theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has a strategy to help increase participation in cricket by women and girls. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding.

This includes long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives. This includes programmes such as Chance to Shine, that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people. ECB Cricket youth programmes such as All Stars and Dynamos also provide fun and engaging ways for young women and girls to engage in inclusive cricket.

We look forward to hosting the Women's T20 World Cup in 2026. By supporting the ECB to host major events such as the World Cup, the Government is committed to making sure that women and girls have clear routes to see elite female athletes compete at the highest level which is key to inspiring and engaging fans and players now and into the future.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support deaf athletes in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is dedicated to making sport across the country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including d/Deaf people.

Our Arm's Length Body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to support deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.

Sport England are also exploring a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is reviewing (a) the legal framework supporting working parents of children with additional and (b) potential reforms to that legal framework to help improve levels of (i) access to flexible working, (ii) protection from discrimination by association and (iii) availability of adapted childcare support. \p Justin Madders: The Employment Rights Bill will make flexible working the default, including for working parents. Employers will have to accept flexible working requests unless not reasonably feasible and explain their decision if rejecting requests.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from direct discrimination “by association”.

The Dedicated Schools Grant funds special educational and alternative provision. Local authorities distribute SEN Inclusion Funding. Disability Access Funding (DAF) is designed to support disabled children's access to entitlements. In 2025-26, DAF funding will increase to £938 per eligible child. The Government is reviewing SEN funding, looking at funding arrangements and considering whether changes are needed.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the (a) ethanol and (b) beef quotas agreed as part of the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 16 June, we announced concrete progress towards the implementation of the UK-US trade deal as agreed on 8 May.

The US Executive Order confirmed that the US will put in place the agreed quota for car exports to the US, reducing US tariffs from 27.5% to 10%. The UK will lay legislation to create our agreed beef and ethanol quotas in line with US implementation.

The government remains focused on making sure British businesses can secure the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.

The Economic Prosperity Deal and any implementing legislation will be presented to Parliament in due course.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US trade agreement on UK aerospace supply chains. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 16 June the US confirmed that certain UK aerospace products will no longer be subject to US tariffs. This deal is a win for the UK's world-class aerospace sector which was facing additional 10% tariffs, helping make companies more competitive and allowing them to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation. The removal of US tariffs helps suppliers continue to do business in the US and deliver growth in the UK.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of export opportunities for UK-produced yoghurt following the signing of recent trade agreements. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department for Business and Trade recognises the importance of supporting UK dairy exports, including yoghurt. DBT works closely with industry partners such as the Dairy Export Taskforce and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board to unlock global opportunities.

We have agreed with the EU to deliver a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement that will significantly reduce costs and paperwork for exporting dairy businesses. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, tariffs on UK yoghurt and a broader range of dairy exports to Chile are reduced from 6% to 0%, enhancing competitiveness.

DBT helps businesses benefit from Free Trade Agreements through tailored guidance, sector insights, and direct exporter engagement. The Dairy Export Programme provides targeted support via export promotion, market intelligence, and in-market expertise.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with his Colombian counterpart on the potential impact of the mancozeb ban on (a) bilateral trade and (b) regional stability. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The decision to withdraw the use of mancozeb in Great Britain does not immediately affect imports. The UK Government recognises the importance that bilateral trade between the UK and Colombia plays in boosting growth and ensuring regional stability. The UK is open to discussing the concerns of our trade partners, though DBT Ministers have not met with Colombia on this issue.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee's decisions on food and drink exporters from Buckinghamshire. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee which met on 03/06/2025, did not include decisions specific to food and drinks exports; no assessment has therefore been made of its impact on food and drink exporters from Buckinghamshire.

The Joint Statement (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/australia-uk-free-trade-agreement-joint-committee-statement) issued following the committee provides an overview of the discussion undertaken as part of the Joint Committee.

The total value of UK exports of food and drink products to Australia was £429.5m in 2024, up 8.9% on 2023.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to ban the import of produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the OPTs should be handled.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has plans to extend consumer rights to cash refunds following a customer complaint. \p Justin Madders: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 has provisions for consumers to be able to obtain refunds where a product is not as described or fit for the declared purpose. In addition, consumers can seek redress where a trader has breached obligations under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The government has no plans to add cash refunds for general complaints to these rights at present.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what financial steps his Department is taking to support seasonal businesses in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. \p Gareth Thomas: Seasonal businesses in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire can benefit from a range of British Business Bank programmes for example, through the Start Up Loans programme, in addition, the Investment Fund for Scotland also provides debt and equity funding to businesses across Scotland to help them grow and invest.

