theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Adam Thompson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the safety of Hong Kongers in the UK experiencing (a) bounties, (b) sanctions and (c) other forms of transnational repression. \p Dan Jarvis: The safety and security of Hong Kongers in the UK is of the upmost importance. The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong. Where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter transnational repression. This includes measures in the National Security Act 2023 which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to increase their understanding of foreign state threats. This training will improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state directed.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is also reviewing the UK’s existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across government and law enforcement.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he could publish the full list of sites that could be inspected by the Animals in Science Regulations Unit; on what dates did (a) announced and (b) unannounced audits by the Unit take place at those locations; and what was the outcome of each of the inspections. \p Dan Jarvis: The Animals in Science Regulation Unit publishes an Annual Report containing information on the number of licensed establishments, the number and type of audits that have been conducted and a summary of audit outcomes. The Annual Report also publishes information on all cases of non-compliance, including the number of animals involved and the actions taken by the Regulator.

The Home Office has published Guidance on how it administers and enforces ASPA and a Code of Practice which provides appropriate standards for the care and accommodation of animals used for scientific purposes. Assessment of compliance includes ensuring adherence to this Code of Practice. Each establishment that holds specially protected species will be audited at least once every year. All other establishments will receive an audit at least every three years.
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Susan Murray:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken in response to Recommendation MR8 of the Manchester Arena Inquiry on business licensing in the private security sector. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government is committed to reviewing the recommendations of the Manchester Arena Inquiry with a view to delivering better uniformity of standards in the private security industry, enhanced provision of security services, and effective counter-terrorism measures. Home Office officials are working with the SIA to ensure criminality continues to be driven out of the industry, and this includes a review of the SIA’s investigation and enforcement remit, powers and tools.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33380 on Animal Experiments, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the concordance range; whether she has made an assessment of the potential limitations of the paper; and whether she has considered evidence on the predictive value of non-animal methods. \p Dan Jarvis: The paper in question is published in a reputable scientific journal and will have undergone rigorous peer review before publication.

The Government invests £10m annually in The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs places significant investment into programmes and projects specifically for developing non-animal methods.

In March 2023 the NC3Rs made its biggest award to date in a single investment (£1.6M) to develop a ‘Virtual Dog’. The project aims to exploit advances in computational approaches and machine learning to ultimately replace their use as a second species in drug development.

This government has made a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Metropolitan Police on an apology to Ali Kololo following his overturned conviction. \p Dan Jarvis: The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to this case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to South Wales Police on the roll-out of facial recognition surveillance in a city-wide CCTV network. \p Dame Diana Johnson: All police forces are expected comply with existing legislation and published guidance when they use facial recognition technology. In particular, when forces use live facial recognition, they must comply with the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice. Its use must always be justified and pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding she has allocated to frontline policing to mitigate changes to employer National Insurance contributions. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6.4% cash increase and 3.9% real terms increase in funding.

This includes an additional £230.3 million of funding for territorial police forces to cover the costs of the increases to National Insurance Contributions.
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Tom Rutland:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a medal to recognise people who have suffered severe injuries in the line of duty. \p Dame Diana Johnson: It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made many members of the emergency services and we are always willing to consider proposes for new medals towards that end.

However, any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King, and the creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (“HD Committee”), before advice is put to HM The King to make any subsequent decision.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on international operations during the 2024-25 financial year to date. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Details of all the Departments expenditure, including on activities and operations overseas, are set out on a regular basis in the Home Office’s Annual Reports, published on Gov.uk.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of police use of live facial recognition technology. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government supports the police use of live facial recognition technology and will continue to ensure the right balance is struck between ensuring public safety and safeguarding individuals’ rights.
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John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if the Minister of State for Courts and Justice will meet with the hon. Member for Horsham to discuss the Child Trust Fund campaign. \p Sarah Sackman: As he acknowledged in his letter to me dated 02 March 2025, the Hon. Member for Horsham is aware that I am happy to meet with him regarding locked Child Trust Funds.

My office will be in touch to agree a mutually convenient date.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to target additional judicial resources toward court settings which are at capacity in Greater Manchester. \p Sarah Sackman: We are continuing to invest in judicial recruitment nationally, across all jurisdictions, with plans to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members in 2025-26; and around 2,000 magistrates in 2025-26, and annually thereafter. Following recruitment, regional and court level deployment decisions are a matter for the judiciary, and we support actions to flexibly deploy judges to maximise capacity where it is needed.

