theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of how close Iran is to making nuclear weapons; and what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on this. \p Luke Pollard: The Government is carefully monitoring the current situation in Iran, and continues to work closely with our allies. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) published its report on national security issues relating to Iran on 10 July 2025 which includes information on Iran’s Nuclear programme https://isc.independent.gov.uk/publications/. As is usual, the Government will also provide a full response to the ISC's report in due course.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope of Project WAVELL is. \p Luke Pollard: Project Wavell is the Army’s means to deliver force development transformation to 2030 and beyond towards an Army designed and organised for high-intensity warfighting. This is being implemented through an incremental approach that sequences delivery against the changing operational demand.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, what the remuneration package for the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge will be. \p Luke Pollard: Malcolm Chalmers will be given remuneration for work in-line with agreed and existing SCS pay bands. The position is non-pensionable.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q43 of the oral evidence given by him to the Defence Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 973, if he will outline the responsibilities of the announced Strategic Advisor and Head of Review and Challenge role. \p Luke Pollard: The key responsibilities of the role are:

The Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State and Head of Review and Challenge will be responsible for providing expert strategic advice to the Secretary of State and, as appropriate to the PUS, CDS and NAD as well as the Ministerial team.

They will lead, provide senior oversight and tasking, but not line management, of the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) (circa 30 staff).

In this role they will reform the way the Department offers challenge to policy and strategy.

They will play a key role in advising strategic coherence of Departmental outcomes and activity. They will work closely with the Strategy Directorate and use their skills, expertise, and network to improve strategic acumen both in the directorate and across the department.

They will collaborate with the Director of Communications on strategic communications as required.

Provide senior strategic advice to the Secretary of State to assist the strategic coherence and impact of Defence’s activities.

Provide strategic challenge to the Defence Board and other senior decision-making boards as appropriate.

Provide senior leadership to the internal provision of strategic expertise, helping to improve the quality of advice from both the strategy directorate and from elsewhere in the department.

Improve the department’s use of external expertise, including from academia and think tanks.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his Department's policy to procure new defence stocks from UK companies. \p Maria Eagle: The additional investment in defence announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 and by the Chancellor in the 2025 Spring Statement will both protect UK citizens from threats and create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth. This includes maximising jobs, growth, skills and innovation in the UK.

This Government is bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy to strengthen the UK's Defence sector and supply chains. This strategy will support UK businesses where there is a clear security or economic advantage, while maintaining the benefits of competitive markets.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope of Project ASGARD is. \p Maria Eagle: ASGARD is working to deliver a step change in lethality for land forces through a software-defined, network enabled, targeting web that will directly link into the Defence Targeting web, driving targeting at a rate unmatched through traditional processes.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his Department's officials have met with representatives of Domo Tactical Comms in Hamble Valley constituency. \p Maria Eagle: Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) are an important partner for the UK Commando Force (UKCF). Ministry of Defence officials engage with DTC regularly, including personnel representing the Royal Navy (RN) and British Army. The RN have already procured a number of High Frequency radios from DTC to be integrated into the UKCF Strike Network.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to invest in (a) new and (b) upgraded defence infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland in the next five years. \p Maria Eagle: The UK Government, through the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will make defence an engine for growth ensuring that our defence spending boosts prosperity, jobs and security for working people across all nations and regions.

The SDR outlines the need for infrastructure recapitalisation, recommending a single Infrastructure Recapitalisation Plan that establishes a holistic assessment of Defence infrastructure requirements over the next decade, including Northern Ireland. This plan is due to report by February 2026.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of dismantling Pressurized Water Reactor nuclear reactors on redundant submarines at (a) Devonport and (b) Rosyth dockyards; and what recent discussions the Defence Nuclear Enterprises has had with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on decommissioning those nuclear reactors. \p Maria Eagle: It is not possible to provide an assured cost estimate to dismantle the Pressurised Water Reactors on the decommissioned submarines at Devonport and Rosyth. Once the demonstrator submarine, SWIFTSURE, has achieved full dismantling in 2026 the Department will have a better understanding of cost estimates for the submarine dismantling process, subject to future commercial negotiations.

The Defence Nuclear Enterprise continues to work closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to ensure collaboration on submarine disposal.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support UK capability through defence contracts for the (a) development, (b) manufacture and (c) maintenance of critical defence (i) equipment and (ii) systems. \p Maria Eagle: The Strategic Defence Review sets the course for making defence a driver of growth, creating jobs, and renewing the nation’s contract across the UK in line with the Government’s growth mission.