The BBB's website hosts a 3-step Finance Finder that can help businesses understand the options available to them, while Help to Grow: Management provides practical training to enhance small business productivity and growth.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that company law prioritises stakeholder primacy over shareholder primacy. \p Justin Madders: The Government welcomes suggestions on how to ensure companies consider wider stakeholder interests alongside the needs of stakeholders. As part of this, officials have engaged with industry-led reports such as the Demos report, "The Purpose Dividend" published in 2023.

Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 enshrines in statute the "enlightened shareholder value" principle, which recognises that the long-term success of a company depends in part on the ongoing consideration of wider stakeholder interests. The Government believes that this allows companies to determine their purpose and priorities themselves. This contrasts with the "shareholder maximisation" principle underpinning directors' duties in some other jurisdictions, in which directors owe duty only to shareholders.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries meeting with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to accelerate the removal of retained EU law; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK's exit from the EU increases international competitiveness. \p Justin Madders: The Government’s approach to assimilated law reform (formerly ‘retained EU law’) is to deliver reforms that serve the national interest and support economic growth and wider Government priorities. Unlike the previous Government we will not set arbitrary targets for revoking assimilated law for the sake of it.

This Government is seizing the flexibility of Brexit, making the best choices for business and citizens from its position outside the EU as evidenced through significant deals with the US and India and our new partnership with the EU.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has any plans to review the length of statutory paternity leave. \p Justin Madders: The Government is committed to making sure that parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ Right allowing eligible employees to give notice of their intention to take these entitlements from their first day in a new job.

We understand that the parental leave system needs further improvement. That is why we have committed to conducting a review of the system, to ensure it best supports working families.

The review will look at Paternity Leave and Pay, and the length of leave available to fathers and partners.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public holiday to commemorate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. \p Justin Madders: The Government recognises the remarkable legacy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

We regularly receive requests for additional bank and public holidays to mark a variety of occasions. While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.

For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to change the well-established pattern of bank holidays.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Federation of Small Businesses on the impact of increased employer National Insurance Contributions. \p Gareth Thomas: This government regularly engages with stakeholders including the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss the potential impacts of relevant policies.

In taking difficult decisions to address issues with public finances, the Government increased employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) while lowering the per-employee threshold. Government has protected small businesses by raising the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. Consequently, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs this year, and over half will gain or see no change. While addressing fiscal challenges, the measure will help to alleviate the burden on the smaller businesses.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of supermarket loyalty scheme pricing models on consumers. \p Justin Madders: The Department has not made such an assessment. However, in 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) undertook a review into loyalty pricing in the groceries sector, publishing their findings in November 2024. The CMA found that shoppers who are members of a loyalty scheme can almost always make a genuine saving on the usual price by buying loyalty priced products. This should give shoppers confidence that they are not being treated unfairly. The CMA analysed around 50,000 grocery products on a loyalty price promotion and found very little evidence of supermarkets inflating their ‘usual’ prices to make loyalty promotions seem like a better deal.

In addition, shoppers without a loyalty scheme membership are generally paying the same price during the loyalty price promotion as they do in the weeks both before and after loyalty price promotions. However, the CMA found several loyalty priced products which were significantly more expensive than the cheapest price available at other supermarkets at that time, so there is value in shopping around.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 530393 on Picketing, whether the 6 person limit on picketing will be (a) retained or (b) removed when the Code of Practice on Picketing is revised. \p Justin Madders: There is no statutory limit on the number of people attending a picket. The Code of Practice on Picketing, which is issued by the Secretary of State under section 203 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, recommends a 6 person limit.

At this time, we do not plan to change the 6 person recommendation in the Code of Practice.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of children (a) walking, (b) wheeling and (c) cycling to school in the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority area. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department does not hold a dataset regarding active travel journeys made by children to schools in the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority area. The Department publishes data on travel to school by children nationally using data collected in the National Travel Survey.

Active Travel England is supporting more children to walk, wheel and cycle to school by working with local authorities to deliver safe and accessible infrastructure and engagement programmes.
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Alison Hume:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will prioritise active travel funding for (a) capital and (b) revenue spending related to school journeys. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is providing £8.5 million over 25/26 for Cycling UK, Living Streets and Modeshift to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives in schools and communities. This funding is in addition to £222.5 million for local authorities for the development and delivery of local walking, wheeling and cycling schemes over 24/25 and 25/26, including for school-related journeys.