Our assessment is that overall there is currently sufficient judicial capacity in the courts in the North West, including Greater Manchester. Any vacancies which may arise as a result of departures are expected to be filled through planned recruitment.
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Sarah Owen:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people recalled to prison due to landlord refusal to install home monitoring equipment. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Recall is a vital tool to protect the public.

Recalling a child to custody is a last resort. Local Youth Offending Teams will explore other options before deciding to recall a child. This could include a curfew that is not electronically monitored but managed by Youth Offending Teams instead.

Adult offenders released on home detention curfew are still serving the custodial element of their sentence and it is a statutory requirement that the curfew is electronically monitored for at least 9 hours a day. In cases where it is no longer possible to electronically monitor offenders in the community, through no fault of their own, they will be recalled until it is possible for them to monitored in the community.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays in prisoners accessing emergency hospital care. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Prison governors are responsible for ensuring that their establishments respond promptly and appropriately to medical emergencies, and that prison staff are aware of their own responsibilities and of the local procedures in place to support a streamlined response.

Responses to medical emergencies in prisons are undertaken and monitored locally by both prison staff and healthcare staff. Prison staff will secure the attendance of medical staff. During the day, or where a prison has 24-hour healthcare, commissioned healthcare staff will assess what intervention is needed and determine whether hospital treatment is required. Prison staff will arrange for an ambulance to attend, if needed, and escort it to the nearest, safest point of access to the patient, ensuring arrival and departure times of ambulances are recorded locally.

Any incidents, including the time taken to respond, are discussed between prison and healthcare staff, either as part of a full debrief (in the case of the most serious incidents) or as part of the regular daily reflection on the events of the previous day.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce incidence of self harm on the secure estate. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We recognise that rates of self-harm across the estate are high, and we are taking action to address this.

We provide individualised support through our case management process for people assessed as at risk of self-harm. This approach places a strong emphasis on identifying individual risks, triggers and protective factors and having effective care plans in place to record, address and mitigate risks.

All new staff receive suicide and self-harm prevention and mental health awareness training, to increase skills in supporting at-risk prisoners.

We fund Samaritans to train prisoners to provide emotional support to other prisoners in crisis (the Listener Scheme).
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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous Government.

We will consider the findings of the review alongside our existing data collections and publications, many of which already contain detailed demographic dimensions.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies of rehabilitation practices in HMP Latchmere House. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: HMP Latchmere House is no longer operational.
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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the population of England and Wales has a criminal record. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: To answer the question exactly would be disproportionate costs. The Ministry of Justice holds an extract of data from the Police National Computer (PNC). To obtain data on all those with a criminal record would require collaborating with the Home Office as they hold the complete source data.

In October 2024, the Ministry of Justice published an ad-hoc statistical publication which estimated that 9.4 million working age people in the UK have a nominal record with a criminal element against their name held on the MoJ extract of the PNC. This is a high-level estimate based on the UK population and is equivalent to 22% of the working aged population (those aged 16-64). This is an estimate with limitations. A comprehensive programme of work would need to be undertaken to determine a precise figure and this would incur disproportionate cost.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to override the Sentencing Council's guidance entitled Imposition of community and custodial sentences - Effective from 1 April 2025. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: This Government’s position is clear: we are seeking to remove the unequal treatment before the law in these guidelines.

In the first instance, the Lord Chancellor used her power under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and asked the Sentencing Council to reconsider their guidance. On 01 April, we introduced legislation to address the specific issue with these guidelines.

The Sentencing Council have now put the guidelines on pause – we are grateful for their constructive engagement on this issue.

We will also consider a broader review of the Sentencing Council’s role and powers over the coming months. It is right that we take the time to consider more fundamental reforms.
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Dr Marie Tidball:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to publish a response to her Department's report entitled, Assessing risk of harm to children and parents in private law children, published in June 2020. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Ministry of Justice has published a full implementation plan and various updates to the report entitled “Assessing risk of harm to children and parents in private law children cases”, which is known as the Harm Panel report. The latest delivery update can be found at: Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases - Implementation Plan: delivery update.

A core part of the response to the Harm Panel report is the Pathfinder pilot courts. The Pathfinder pilot aims to improve the court experience and outcomes for children and parents involved in private family law proceedings. We recently published a specific update on the Pathfinder model which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-law-pathfinder-delivery-update.

