theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for the (a) development and (b) completion of the 25-year farming roadmap. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Farming Roadmap will be published next year and will set the course of farming in England for the next 25 years. It will respond to the Farming Profitability Review (which will be published this December, ahead of Christmas) and will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support jobs in the environmental sector, particularly horticulture. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities, industry, further education institutions, and training providers to strengthen skills and support jobs across the farming sector, including the horticulture sector, ensuring businesses and local authorities have the expertise needed to manage and develop green spaces. In collaboration with the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture we are also helping to promote the wide range of exciting opportunities the sector offers.

The Spending Review 2025 provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the risk of applying a 4% impairment fee on EPR on future impairment rates as a result of additional pressure on business finances. \p Mary Creagh: Incorporating impairment provisions for bad debt in a cost recovery scheme is an expected consideration of Government, as detailed in Managing Public Money guidelines, and is common practice when setting fees. Whilst Notice of Liabilities issued under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme are due for payment after 50 calendar days, liable producers have the facility to pay in quarterly instalments. These impairment provisions can only be used for specific purposes and will be subject to regular scrutiny and review. To minimise impairment and provide transparency, PackUK intends to collect debt rigorously but fairly and will review the impairment provision at least quarterly. Where the impairment provision isn’t fully utilised liable producers will be given a refund.
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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what determination was made to assess the proportionality and fairness of the 4% impairment fee applied under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. \p Mary Creagh: The impairment provision is based on the bad debt experience of Defra with charging schemes that are most similar to pEPR, whilst taking into consideration the large values of some of our Notice of Liabilities.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the domestic wine sector. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government is committed to supporting the UK domestic wine industry which is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors. This growth, in both the domestic and international markets, is testament to the high-quality wines being produced and the hard work and vision of those working in the sector.

Defra officials regularly engage with WineGB and producers to support the sector’s ambitions, drive growth and exports and find ways in which the Department can help support further expansion. Defra is considering possible reforms to the UK wine regulations to deliver better results for consumers and industry.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the cost to taxpayers of additional household, bulky, and garden waste collection charges levied by local authorities in England from 2015 to date. \p Mary Creagh: Local authorities have had the option to charge households for a garden waste and bulky waste collections since 1992, as per the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012.

From 31 March 2026, local authorities are required to provide a garden waste collection service, which meets the new requirements set out in amended section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to households where it is requested. As per the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012, they can continue to charge for garden waste services if they choose. Householders will be able to make their own decision about whether they wish to use this service or make other arrangements to dispose of their garden waste.

The previous Government consulted in 2021 on proposals to require waste collection authorities to introduce a free minimum garden waste collection service. However, as set out in the government’s response published in October 2023, the economic and environmental case is not strong enough to proceed with this proposal.

We believe that other Government policies, such as the requirement to collect food waste weekly, now offer higher carbon savings per pound spent than this policy. This includes the far higher savings associated with introducing weekly food waste collections
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will accept the recommendations from the Farming Profitability Review in full. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas.

This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.
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Patrick Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) reopen the water management grant for farmers and (b) introduce new support to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water and secure water supplies, in the context of the latest Environment Agency figures showing much of the country continues to be in drought or prolonged dry weather. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Water Management Grant is designed to help improve farm productivity and water resilience through supporting investment in irrigation infrastructure and construction of reservoirs on-farm. Our last round, worth up to £6 million, closed to new applications in October 2024.

We are working to simplify and rationalise our grant funding from 2026 onwards to ensure it is targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the drivers of food and non-alcoholic drink price inflation and what steps are being taken to tackle them. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government monitors food prices closely. As outlined in the UK Food Security Report (December 2024), food price drivers are complex: global commodity prices influence domestic markets through trade and are affected by energy, labour, manufacturing costs, harvest quality, and Sterling exchange rates.

On 19 November, our Secretary of State announced Defra’s collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade to launch a Food Inflation Gateway. This tool will assess the impact of new regulations on food businesses and prices, helping government coordinate and sequence policies to reduce costs, unlock investment, and apply downward pressure on prices.