The UK’s manufacturing industry is vital to both national security and economic growth. The new Defence Industrial Strategy will support UK businesses and contracts, strengthening domestic supply chains and ensuring critical defence equipment and systems are maintained within the advanced manufacturing sector.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what leadership skills training is provided by the military to corporate leaders seeking assistance with upskilling their leadership teams. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence does not provide leadership training specifically for corporate leaders. There are some opportunities for industry partners to attend courses which include Leadership themes.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of food served in military catering contracts was sourced from the UK, in the latest period for which data is available. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2025 to Question 36360 to the hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings (Sir John Hayes MP).
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to purchase F-35As and join NATO mission as Government steps up national security and delivers defence dividend, published on 24 June 2025, what his target date is for the RAF to have access to air launched weapons to use with the purchased F-35A aircraft. \p Maria Eagle: It would not be appropriate to comment on timeframes in which UK F-35A aircraft will have access to US air-launched nuclear weapons for reasons of safeguarding of national security.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drones his Department has provided to Ukraine by (a) reconnaissance, (b) logistics, (c) FPV and (d) long-range one-way attack since February 2022.. \p Luke Pollard: The UK has delivered over 70,000 uncrewed systems to Ukraine since Russia's illegal invasion began. This includes hundreds of long-range attack drones, first person view (FPV), loitering munitions, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones and maritime drones. As a former Defence Minister, he will know that for operational security reasons, we cannot provide details of the types of military drones purchased by the Ministry of Defence for its own purposes or those purchased for Ukraine.

The UK is also co-leading the Drone Capability Coalition (DCC) with Latvia, which is working to increase the quality and quantity of drones provided to Ukraine. The DCC is currently focusing on small UAS and interceptors through competitive tenders, and as announced by the Defence Secretary in January, will provide 30,000 FPV drones for Ukraine by August of this year.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help support veterans into employment. \p Al Carns: This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans have the support they need after leaving military Service, which includes securing sustainable employment which makes full use of their skills and qualifications.

There is a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which is the initial point of resettlement provision for those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities, with directly provided support usually available for two years before and two years after leaving Service.

For those more than two years post-service and looking to take the next step in their career, Op ASCEND connects veterans and their families with employers, supporting them into roles in strategic sectors. CTP and Op ASCEND make up the spine of continuous employment support provided by the Ministry of Defence for Service leavers and veterans.

Armed Forces Champions are also based across the UK’s JobCentre Plus network to help support members of the Armed Forces community into work.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that armed forces GPs (a) maintain up-to-date skills in the delivery of emergency and urgent care and (b) have access to appropriate NHS (i) placements and (ii) training opportunities. \p Al Carns: Armed Forces GPs have a unique scope of practice and develop military and medical experience and skills throughout their career.

The General Practice programme for the Armed Forces personnel includes ‘Operational Preparedness’ courses covering areas of practice which are unique to Service and beyond the core licensing standard. The curriculum includes clinical leadership; occupationally focused primary care; pre-hospital medicine; force health protection and operational medicine. The 2025 Operational Preparedness course is using immersive simulation methodologies to develop skills in pre-hospital emergency care; medical planning; environmental health and other military medical specialist training.

Once qualified as a GP, extensive continuing professional development ensures that Armed Forces GPs maintain up-to-date skills through training, experience, exercise and deployment. Specific pre-deployment and mission-specific training incorporates individual and collective training, validation and assurance events. NHS and other medical placements, including pre-hospital care, may also be facilitated as required to develop a GP for their operational role supporting military operations across the globe.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that all Defence Medical Services medical officers undertaking Foundation Year (a) 1 and (b) 2 training within NHS hospitals receive (i) high-fidelity and (ii) role-specific training to (A) maintain and (B) develop their core military medical skill set. \p Al Carns: Defence Medical Services (DMS) medical officers undertake Foundation Programme training within NHS hospitals as Phase 0 Trainees prior to initial (Phase 1 and 2) military training. This is to allow DMS medical officers to develop their clinical and professional skills in the workplace and meet the competences and outcomes of the Foundation Programme. Following completion of the Foundation Programme, Phase 1 and 2 training ensures high-fidelity and role-specific training to develop core military medical skill set.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of military promotion processes. \p Al Carns: As recommended by the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), we are working towards supporting a ‘One Defence’ mindset through career management structures that reward behaviour and action accordingly. Unified Career Management (UCM) is currently in place within specialised cohorts which provides a joint approach to career management and promotion boards. Lessons learnt from UCM will provide an opportunity to refine the roll out to additional cohorts.

We will also consider the more radical options recommended by the SDR to break down single Service siloes, such as joint promotion boards and central career management.