The report recommended a review of the presumption of parental involvement. The Ministry of Justice has undertaken this review, focusing on the courts’ application of the statutory presumption and the exceptions to it, such as in cases where there is evidence that parental involvement will put the child at risk of harm. This review will be published shortly.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans her Department has to review the use of automatism as a legal defence. \p Alex Davies-Jones: There are no current plans for the Government to review the defence of automatism.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for coroner inquests on the issuing of Prevention of Future Death reports. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Regulation 28(3) of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 provides that a Prevention of Future Death report may not be made until a coroner has considered all the documents, evidence and information that, in the opinion of the coroner, are relevant to an investigation. The Chief Coroner has issued Guidance for coroners on reports to prevent future deaths, including on the timing of any report in the context of an individual investigation. The Guidance is available at: Reports to prevent future deaths (PFDs) - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which coroner jurisdictions have the longest inquest wait times; and what steps she is taking to bring them in line with national averages. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The requested information is available in, or can be extrapolated from, the Coroner Statistics 2023 which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2023. Statistics for 2024 will be published on 08 May 2025.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on trade talks with India. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Business and Trade Secretary travelled to New Delhi to meet his counter Piyush Goyal in February 2025 where they relaunched negotiations.

We are continuing to work closely with the Government of India to progress negotiations towards a deal that drives economic growth for every region and nation.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 40907 on Business: Regulation, what metric is used for the 25% reduction from 2005 to 2010; whether it was gross or net of EU regulation; and if he will provide a relevant hyperlink or source to that reduction. \p Justin Madders: The Administrative Burden Reduction Programme of 2005-10, which delivered a total reduction of 26.62% by May 2010, defined the administrative costs of regulation as “the annual recurring costs of administrative activities that businesses and the third sector are required to perform, in order to comply with the obligations that are imposed through central government regulation.” The programme calculated these administrative costs net of EU regulation. The final report is available at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplifying-regulation-and-administration-of-businesses-final-report
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to uphold the Nolan principles on standards in public life in public appointments. \p Justin Madders: All appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments which states that all public appointees uphold the standards of conduct set out in the Seven Principles of Public Life. All terms of appointment specify that individuals adhere to the Nolan Principles throughout their appointment and compliance is monitored on an ongoing basis.
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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will remove tariffs on the import of motor vehicles from the United States. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 3 April, the government launched a Request for Input from businesses to help inform our response to US tariffs. We remain committed to discussions with the US on a wider economic deal that works for both the UK and the US. But nothing is off the table; this government will do what is necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.
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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of tariffs applied by the US Government on (a) jobs and (b) exports in (i) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (ii) Scotland. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: We know that this will be a concerning time for businesses in Scotland; in 2024, 7.3% of goods exported from Scotland were to the US. That is why the government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the US and we remain committed to these discussions.

The government is resolute in our support for industry across the whole of the UK, and ministers and officials will continue to engage with businesses to understand the impact of these tariffs.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to improve export capacity within the UK. \p Gareth Thomas: We recognise the importance of increasing the capacity of businesses to export and succeed around the world.

UK businesses can access DBT’s export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.

As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.
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Ben Lake:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether levels of compensation payments reflect the impact that failures in the Horizon system had on the families of affected sub-postmasters. \p Gareth Thomas: Many of the impacts experienced by family members of affected postmasters will already be compensated for under the relevant scheme in which postmasters are seeking redress. For example, there will be full compensation paid to the affected postmaster for joint losses such as where a family home has been lost, and this will take account of the financial impacts on family members.

The Government is however considering whether to extend additional redress to members of postmasters’ families who were affected by the scandal and will provide an update in due course.
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Mr Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) retail and (b) hospitality businesses in the West Midlands. \p Gareth Thomas: We are delivering across government to create better conditions for retail and hospitality businesses to thrive.

This government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, which will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting and do more to protect retail workers from assault. We have introduced High Street Rental Auction powers for local authorities, which will make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for SMEs, local businesses and community groups. And we are delivering permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026-27.

Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the United Kingdom to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive. The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in the West Midlands can benefit from specialist business advice on how to grow, access new markets and receive government support.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support pubs in Devon. \p Gareth Thomas: Hospitality businesses, including pubs and breweries in Devon, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.

The Government is creating a fairer business rate system and reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year. Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.
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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to take British Steel into temporary public ownership (a) before the remaining blast furnaces are closed down and (b) until the future of virgin steel production in the UK is assured. \p Sarah Jones: Our priority is respecting workers, safeguarding jobs, and retaining steelmaking. We have been clear that the best way forward is for British Steel to continue as a commercially run business with private investment and Government acting in support. We call upon British Steel to accept our generous offer of financial support, and the associated conditions. However, no options are off the table. The Government remains resolute in our desire to secure a long-term future for the Scunthorpe steelworks, retaining steel pro-duction and putting an end to the years of uncertainty.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support British bakeries. \p Gareth Thomas: We intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026 - 27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have extended retail, hospitality, and leisure relief for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier.