Alongside this, the Department’s Food Strategy aims to ensure access to affordable, nutritious food and strengthen resilience against short-term supply shocks and long-term risks, reducing the likelihood of future price spikes and supporting fair, stable prices for households.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89387 on Veterinary Services: Northern Ireland, with whom consultations took place on the estimate of the proportion of veterinary medicine products that are expected to be discontinued after January 2026. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Following on from PQ 89387, our assessment that most products currently on the Northern Ireland will remain available is built on extensive assessment with industry stakeholders. In particular, we contacted all the Marketing Authorisation Holders that had products with a valid Marketing Authorisation for Northern Ireland and asked them their supply intentions for after the end of the grace period. We first started this survey in 2022 and have followed up on a regular basis. The Department continues to engage with industry to help ensure a smooth transition into 2026.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of market concentration in the veterinary medicines supply chain in Northern Ireland, including the establishment of online or centralised distributors, following the end of the grace period. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Department has engaged intensively with all stakeholders involved in the vet med supply chain to understand impacts on availability in Northern Ireland. Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland is a Government priority. The Department continues to engage extensively with stakeholders across the supply chain to support them with veterinary medicines supply beyond 2025.

From 1 January, the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (VMIMS) and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme will help to plug any supply gaps. Our current assessment shows a low number of discontinuations. Through our supply chain assessment, the Department is aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. The Department is also working to ensure that the VMIMS operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to improve food security in South Shropshire constituency and the West Midlands. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Food security is monitored via the UK Food Security Report, produced every three years (most recently December 2024). This gives an international, national, and household food security assessment. Additionally, we will be publishing an annual food security digest report in the years in between.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Imports supplements domestic production, helping manage seasonality and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
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Ms Stella Creasy:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in her Department have been assigned to preparations for a EU-UK agreement on a common sanitary and phytosanitary area. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Negotiating and delivering an SPS Agreement with the EU is a whole of Government effort. It is a big priority for the department. We are working very closely with the Cabinet Office. Defra’s trade staff work flexibly across trade deals according to demand.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered aligning agricultural support in England with the approach taken in Scotland, where virtual fencing systems are eligible under the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS), in order to ensure consistency for farmers and crofters across the UK. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes.

Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology under other schemes. We will keep the matter under review when considering future grants offers.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of solar farms on levels of food security. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Only 0.1% of land is used for solar, and half of the agricultural land generating solar power is still producing food. Solar farms are not a risk to food security and instead help play an important role in diversifying farm income and decarbonising our economy.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to respond to the letter sent by the Moorland Association on 4 July 2025 on concerns that her Department's restrictions on vegetation management are increasing the risk of wildfires. \p Mary Creagh: The points this later raises on peatland management and wildfire have been discussed in subsequent correspondence and meetings with senior officials. The issues were also addressed in the government response to the consultation on amendments to the Heather and Grass etc Burning Regulations (England) 2021.
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Laura Kyrke-Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that closer alignment with the European Union on a Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement does not adversely impact (a) animal welfare laws and (b) the ban on live exports. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and understands the strong sentiment that led to legislation to ban live exports going to slaughter.

The UK-EU Common Understanding states that there will be a number of areas where we retain our own rules. The details of these are now subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of Scotland's allocation under the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund on the development of the Scottish seafood sector's exports. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Funding for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund is being allocated using the Barnett formula, in line with HM Treasury guidance. Each Devolved Government is responsible for determining how its share of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund supports its fishing and seafood sectors, including exports. Devolved Governments can choose to target investment in line with their local priorities and economic context.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the cultural and social contribution of poultry shows to rural communities. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Poultry shows play an important role in the cultural and social life of rural communities. Gatherings of birds, such as poultry shows, are currently individually risk assessed to reduce the risk of further outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Risk is reviewed regularly to inform the need for such measures.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the security of the fertiliser and CO2 supply chain. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Ensus CO2 plant went offline for routine maintenance in September, and the Government is in discussions with the company about its future. The UK imports a significant share of its CO2, so most users should remain supplied, though some sectors may face pressure at peak demand. Food businesses are encouraged to engage early with distributors.

The Government continues to monitor CO2 availability and maintain contact with suppliers and consumers. Ensuring a stable fertiliser supply is also critical, and Defra monitors prices and supply chains through engagement with manufacturers and stakeholders.