The Spending Review announced £616 million for Active Travel England up to 2029-30, and a further £18 billion to local authorities through the Transport for City Region settlements and the Local Transport Grant. This funding will support local authorities to invest in their local transport priorities, including encouraging more active journeys to schools.
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Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost in (a) 2019 prices and (b) today after being adjusted for inflation of HS2 as estimated by CEO of HS2 Ltd in his preliminary report to her Department. \p Simon Lightwood: Mark Wild is leading a comprehensive reset of the programme to deliver the remaining works at the lowest reasonable cost. As part of this work, he will advise the Department on a revised cost estimate for HS2.

As Mark Wild set out in his letter, HS2 Ltd’s unassured estimate of the maximum cost of HS2 excluding Euston in June 2024 was £61.8bn in Q3 2019 prices, however he identified the programme was facing significant additional pressures which he will assess as part of the reset.

Once a revised cost estimate is agreed, this will be expressed in an updated price base and better capture the inflation incurred since 2019, following a commitment made by the Department to the Public Accounts Committee in December.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59009 on Railways: Midlands, whether the allocated funding is to support the full delivery of the West Midlands Rail Hub. \p Simon Lightwood: The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to commence the design of this first phase of the scheme. Once this design work is completed, as with all schemes funded by the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), moving to the delivery phase will then be subject to further investment governance and decision making.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure adequate (a) working conditions and (b) pay for app-based (i) private hire drivers and (ii) couriers. \p Simon Lightwood: In “Next Steps to Make Work Pay” the Department for Business and Trade committed to consulting on a simpler framework for employment status. As part of this consultation, it will also explore how to implement the targeted and specific manifesto commitments to enhance protections for self-employed workers.

Individuals are entitled to National Minimum Wage if they are considered a worker or employee under employment rights legislation - some app-based workers are self-employed so do not come in scope.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require transport authorities to integrate reporting tools for (a) gendered violence and (b) anti-social behaviour into transport apps. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government is committed to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and we have set out our unprecedented mission to halve it within a decade. Achieving this means concerted work on prevention and overhauling every aspect of society’s response to these devastating crimes. The Department for Transport is working with partners across government and the transport industry to play its part in achieve this mission.

We know that consistency of reporting is an important issue and we intend to look at this in more detail. However, we would always encourage victims of violence and anti-social behaviour to report these incidents to the police in the usual way.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to expand public awareness campaigns that encourage reporting of sexual harassment on public transport. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government is committed to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and we have set out our unprecedented mission to halve it within a decade. Achieving this means concerted work on prevention and overhauling every aspect of society’s response to these devastating crimes.

The Department for Transport is working with partners across government and the transport industry to play its part in achieve this mission.

This includes working with the British Transport Police to encourage reporting via the 61016 text reporting number. We are also supportive of the Rail Delivery Group’s ‘Zero Tolerance Campaign’ which raises awareness of sexual harassment and encourages reporting and bystander interventions when safe to do so.

We are also bringing forward measures in the Bus Services (No. 2) mandating training for staff in the bus industry on how to recognise and respond to incidents of violence against women and girls, as well as anti-social behaviour (ASB).
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department is providing to enhance internet connectivity in the West of England for passengers on railways. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department expects operators to make operational decisions regarding onboard Wi-Fi within current annual budgets. While there is no specific funding set aside for improved Wi-Fi in the West of England, Peninsula Transport is working with Great Western Railway to conduct a trial on a Class 802 Hitachi unit to improve Wi-Fi provision.

The trial is anticipated to take place in the Autumn and will include the entirety of the route from London Paddington to Penzance.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve transport links between Bristol and Stroud. \p Simon Lightwood: Funding has been allocated to local authorities to improve bus services in the regions, which includes £8 million of funding for Gloucestershire County Council. Rail journeys between Bristol and Stroud require passengers to change at Gloucester or Swindon. Whilst there are currently no plans to change service patterns in the area Great Western Railway (GWR) increased services between Gloucester and Bristol from 2023 which provides more journey opportunities for passengers seeking to travel between Stroud and Bristol.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she had with Network Rail on the provision of changing place toilets at Cambridge South station before it opened. \p Simon Lightwood: Cambridge South station has been designed with accessibility at its core and will include accessible toilet facilities on both sides of the station, including a Changing Places toilet to support passengers with complex mobility needs.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help prevent (a) violence and (b) abuse against public transport workers. \p Simon Lightwood: There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker; everyone should feel safe and be safe whilst working. The Government values the commitment of everyone who works in the public transport sector ensuring the continued running of all the vital services which many people rely on daily.

We work closely with the transport industry, and on the railway the British Transport Police (BTP), on a continuous basis to ensure that they are supported to tackle offences wherever they occur on the transport network.

On the railway the BTP work closely with the rail industry to encourage staff to report offences so they can take action against offenders.