The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all. We are also working with businesses to understand their barriers to growth and High Streets will be a key pillar of our forthcoming Small Business Strategy.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to publish a timeline for the Fair Work Agency becoming fully operational. \p Justin Madders: Creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a complex process that requires primary legislation. The Employment Rights Bill is the first phase of delivering the FWA.

Implementation will occur in phases following Royal Assent to ensure a smooth and effective transition. We will provide more information on timings in due course.
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support (a) small businesses and (b) independent retailers. \p Gareth Thomas: Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. The Government has a wide range of business support offers aimed at independent retailers, engaging directly and through key trade associations. We will be launching the Business Growth Service later this year to support small businesses further with productivity and growth working closely with Growth Hubs in England. We are also taking measures to tackle late payments, reform business rates, improve access to finance and encourage tech adoption for all businesses and independent retailers. Key growth-driving programmes such as Help to Grow: Management help businesses unlock their potential through bespoke support and resources.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the amount of scrap metal produced in the UK, (b) the maximum demand for scrap metal that can be used in the UK and (c) the impact that a ban on scrap metal exports would have on the UK economy and metals recycling sector. \p Sarah Jones: My department funded a Warwick University report entitled ‘Domestic Scrap Steel Recycling – Economic, Environmental and Social Opportunities’, published February 2021, which shows that UK produces around 11.3mn tonnes of steel scrap and 1.1mn tonnes of aluminium per year. The Government has not conducted research into the volume of other types of metal scrap.

The same report highlighted that in the years leading up to 2020, the UK’s demand for steel scrap was around 2.6mn tonnes and 800k tonnes for aluminium.

My department is in close discussion with steel and aluminium producers and metal recyclers on a range of options to improve the supply of scrap, including export controls.
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Dr Marie Tidball:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure patients affected by Essure products receive financial compensation. \p Justin Madders: Manufacturers can generally be held liable for any harm caused by a defective product under Part 1 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, but claims must be brought within 10 years of the product being supplied.

NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the NHS in England. NHS Resolution has confirmed that there is no specific NHS compensation scheme for such claims or any group action against the NHS relating to Essure.

NHS Resolution’s website gives some general advice for claimants wishing to make a claim for clinical negligence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of traditional boat building to the economy in West Dorset constituency. \p Sarah Jones: The Department for Business and Trade recognises the economic value of traditional boat building, particularly in areas like West Dorset. Training in traditional methods can contribute transferable skills for preserving cultural heritage, promoting sustainability and growing businesses.

Traditional boat building forms part of the wider leisure marine sector which contributed £1.4 billion in GVA and supported 29,000 jobs in 2019 [1]. The South West region alone generated £4 billion in turnover [2]. We continue to support the sector through events like the Southampton Boat Show and METSTRADE and promote its heritage and skills as vital to the UK’s maritime economy.

[1] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022

[2] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether appointments to Great British Railways will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the Chair will be classified as a Significant Appointment. \p Simon Lightwood: After the Railways Bill is scrutinised by Parliament, and as part of the design of Great British Railways, we will consider whether to propose an amendment to the Public Bodies Order in Council. We expect that the GBR Chair will be classed as a significant appointment.

Parliament will have an opportunity to scrutinise GBR’s duties when the bill is taken through Parliament later this session.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_277

Jeremy Hunt:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on completing feasibility studies to provide step-free access to Ash Vale Station. \p Simon Lightwood: The feasibility work for Ash Vale station is underway and we expect all 50 of the feasibility studies announced last year to be complete in the spring. We expect to be able to confirm which stations will move forward over the summer. The Access for All programme continues to be heavily oversubscribed.

We remain committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the valuable social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to mitigate rail congestion across East-West rail lines in the north of England. \p Simon Lightwood: The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline portfolio contains some of the most transformative and important programmes in the country such as the TransPennine Route Upgrade, which will increase capacity and improve reliability of East to West rail lines in the north of England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing adequate passenger services to Reddish South railway station. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department expects operators to match capacity and frequency of their services to demand, though these must also be operationally sustainable and deliver value for taxpayers. Rail North Partnership, through which the Department and Transport for the North jointly manage the contract with Northern Trains, which serves Reddish South, will assess any business case put forward, but this analysis must balance the economic and social benefits of any enhancement with the performance of existing services and the financial impact on taxpayer subsidy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will publish a response to her Department's consultation entitled, Design standards for accessible railway stations: a code of practice, published on 23 August 2023. \p Simon Lightwood: This consultation was conducted under the previous government. The Department for Transport is currently considering publication of a response.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mark Sewards:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to reduce private car ownership and improve the connectivity of public transport. \p Simon Lightwood: This Government recognises the importance of improving public transport to ensure that people have greater choice around how they travel and has recently confirmed its commitment to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines from 2030.