In addition to domestic production, the UK imports fertiliser from many countries. Established ports support flexible sourcing and a diverse nutrient supply. Sustainable fertiliser use is important for environmental outcomes and long-term resilience. Defra supports approaches that improve nutrient efficiency, expand greener production routes, and diversify fertiliser types and sources.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47160 on Food: Import Controls, what additional funding has been provided to ports and airports relating to the ban on personal imports of meats and diary products from EU countries. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra is currently funding Dover Port Health Authority to help identify illegal meat and dairy imports. We have not provided additional funding to ports and airports relating to the ban on personal imports of certain meat and dairy products from EU countries.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to reduce instances of pavement parking. \p Lilian Greenwood: 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.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90806 on Railways: Contracts, in what circumstances track access rights would be extended; and what role (a) she and (b) Great British Railways will have in decisions undertaken by the Office of Rail and Road. \p Keir Mather: Further to the answer from 21 November to Question 90806, the government is maintaining its commitment to honour existing rights in Schedule 5 of track access contracts until they expire. As existing contracts expire, operators will move on to new GBR model access contracts. It will be for GBR as the directing mind for the railway to decide whether existing rights represent best use of the network and whether they are extended.

The ORR will be a robust appeals body for GBR’s access decisions, ensuring fairness, and able to impose remedies on GBR to correct a decision that is not consistent with its statutory duties, SoS issued guidance or its own AUP.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has taken place on the post covid trends in levels of concessionary bus travel among pensioners and disabled people; and its impact on health, loneliness and social isolation. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport’s concessionary travel statistics show that there were 624 million older and disabled concessionary bus journeys in England in the year ending March 2025, an increase of 4% compared with the year ending March 2024. While this is still below pre-COVID levels, concessionary bus journeys have been increasing year-on-year since the pandemic.

The Government recognises the importance of local bus services in keeping communities connected, including for concessionary bus passengers. The Government is taking action to help improve local bus services across the country. We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. The Act also includes measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of bus networks.

In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been allocated £66.4 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, this could include expanding services and improving reliability, which are currently significant obstacles for too many people.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of removing the 9:30am restriction on the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those of state pension age, currently sixty-six, and those with eligible disabilities. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as removing the 9:30am restriction, would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

Local authorities in England have the power to offer additional concessions beyond the statutory scheme, funded from local resources, for example, by allowing concessionary passholders to travel before 9:30am.

The Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Local authorities can use this funding in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including enhancing concessionary travel locally.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to encourage developers to build roads that meet standards for adoption by the highways authority. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government expects developers to design and construct roads in line with the design standards set by local highway authorities. These standards ensure that roads are suitable for adoption, enabling them to be maintained at public expense. The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities and developers to promote the use of Manual for Streets, which provides guidance on the design of residential streets and supports authorities in setting appropriate standards. The Department has reviewed data which indicates there is a declining trend in the number of roads being adopted and is undertaking research to better understand the underlying causes and identify potential measures to address this issue.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is her department's current estimated cost of completing the Northern Powerhouse rail project. \p Simon Lightwood: We are fully committed to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail and know the importance of getting this right. We want to learn the lessons from HS2 and so are taking the time to consider the details, which will include costs. We will set out our ambitions in the near future.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Northern Powerhouse Rail remains designated as an 'England and Wales' project. \p Simon Lightwood: The Northern Powerhouse Rail project is classified as an England and Wales project. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has she made in re-baselining East-West Rail Connection State 2 and 3. \p Simon Lightwood: In the Spending Review in June, the Government announced £2.5bn of funding to progress the delivery of East West Rail (EWR). The Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR benefits early where possible and is reviewing what can be done to bring higher frequency services to Bedford ahead of route completion. In assessing the best way to sequence the programme as a whole, East West Railway Company is looking at alternative ways to deliver more passenger services and new stations earlier to unlock benefits for local people and businesses. Work is continuing over the coming months, and more information will be provided in a more detailed plan next year.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Road Safety Strategy on people in Hexham constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies which will have national reach. We intend to publish the Strategy this year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is her Department's policy that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030. \p Lilian Greenwood: The second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which ended in March 2025, included an objective that 50% of short journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030.

The consultation on the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was launched on the 3rd November and seeks the views of stakeholders on a national vision, statutory objectives and underlying performance indicators. The shape of the final strategy, intended to be published next year, including future targets, will be informed by the responses to the consultation.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 92677 on London North Eastern Railway: Fares, how many tickets introduced or sold under the LNER demand-based pricing trial for travel between 1 August and 12 December 2025 were priced higher than the equivalent previously available ticket types, broken down by( a) Semi-Flexible tickets and (b) Standard Advance tickets, for journeys from (i) London, (ii) Newcastle and (iii) Edinburgh. \p Keir Mather: The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) trial is making more flexible options available to passengers and making it easier for passengers who are able to travel at less busy times to benefit from cheaper tickets on less crowded trains.

