Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of promoting zipper merging at roadworks to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities to encourage effective traffic management during highway works, ensuring disruption to road users is kept to a minimum. Local authorities are responsible for determining the most appropriate traffic management plan as part of the permit conditions for the work, which may include measures such as zipper merging.
National Highways who maintain and operate the Strategic Road Network are always looking at ways to keep traffic flowing better during roadworks. This includes keeping the maximum number of lanes open at all busy times and carrying out the vast majority of work requiring extra restrictions overnight or at the weekend when traffic flows are lowest. National Highways has also increased the speed limit through most roadworks from 50mph to 60mph and is using more contraflows on its schemes, which can reduce the need for closures.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to tackle the use of e-scooters on pavements and the associated risks to pedestrians.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Enforcement of illegal e-scooter use on public roads and pavements is a matter for the police. A range of motoring offences and penalties already apply, such as criminal prosecution, points on the user’s driving licence and having the e-scooter seized. The Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the necessary tools to enforce road traffic legislation.
The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which will include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. This will help the police to crack down on those who use them in an unlawful or irresponsible way. Any regulations will be publicly consulted on before they come into force, but the Government has no plans to allow pavement riding in the future.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to reduce the (a) regulatory and (b) administrative requirements placed on transport-focused charities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to reducing unnecessary administrative burdens across the transport sector, both in our own work and in our engagement with other parties.
The Charities Commission (and its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland) often explore ways to reduce the administrative burdens faced by charities and simplify the regulatory landscape in which they operate.
The Department is also supporting the government’s Regulatory Action Plan.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of data on non‑injury road traffic accidents at rural junctions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport does not collect data on non-injury road traffic accidents at rural junctions so is unable to make an assessment.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy on national and local transport planning; and how the Strategy will improve whole-journey integration between rail, bus, road and active travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department will publish the integrated national transport strategy shortly, which will set the long‑term vision for domestic transport across England.
While developing the strategy, we have worked across government to ensure it aligns with forthcoming guidance and tools for local authorities and transport partners, including Outcome Frameworks and cross-government Integrated Settlements for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. We have undertaken regular engagement with stakeholders such as the Local Government Association and the Urban Transport Group, helping ensure the strategy addresses the main barriers people face in accessing good transport and supports effective planning at both the national and local levels.
On whole-journey integration, the strategy will set out this government’s priorities for creating a transport network that works well for people across England, enabling more seamless journeys however they choose to travel.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance has been issued to transport operators to ensure passenger safety during cold weather alerts in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department expects bus operators, working with local authorities, to provide passengers with up-to-date information about local services during instances of bad weather to help ensure passenger safety. This includes information about any disruption to services, for example due to ice and snow during cold weather alerts.
Surrey County Council provides information on where passengers can go to find information about disruption to local bus services on its website at: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/buses-and-other-transport/bus-timetable-changes/disruption-due-to-adverse-weather.
In relation to the railways, this is a matter for South Western Railway and Network Rail to manage as the safety duty holders.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight exists of compliance with cargo securing requirements for container vessels, including how such compliance is monitored and enforced.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Foreign Flagged vessels in UK ports are subject to Port State Control Inspections in line with the Paris Memorandum of Understanding, an Inspection Regime to which the UK is a committed signatory. Cargo securing is subject to inspection at these attendances.
UK Flagged vessels to which the International Safety Management Code applies are audited in relation to vessel operations, including cargo stowage and securing. Vessels required to have Cargo Securing Manuals have these approved either by the MCA or by a Recognised Organisation authorised to do so on their behalf. UK vessels are also subject to general inspections.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Road Safety Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to protect vulnerable road users, update vehicle safety technologies and review motoring offences. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.
Road safety is a shared responsibility, and this strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many children in Newcastle-under-Lyme have used the bikeability scheme in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Bikeability Trust, the national charity that manages the Bikeability programme in England on behalf of Government, provides targeted funding and support to local authorities to address barriers to engagement. Uptake of Bikeability can be limited by a variety of factors including low levels of access to cycles and parents choosing to opt out.
In 2024/5 Staffordshire County Council (SCC) were allocated up to £575,990 funding for Bikeability. Of this available funding, SCC claimed £266,987.
We do not hold information for funding allocations to Newcastle-under-Lyme as local training delivery allocations are managed by Staffordshire County Council.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce rail fares in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
For some stations in Surrey, we have simplified the complicated web of tickets by having one Peak and one Off-Peak price, with some fares changing and others being removed as part of improvements to ticketing via pay-as-you-go with contactless expansion. This will allow passengers greater flexibility in their choice of tickets, with some seeing a reduction in their ticket price.
On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze.
For specifics on the savings his constituents can make, I refer the Honourable Member to the response provided to him for Question 98719 on 17 December.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-12-09/98719