Through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, we propose to mandate training for staff including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. Training for drivers should cover how to identify and respond to anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. We intend to make clear that training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so. The government intends to issue statutory guidance that considers the most appropriate response to criminal or anti-social behaviour, while protecting the safety of staff.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Local Transport Grant will go to Surrey County Council in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Simon Lightwood: In 2025/26, the Local Transport Grant (LTG) has been allocated to local transport authorities (LTAs) in the North and Midlands outside of areas that receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding. Therefore, Surrey County Council did not receive a Local Transport Grant allocation.

Surrey County Council will receive an Integrated Transport Block (ITB) allocation of £4.8m in 2025/26 to support local transport maintenance and enhancements.

The Spending Review 2025 confirmed a £2.3 billion investment in local transport through the LTG for smaller cities, towns and rural areas, which do not receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding. This investment brings LTG and ITB together into a consolidated fund. Surrey County Council will receive a £38.2m LTG allocation between 2026/27 and 2029/30.

All allocations for ITB and LTG are published on gov.uk.
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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the funding allocated in the Spending Review 2025 will be spent on (a) public transport and (b) bus services in (i) the North West and (ii) Preston. \p Simon Lightwood: The North-West of England will benefit significantly from increased government investment to improve local public transport. Some larger city regions in the North-West will receive long-term funding through the Transport for City Regions (TCR) programme, with a total of over £4 billion allocated for the period 2027/28 to 2031/32. This funding will help local leaders deliver better bus, rail, cycling and walking networks with greater certainty and flexibility. For areas in the North-West not receiving TCR settlements, the Local Transport Grant (LTG) will provide over £413 million from 2026/27 to 2029/30 in simplified, consolidated funding to support improvements in local priorities such as zero-emission buses, public transport upgrades, and safer, more accessible streets. Together, these investments will make everyday journeys quicker, greener, and more reliable across the region.

The Lancashire Combined County Authority is set to receive a £215 million capital allocation through the Local Transport Grant. As a major town within this area, Preston will benefit from the funding through improvements to local transport infrastructure.

At the 2025 Spending Review, the Government also announced a major long-term investment in bus services, committing around £900 million of resource funding each year to maintain and improve services and to extend the £3 fare cap until March 2027. Including capital investment, this represents over £1 billion a year in total support for the bus sector. Individual allocations for the North-West have not yet been confirmed, as the Department for Transport is still carrying out internal business planning. However, this guaranteed funding will support and improve bus services for passengers across the region, helping to grow the economy, boost household incomes and improve access to opportunity.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport services outside of major cities. \p Simon Lightwood: We are committed to funding all local areas to deliver their local transport priorities. We are providing £2.3 billion over the spending review period through the Local Transport Grant for local transport improvements outside of London and the largest city regions.

We will invest around £900 million each year over the SR period to maintain and improve vital bus services and ensure buses are accessible and affordable for all – building on the £955 million we are providing to local authorities and bus operators in 25/26 to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including areas outside of city regions.

£616 million was announced for Active Travel England to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure.

£24 billion capital funding was announced to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding will allow National Highways and Local Authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England's road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

Rail services, including those outside of major cities, are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds data on the number of bus services (a) delayed and (b) cancelled across Ashfield constituency in each of the last five years. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department does not hold data on the number of services (a) delayed and (b) cancelled for Ashfield constituency.

The Department publishes average bus punctuality rates on the percentage of non-frequent bus services running on time and the average waiting time for frequent services on GOV.UK. This data is not available at constituency level, but is available for Nottinghamshire, the upper-tier local authority Ashfield constituency is part of.

More granular (daily, route-level etc.) punctuality data is provided through the Analyse Bus Open Data Service (ABODS). ABODS enables DfT, local transport authorities, and bus operators to view detailed performance metrics, including line-level, stop-level, and individual journey punctuality, as well as on-time, early, and late arrival patterns based on GPS data from buses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_400

Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allocate additional funding to support rural bus franchising pilots in North Yorkshire; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) the Yorkshire Dales and (b) other areas receive equitable levels of funding compared to urban regions. \p Simon Lightwood: The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed continued funding of around £900 million per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots in York and North Yorkshire. Allocations for individual LTAs for 26/27 onwards will be confirmed in due course.

The government has committed to reforming bus funding. Giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding will allow them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The formula used in 25/26 is an interim process and is only the first step towards a reformed allocation system. By adopting a fairer method of allocating the bus grant going forward, we expect the current disparities to level out, putting all LTAs on a more equal footing. We ultimately want to create a fairer and simpler system for bus funding that takes into account local needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_401

Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support councils in improving the frequency and reliability of rural bus services in North Yorkshire. \p Simon Lightwood: The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected as well as in supporting economic growth, tourism and social inclusion.