Through this trial, all tickets except the Flexible (formerly Anytime) ticket are priced according to demand. This means prices vary according to availability. Unlike the old super off-peak ticket, it is possible to purchase the Semi Flex ticket for what were previously peak times when the Anytime ticket was the only ticket available that had flexibility. Therefore, the relative pricing between super off-peak tickets and semi flexible tickets cannot be validly compared.

The vast majority of passengers on routes covered by the trial will find Fixed or Semi-Flexible fares to be the same price or cheaper than the former super off-peak fare, and there are more Fixed fares available than before.

For the specific period referenced, LNER has not published those statistics to date, although the period between 1 August and 12 December has also not yet concluded and therefore sales data is incomplete at this stage.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 92685 on Railways: Reform, whether she will request that the Office for Budget Responsibility or the National Audit Office examine and validate the Department’s estimates of (a) the £200 to £400 million set-up and transitional costs and (b) the projected £110 to £150 million annual savings from bringing rail services into public ownership. \p Keir Mather: We have no current plans for the Office for Budget Responsibility or the National Audit Office to examine or validate these estimates. The Office for Budget Responsibility provides economic and fiscal forecasts and scrutinises government performance against its fiscal rules. It does not examine the financial details of individual Departmental investment projects at a granular level. The National Audit Office published a value for money report on rail reform in 2024.

We are focused on delivering long overdue reforms to the railway promised by the last Government, which will put the interests of passengers and taxpayers at the heart of our railway again.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of Chiltern Railways’ decision to adopt driver-only operation on the Oxford to Milton Keynes section of East West Rail on the future operating framework for Great British Railways (GBR); and whether GBR plans to implement this on other parts of the network. \p Keir Mather: In line with the Government's priorities for rail reform, the design work for the future of rail services in Britain is focused on improvements for passengers, better value for taxpayers and the key themes of reliability, affordability, efficiency, quality, accessibility and safety. We will continue to engage with the industry on our plans for GBR.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many reports of (a) antisocial behaviour towards, (b) sexual harassment of, (c) sexual assault of and (d) physical assault of train staff were made in each of the past three years. \p Keir Mather: The British Transport Police are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales and have provided the following figures.

Offence/Incident Type

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Antisocial Behaviour

Not available as a breakdown for incidents against rail staff

Unwanted Sexual Behaviour

Not available

71

83

Sex offences

95

111

121

Violence

2761

3415

3727
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 92692 on South Western Railway: Rolling Stock, if she will publish in full the modelling and departmental assessments associated with the new rolling stock leases. \p Keir Mather: The Department's internal modelling draws upon a number of sources and data from third parties which is not publicly available and is commercially sensitive, and therefore unable to be released.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_266

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many days were disabled accessible lifts at train stations recorded as being out of use for each year from 2015 to date. \p Keir Mather: This information is not held by the Department. The Office of Rail and Road publish biannual statistics containing data on passenger lifts at Network Rail owned stations in Great Britain on its data portal at the following link: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk.

This includes information on the number of lifts, lift reliability and lift entrapments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_267

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much did train operators pay passengers in compensation for delayed journeys for each year from 2015 to date. \p Keir Mather: The Government produces annual figures relating to the amount of compensation that is paid out by train operating companies.

The data between 2020 and 2024 can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/train-operating-companies-passengers-charter-compensation/train-operating-companies-passengers-charter-compensation.

The data between 2015 and 2020 can be found here:

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210904023528/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/train-operating-companies-passengers-charter-compensation/train-operating-companies-passengers-charter-compensation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_268

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of public satisfaction with recent timetable changes across rail services. \p Keir Mather: The new continuous rail customer experience survey started in July to provide improved, robust and reliable customer insight to the rail industry, including measuring customer satisfaction of different aspects of rail service. Metrics within the survey include satisfaction with punctuality and frequency of services, as well as overall satisfaction.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_269

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the ports sector on the potential merits of progressing the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme. \p Keir Mather: We are focused on prioritising the schemes that will make the greatest difference for passengers and support economic growth as quickly as possible. The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_270