Defence is taking seriously the SDR's call to invest in foundational leadership, financial, commercial, and technology skills across the civilian and military workforce, including the flexibility to reward the development of expertise in specialist areas, including through pay and promotion freedoms; and developing a two-way secondment programme with a focus on short-term, informal schemes that are effective and can be delivered quickly. We are working at pace on a plan for delivery.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many VALOUR support centres for veterans he plans to locate in Lincolnshire. \p Al Carns: This Government remains committed to delivering on our manifesto promise to ensure that veterans achieve the recognition, support and opportunities they deserve. That is why we recently launched VALOUR, our commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. This will be an institutionally resilient system that will reform the system at the local, the regional, and the national level, ensuring that support is available across the country, and that it is tailored to the needs of veterans in the communities where they live.

The first VALOUR pilot was launched on 26 June 2025, in partnership with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire, and will help to develop a blueprint as VALOUR is rolled out across the country next year.

Details regarding the VALOUR development funding will be released in the coming months. Existing organisations will be able to apply for this funding and, if successful, will be recognised as a VALOUR support centre. This process will recognise existing best practice while maintaining agility and flexibility across the sector.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the decision was made to reclassify the Oxford-Cambridge line from an England-only project to an England and Wales project. \p Lilian Greenwood: As rail infrastructure projects have not been devolved to Wales the categorisation of these projects is in line with wider devolution policy managed by Treasury.

Every Government funded rail project in Wales or England are always categorised as England and Wales investment projects.

The categorising of East West Rail as an England and Wales project does not mean that Wales is disadvantaged in any way.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme on housing growth. \p Lilian Greenwood: As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded, therefore the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria including housing growth impacts and in line with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance. The Department will continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore whether there are any small-scale interventions to potentially address issues on the A12 to support housing growth.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral statement by her of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, column 815, if she will publish the (a) full detailed Green Book analysis, (b) costs and (c) benefits cost ratios for (i) each of the 50 schemes announced in that speech and (ii) the A12 widening scheme. \p Lilian Greenwood: Business case documents, costs and benefit cost ratios for major schemes, including for the Strategic Road Network and for relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline are published on gov.uk.

For the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, information is already available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

For the wider set of 50 schemes referenced in the Secretary of State’s statement on 8 July 2025, detailed Green Book analyses, costs, and benefit cost ratios for each scheme have not been published as a single package.

The scheme-level business cases and economic assessments for projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio are published as they are finalised and reach the appropriate stage in the investment process. Summary information on costs and benefit cost ratios for major transport schemes may also be found in the Department for Transport’s Major Projects Portfolio, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/major-projects-data

In the case of Major Road Network schemes, the business cases belong to the relevant local authorities. Whilst we encourage them to publish these, it is their decision whether to publish their business cases on their respective websites.

As each scheme progresses, further documentation is released and made available on gov.uk as appropriate. The Government is committed to transparency and will continue to make business case documents available in line with Green Book and Treasury guidance as schemes move forward.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department can provide information on the levels of (a) rail and (b) road infrastructure investment allocated to Surrey Heath constituency as a result of the 2025 Spending Review. \p Simon Lightwood: We are yet to announce the detail of all transport infrastructure investment following the Spending Review. This will be announced in due course. However, we have informed Surrey County Council of their allocation of the Local Transport Grant which is £38.19 million for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help support the long-term viability of community rail organisations in the context of (a) her Department's rail reforms and (b) the inception of Great British Rail. \p Simon Lightwood: As we move towards establishing Great British Railways (GBR), the Community Rail movement will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities. We will continue to work closely with the Community Rail Network to identify opportunities to support the community rail sector ahead of the standup of GBR.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to return the frequency of South Western Railway trains in Surrey back to pre-Covid levels following renationalisation. \p Simon Lightwood: Passenger demand has not yet grown back to pre-Covid levels. However, the Department and South Western Railway (SWR) are in regular discussion regarding service provision, which aim to balance the needs of both passenger and taxpayer. Following the introduction of the Class 701 Arterio fleet which will significantly increase capacity, there will be an opportunity to look at the South Western timetable.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the wider community utility of rail stations in the north of England. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department continues to support the community rail sector across the north of England, including through funding for station adoption groups and Community Rail Partnerships. This support is delivered via train operating companies and through the Community Rail Network (CRN), who provide access to grants and resources to its members. As we move towards establishing Great British Railways, the role of Community Rail will be more important than ever. Community Rail will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities in the north of England.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to speed up the rollout of South Western Railway Arterio trains in Surrey following renationalisation. \p Simon Lightwood: The new Managing Director, Lawrence Bowman, has been tasked with drawing up a plan to introduce the new Class 701 Arterio fleet. South Western Railway (SWR) has accelerated the Arterio rollout with five additional units introduced since the transfer to public ownership (12 units in total) compared to only one additional unit being introduced in the six months prior to transfer. The Department is working with SWR to ensure the remaining fleet are introduced as soon as possible.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) frequency and (b) capacity of passenger rail services on the (i) Heart of Wales Line and (ii) Cambrian Line. \p Simon Lightwood: Services on these routes are provided by Transport for Wales (TfW). Capacity on the Cambrian Line will improve with the introduction of new trains in the next couple of years and TfW is preparing to introduce a fifth through service per day on the Heart of Wales line from December 2025.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has taken steps to implement two services an hour on the Shrewsbury-Wrexham-Chester Line. \p Simon Lightwood: Services on this route are provided by Transport for Wales in accordance with its Train Service Requirement which is agreed with the Department in respective of services at stations in England. There are no active proposals to increase services on this route.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle train fare dodging. \p Simon Lightwood: Train Operating Companies are responsible for reducing fare evasion and are measured on this as part of their contractual obligations. We work closely with each operator to ensure they have robust plans in place.