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, including in North Yorkshire and rural areas right across England.

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 to local authorities across the country, of which York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been allocated £12.6 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming around £900 million each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_402

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total funding allocated to councils and businesses for electric vehicle charging infrastructure was in the 2025 Spending Review; and what this allocation was in the previous five years. \p Lilian Greenwood: In the 2025 Spending Review £400 million of capital funding was allocated to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. This includes along the strategic road network in England, charging infrastructure to facilitate the deployment of zero emission vans and HGVs, and existing grants. This builds on £200 million allocated to support charging infrastructure in 2025/26.

In the previous five financial years, from 2019/20 to 2024/25, £456.2 million capital funding was provided for charging infrastructure, including through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_403

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.15 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, if she will list the congestion improvement measures her Department will fund; and whether these will include (a) Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, (b) traffic filters, (c) congestion charging and (d) workplace parking taxes. \p Lilian Greenwood: Section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 places a Network Management Duty on all traffic authorities in England to manage their road networks as efficiently as possible for the benefit of all traffic (including pedestrians), with a view to reducing congestion.

Local authorities have a wide range of traffic management measures available to them, and it is for them to determine what measures may be required to help meet this duty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_404

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the capital funding settlement for road investment strategies on infrastructure investment along the A27. \p Lilian Greenwood: As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 June 2025, this Government will deliver notable improvements to people’s everyday travel by providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve roads across the country. We will provide updates on what this means for specific schemes and routes in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_405

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied as a result of the US-UK trade deal on 8 May 2025. \p Lilian Greenwood: The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel. The UK also already imports a significant amount of ethanol from the US.

The deal requires the UK to provide a preferential duty-free tariff rate quota of 1.4 billion litres for U.S. ethanol across the economy.

Across Government we will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other issues on the UK’s bioethanol companies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_406

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises can contribute to the Government’s sustainable aviation fuel targets. \p Mike Kane: There are a number of steps we are taking to support enterprises of all sizes to contribute to SAF targets. We are encouraging the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK through the SAF mandate, which obligates fuel suppliers to supply a proportion of SAF in their fuel. To minimise the impact on small or micro businesses from being obligated, the minimum threshold for registering with the SAF mandate scheme and being set an obligation is 15.9 terajoules of aviation fuel, or 450,000 litres, per annum. This minimises unnecessary administrative burdens with negligible impact on GHG emissions reductions.

We are supporting the production and development of UK supplies of SAF through the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). Applicants were invited to apply for funding in 2025 with no restriction on the size of the project. Previous rounds have supported a range of proposals from demonstration to commercial scale. The Spending Review 2025 will continue support for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK to 2029/30.

Our SAF Clearing House also supports SAF producers through the testing process – a grant funding window is currently open to applications.

Finally, we have introduced to Parliament the legislation required to implement a revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF producers to secure the private funding needed to construct SAF plants.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_407

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what engagement she has had with small and medium-sized enterprises in the aviation sector to better understand the challenges and opportunities they face. \p Mike Kane: The Department believes that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have a vital role to play within the aviation and maritime sectors and in supporting our objectives on growth, innovation and the environment. The Department has regular engagement with SMEs and their trade bodies on these matters and on the challenges and opportunities they face.

The Department and other government bodies have provided support to SME companies via innovation and decarbonisation funding in both the aviation and maritime sectors. This includes the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions. The Future of Flight Programme will also enable the routine use of drones and eVTOLs in the UK in this Parliament. This will unlock growth for small and medium businesses in the aviation sector and beyond, including innovative aerospace manufacturing startups, and existing service providers such as surveyors that use drones to expand their markets.

In addition, the Department continues to work with the Civil Aviation Authority and Maritime and Coastguard Agency to consider how the regulatory regimes interact with these factors in relation to SMEs.

The UK aviation and maritime sectors are predominantly privately operated therefore operators are responsible for managing their own contingency plans and ensuring that they are robust and meet their own individual circumstances. My officials engage regularly with these sectors to gain assurances that plans are in place to ensure that disruptions are kept to a minimum.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_408

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises in the (a) aviation and (b) maritime sectors have adequate access to Government procurement contracts. \p Mike Kane: The Department for Transport runs a series of regional Meet the Buyer Small Business roadshows across the UK to highlight opportunities and encourage participation in our supply chains. This programme also enables the Department to identify opportunities to remove barriers to SME participation in our competitions.

In total the Department has hosted nineteen events with around 3500 small businesses attending so far. The programme is continuing in 2025/26 following very positive feedback from the small business community.