The Government have set out an ambitious programme of reform to help improve bus services and grow usage across the country. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, introduced on 17 December, puts 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. In the Autumn Budget, the Government also confirmed investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services and keep bus fares affordable.

The Government have also set out plans to create a unified and simplified railway that places train operations under public ownership and control, putting passengers first and rebuilding trust. The Railways Bill, which will be introduced later this session, will enable the biggest overhaul of the rail sector in a generation. Alongside this, the Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.

As part of our commitment to local transport, we have uplifted City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding in 2025-26 by £200m, helping to improve the local transport in our largest city regions and drive growth and productivity across the country. This brings local transport spending for Metro Mayors in 2025-26 to £1.3bn. Also at the Autumn Budget, we allocated over £650m funding for local transport outside of our city regions to improve connectivity and support local growth in our smaller cities, towns, villages and rural areas in England outside London.

The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published later this year and will focus on how transport should be designed, built, and operated to better serve the people who use it, connecting people to housing, jobs and public services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to Dorset Council for road resurfacing projects in West Dorset for the fiscal years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how this compares to the last five years for which information is available. \p Lilian Greenwood: The main criteria used to determine the allocation of highway maintenance funding to local highway authorities are road length and road classification, along with the number of bridges and street lighting columns that each local authority is responsible for maintaining. The Department uses a bespoke formula to allocate funding to eligible authorities, including Dorset Council; details of the formula can be found on gov.uk.

It is for Dorset Council to decide how much to spend in the West Dorset constituency and how much to spend elsewhere across its network.

Funding allocations for Dorset Council for the last six years are set out in the table below.

Funding for Dorset Council 2020/21 – 2025/26

Year £m

Highways Maintenance Block needs

Highways Maintenance Block incentive

Potholes Fund*

Budget 2023 top up

Network North (Roads Resurfacing Fund)

Total

20/21

10.564

2.201

9.112

21.877

21/22

7.285

1.821

7.285

16.391

22/23

7.285

1.821

7.285

16.391

23/24

7.285

1.821

7.285

2.914

2.068

21.373

24/25

7.285

1.821

7.285

2.068

18.459

25/26

18.273

6.738**

25.011

* For 2020/21, this included the £500 million Pothole Fund, allocated funding from the £100 million Challenge Fund, and the final £50 million of the previous Pothole Action Fund, totalling £650 million.

**25% of this funding is subject to authorities adhering to incentive measures as announced on March 24, 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on delays in booking practical driving tests. \p Lilian Greenwood: I regularly meet with officials from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to discuss various topics. I last met with DVSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Loveday Ryder, on 18 March 2025 to discuss car practical driving test waiting times and other topics.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on their role in delivering economic growth. \p Mike Kane: I meet with the Chair and the Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regularly to discuss a range of topics, including the role of the CAA in delivering economic growth. The government’s new Action Plan for regulators contains six regulatory pledges from the CAA, alongside the commitments the CAA made in their letter to the Prime Minister in January 2025. The CAA will also play an important role in the planned expansion of Heathrow Airport.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to highway authorities affected by the M25/A3 roadworks to cover the increased wear and tear and maintenance costs on diversion routes. \p Lilian Greenwood: The strategic and local road networks are frequently used to support diversions for one another, typically without the need for compensation from either party. From the early stages of the project, extensive engagement was undertaken with Surrey County Council which is the main local authority impacted by the works. This included detailed discussions on diversion routes that would utilise Surrey County Council’s road network to support the scheme's delivery. The development of these diversion routes carefully considered local communities, road widths, weight and height restrictions, junction configurations, and other relevant constraints.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_286

Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what environmental impact assessment she has carried out ahead of a decision on whether to ban volumetric concrete mobile plants in 2028. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). The outcome of my department’s review into volumetric concrete mixers was published on 18 March. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review

Whilst some VCM operators have argued that heavier VCMs could reduce overall trips and emissions, the increased road and bridge damage would result in more frequent repairs, offsetting these potential benefits.

VCMs will continue to be permitted on our roads, but as planned, a temporary weight limit exemption for this type of vehicle will end on 31 March 2028. This is not a ban or change in policy.