissions and (ii) transition to clean fuels. \p Mike Kane: In March 2025, we published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, setting out our plans for decarbonising the domestic maritime sector. Alongside the Strategy, we also published the Net Zero Ports call for evidence that explores the opportunities and barriers to reducing emissions at berth, with a focus on the role ports can play in enabling their tenants and the shipping sector to decarbonise. All policies will go through formal consultation before implementation, including with a formal consultation on fuel regulations next year.

The UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport provides Research and Development funding to accelerate the technologies necessary to decarbonise the UK maritime sector. Between April 2022 and March 2025, UK SHORE allocated over £200 million to more than 150 projects across the UK. In January 2025, UK SHORE announced a further £30 million funding for the current financial year (April 2025-March 2026) to continue to build on the success of UK SHORE.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_251

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport services to industrial estates. \p Simon Lightwood: Good local bus services, including to industrial estates, are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. 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 across the country. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been allocated £66.3 million of this funding.

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 (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_252

David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Great British Railways to ensure equality of access to the rail network for (a) nationalised and (b) open access operators. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government does not believe the current access is working in the best interests of passengers and taxpayers. Our consultation set out proposals for fundamental reform of the access and charging framework under Great British railways, a single directing mind, able to take decisions on access in the public interest and make the best use of expensive national infrastructure.

The Government has been very clear that where it adds value and opens up new markets, with better outcomes for passengers, and where the levels of abstraction and service reliability impacts are acceptable, there will remain a place for open access on the Great British Railways managed railway. Great British Railways will be held to account by the ORR through a robust and independent appeals function which will ensure access decisions are fair and non-discriminatory with the ability to direct appropriate remedies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_253

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has conducted feasibility studies on extending (a) Metrolink and (b) tram-train services to (i) towns and (ii) villages in Hazel Grove constituency. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government is investing in transport improvements across our city regions, including Greater Manchester which is receiving over £1 billion through its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. In line with the Government’s commitment to devolution, decisions on where to invest this funding, including whether to conduct feasibility studies for extending Metrolink and tram-train services to towns and villages in the Hazel Grove constituency, rest with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, in partnership with its constituent local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_254

Martin Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of open access operators on (a) rail passenger growth, (b) passenger choice and (c) fare levels on the East Coast Main Line. \p Simon Lightwood: Whilst we have not carried out such assessments, the Department considers the likely impacts of all open access applications on a case by case basis in line with the standard industry process. This includes assessing the financial, operational and performance impacts of individual applications.

Open access can provide benefits such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers but can also increase costs to taxpayers by abstracting revenue from government-contracted services. It can also create additional pressures on an already constrained network and negatively impact overall performance. That is why the Department makes assessments on a case-by-case basis and only provides support where benefits outweigh costs to taxpayers and impacts to the efficient operation of the network. Access to the rail network, however, is ultimately a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its role as independent regulator for the rail industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_255

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Great Western Railway on the potential closure of ticket offices in Devon. \p Simon Lightwood: I am not aware of any plans to close ticket offices in Devon. Closing a ticket office would be a major change under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement and any proposal to close a ticket office would require a period of consultation before any decision was made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_256

Andrew Ranger:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of bank holiday weekend closures of Euston Station on passengers; and what steps she is taking to ensure the accessibility of major rail hubs during periods of high demand. \p Simon Lightwood: Network Rail advises that London Euston will be closed over the early May Bank Holiday over Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May and with a reduced service on Saturday 3 May whilst work takes place to upgrade track and drainage and carry out maintenance work to help improve performance for passengers and freight for future journeys. Bank Holidays are chosen to carry out work as it allows more time for work to take place whilst fewer passengers are travelling.

Trains will start and finish at Milton Keynes where bus replacement services will run to and from Bedford for onward travel to London St Pancras.

Passengers are being encouraged to check before they travel at National Rail Enquiries. An advertising campaign has taken place across ticket booking sites, a press release has been issued, stakeholders have been updated and there have been frequent social media posts to ensure passengers had awareness of the changes to journeys.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_257

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of Great British Railways providing direct shuttle services for Universal Studios visitors between Luton Airport and Wixams station. \p Simon Lightwood: The service pattern for the Midland Main Line will be decided by Great British Railways in advance of the Universal Studios theme park opening in 2031. The Department for Transport will additionally ask Network Rail to analyse the capacity and performance of the route to make best use of capacity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-06 conversation_258

Martin Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Network Rail last carried out an (a) audit and (b) inventory of its railway property estate to identify (i) sites and (ii) spaces suitable for residential development. \p Simon Lightwood: Network Rail regularly assesses its portfolio for opportunities and has active pipelines of existing sites that could be identified for residential development. Network Rail’s Regional and Group Property teams work closely together to identify sites to develop; this will be a key priority of Network Rail’s property company which was announced as part of the International Investment Summit.