Through the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), we’re bringing operators together to establish oversight and better standardise practices, putting an end to inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly.

We’re working at pace to simplify ticketing and developing plans for GBR to sell tickets online, to alleviate confusion and make it easier for people to buy the right fare.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve data collection on e-bike (a) collisions and (b) journey purpose. \p Simon Lightwood: E-bikes (both privately owned and as part of bike share schemes) are currently included within the pedal cycle category within the STATS19 system used by police forces to record data on personal injury collisions and overseen by the Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision statistics. The Committee have agreed to explore whether the guidance on reporting of vehicle types, including e-bikes, can be improved.

At a population level, we understand there to be a low rate of usage of e-bikes. As and when usage grows, there is the potential for further insight via the National Travel Survey.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote collaboration between the (a) Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, (b) Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee in Northern Ireland and (c) Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland. \p Simon Lightwood: The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee in Northern Ireland, Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and the Welsh Government meet twice a year as the Accessibility 4 Nations Group, to engage and collaborate on accessibility matters. These meetings are co-ordinated and chaired on a rotational basis by the respective secretariats, including the DPTAC secretariat within the Department for Transport. The latest meeting took place in April 2025 with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland chairing.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with public transport bodies on (a) partnering with AccessAble and (b) providing equivalent information to improve accessibility for disabled passengers. \p Simon Lightwood: Innovative approaches to providing accessible information has an important role to play in delivering transport networks which allows disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. Improving accessibility is a collaborative effort, with operators, industry, and entrepreneurs all having key parts to play – alongside disabled passengers. Initiatives such as those developed by AccessAble provide an example of how this can be achieved. As detailed in the Department’s response to the Transport Committee inquiry into accessible travel, the Department for Transport is undertaking discovery work to capture bus and rail accessibility assets within the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) which is a national dataset of all public transport ‘stops’ in England, Scotland and Wales. This discovery work is the starting point for accessibility journey planning.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support initiatives aimed at increasing cycling participation among women and girls. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department and Active Travel England (ATE) work with local authorities and other delivery partners to support active travel outreach programmes for underrepresented groups, including women and girls. This includes funding for Bikeability cycle training for children and outreach programmes to engage underrepresented groups through Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival programme and local authorities.

In addition, ATE is working with local authorities across England to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure including as part of wider transport schemes. This includes providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.

Responsibility for many aspects of transport in Scotland, including active travel, is devolved. My honourable friend the member for Edinburgh South West may wish to speak to the Scottish Government regarding steps taken to increase cycling participation among women and girls in Scotland.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Active Travel England has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Simon Lightwood: Active Travel England (ATE) staff are provided equipment from the Department for Transport to enable them to work across multiple locations, including from home where appropriate. This includes meeting legal obligations to provide reasonable workplace adjustments for staff who require them.

ATE does not record expenditure in a way that separately identifies costs specifically related to home working. Additionally, ATE’s hybrid working policy is non-contractual and does not entitle staff to additional equipment or to be reimbursed for items to facilitate home working.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the length of driving test waiting times in (a) Surrey and the (b) South-east. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.

DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July.  In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing stricter regulation of pavement parking (a) near schools, (b) in locations affecting vulnerable people and (c) in other public areas in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include the A30 junction at Plusha in the Road Safety Strategy. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department is aware of the safety issues at the junction between the A30 and B3257 at Plusha. National Highways is investigating a number of possible modest safety improvements for this stretch of the A30 as part of its A30 Kennards House to Five Lanes Safety Study, for possible delivery in a future Road Investment Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase safety measures at beaches during (a) summer months and (b) other periods of increased activity. \p Mike Kane: The provision of lifeguards, beach patrols and safety information is part of the risk assessment undertaken by the local authority or beach owner. In conjunction with other services HM Coastguard provides safety advice and guidance about the coastal environment with the aim to reduce incident numbers, this guidance includes how to call for help in an emergency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered the potential merits of a certification scheme for e-bikes to be carried on public transport; and whether she has had discussions with Transport for London on such a scheme. \p Simon Lightwood: It is for transport operators to decide on their conditions of carriage, as safe duty holders, including whether to allow people to bring e-bikes onboard.

While I have therefore not discussed any form of certification scheme with Transport for London, Ministers and officials have regular discussions with TfL on a variety of issues, including on e-bike safety.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Heathrow Airport on flights being held in a holding pattern over residents' houses between 5:30 and 6:00am. \p Mike Kane: NATS is responsible for providing air traffic services at Heathrow Airport. There are defined flight routes and procedures for aircraft landing at Heathrow but for operational and safety reasons aircraft may be held in a holding pattern prior to landing. These reasons can include the need to ensure safe separation between aircraft as well as weather conditions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-14 conversation_163

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include measures to tackle the use of (a) illegal and (b) unregulated e-bikes in its Road Safety Strategy. \p Simon Lightwood: Only e-bikes that are fully compliant with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads, and we recognise the risk to road safety of those e-bikes that are not compliant with regulations.

The Government treats road safety very seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more detail in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-14 conversation_164

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's report entitled Unregulated and unsafe: the threat of illegal e-Bikes, published in June 2025, whether her Department plans to support the introduction of scrappage schemes for unsafe (a) e-bikes and (b) conversion kits. \p Simon Lightwood: While there are no plans to introduce a scrappage scheme, the Government is bringing forward the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. This will enable the UK product safety framework to keep up with innovative products and technological progress, giving Ministers the power to update relevant product safety laws accordingly to tackle products that pose greater risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the use of cloned vehicle registration plates. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government understands how distressing this criminal activity can be for innocent motorists. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.

The DVLA assists the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58271 on Driving Tests: Stockport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the average waiting time at the Bredbury driving test centre. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this is having on learner drivers. All staff at the agency are working tirelessly to reduce waiting times at all test centres, including at Bredbury.

There are currently 13 driving examiners at Bredbury test centre. This has risen from 9 examiners in 2022. Bredbury test centre is part of a cluster of test centres, including West Didsbury and Sale, that serve customers in Stockport.

DVSA continues to deploy examiners within the cluster to test centres based on demand.

Within the cluster of test centres from recruitment campaigns, one potential new driving examiner (DE) started their training course on 23 June for West Didsbury. A further potential new DE for Sale will start their course on 25 August. DVSA has made three further offers, with applicants scheduled for courses in the late summer/early autumn.

DVSA is continuing with its recruitment campaigns, including for this cluster of test centres. DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.

DVSA continues to offer overtime incentives to its driving examiners, including those in this cluster.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Sight Loss Council's report entitled MakeTransportAccessible - creating the perfect world for blind and partially sighted people, published on 1 November 2023, what steps her Department is taking to tackle issues for visually impaired people on (a) public transport accessibility and (b) pavement parking. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable blind and partially sighted people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 17 December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive, including requiring authorities to pay regard to new guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places.

The government recognises the concerns which have been raised about floating bus stops, particularly. This is why the Department has accepted amendments to the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill which require the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance on their provision and design within three months of Royal Assent. In addition, the Department will write to all local authorities requesting that they pause the introduction of any floating bus stops which require passengers to board and alight directly into a cycle track.

On 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.

Ensuring the rail network is also accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We know that the experience for disabled people when traveling on rail too often falls short of what is expected and what passengers deserve. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of Great British Rail.  We have recently completed a programme to install platform edge tactile paving at every station that did not already have it in place or was due to have it installed as part of other enhancement or renewal work.

Regarding pavement parking, the government understands that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause serious problems for all pedestrians and especially people with mobility or sight impairments. The Department intends to publish a formal response to the pavement parking consultation, including the government’s next steps to address pavement parking.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-14)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a list of locations with enforceable School Keep Clear road markings in each local authority area. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government has no plans to publish such a list. Local authorities are responsible for these markings and maintaining their own records.