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, of the qualifying journeys, how many claims were (a) made and (b) not made under train operators' delay repay schemes in each of the past three years. \p Keir Mather: (a) The number of claims received by train operators under train operators’ delay repay scheme in each of the last three years is published in the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) Table 4410 – Delay Compensation Claims, and can be found on the ORR data portal: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/passenger-experience/delay-compensation-claims/table-4410-delay-compensation-claims/

(b) No data exists for the number of claims not made on qualifying journeys under train operators’ delay repay schemes. Data on the proportion of qualifying journeys that are claimed for can be found for selected years here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/654e4ae06a650f000dbf4812/dft-rail-delays-and-compensation-2023-full-report.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_271

Lewis Atkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time is for a driving test in (a) Sunderland and (b) neighbouring test centres; and how many additional driving examiners have been recruited to test centres in the North East since May 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: The table below shows the current average waiting time in weeks and the number of tests available at Sunderland, Gateshead, Gosforth and Durham driving test centres (DTC) as of 24 November 2025.

Driving test centre (DTC)

Average car practical driving test waiting time (Oct 2025)

Booked tests (as of 24th Nov 2025)

Tests available in 24 week booking window (as of 24th Nov 2025)

Sunderland

24 weeks

4795

58

Gateshead

24 weeks

3200

121

Gosforth

24 weeks

4003

171

Durham

23 weeks

3560

168

Great Britain (National)

21.9 weeks

635,938

27,872

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Since May 2025, DVSA has recruited two new entrant examiners for Sunderland, two new entrants for Gateshead, one new entrant for Gosforth, and one new entrant for Durham. There are also two new entrants undertaking training who are earmarked for Gosforth.

From DVSA’s most recent recruitment campaign, DVSA advertised for further examiner positions for DTCs in the area and is starting to make employment offers, with the hope to have further new entrants in post early in 2026, after all pre-employment checks and training have been successfully completed.

DVSA will also be advertising for further examiner positions in the next recruitment campaign, scheduled to launch next month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_272

Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for learner drivers seeking to book and take the car theory test. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_273

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to tackle unauthorised advertising adjacent to motorways in England. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department does not permit advertising within the boundary of the Strategic Road Network, and National Highways removes any unauthorised signage from its land.

For adverts on private land adjacent to motorways, enforcement is carried out by local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007. National Highways will continue to notify the relevant authority and raise concerns where an advert poses a road safety risk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_274

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of car weight trends on wear and tear on highways. \p Simon Lightwood: The Secretary of State has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of car weight trends on wear and tear on highways. Commercial vehicles (typically those greater than 7.5 tonnes) are the dominant factor in determining road design and contributing to road wear rather than cars.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_275

Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her department holds on the number of road traffic collisions involving both electric vehicles and pedestrians. \p Keir Mather: The number of road traffic collisions involving both battery electric vehicles and pedestrians in Great Britain, for the last 5 years is shown in the table below:

Year

Collisions

2020

59

2021

139

2022

292

2023

448

2024

591

Data and statistics on personal injury road collisions and casualties in Great Britain are based on data reported to the Department by police forces via the STATS19 data collection system. Data on vehicle propulsion are sourced from DVLA vehicle registration figures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_276

Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles publication T0194 – Covered car parks - fire safety guidance for electric vehicles, published in July 2023, what recent steps has her Department taken to mitigate fire risks from electric vehicles in underground car parks. \p Keir Mather: The safety of electric vehicles (EVs) is very important to Government and is reviewed regularly. The Department continues to engage with international research relating to EV fire safety. Data suggests that EV fires are no more likely to occur than fires in combustion vehicles. The ‘Covered car parks - fire safety guidance for electric vehicles’ provides car park operators with practical mitigations to prevent the occurrence and spread of EV fires.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_277

Helen Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure the recall of diesel vehicles found to use defeat devices. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.

Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-01 conversation_278

Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking make it easier for those in terraced houses to charge their electric vehicle by their home. \p Keir Mather: The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has been allocated to all highest tier local authorities in England to ensure equitable chargepoint rollout across the country. Funding is primarily targeted at low powered, on-street charging infrastructure such as lamp column chargepoints to make it easier and more convenient for residents without off-street parking, such as those in terraced housing, to charge close to home.

The Government has also allocated £25 million to English local authorities to install pavement channels, which will support thousands of residents without off-street parking to conveniently charge their vehicles at home, accessing cheaper tariffs through their domestic energy supplies.