Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of interruptions to flights from several airports in the UK on 8 September due to issues with national air traffic control services.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government apologises to passengers across the United Kingdom who faced significant disruption as a result of the issues that impacted NATS’ operation on 8 September, resulting in delays and cancellations for a large number of passengers, as well as the disruption that it has caused for industry. Let us be clear that disruption of this kind is absolutely unacceptable.
Department for Transport officials worked closely with NATS, airports and airlines throughout the incident and recovery period to monitor impacts and provide support where necessary. The Department also provided night flight alleviations, where required, to assist airports in recovering operations.
The Secretary of State asked NATS to provide a report by Wednesday 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response and has also asked the CAA to conduct an independent review into this matter immediately. The Department will continue to work closely with NATS and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the root cause is fully understood, lessons are identified, and appropriate steps are taken to minimise the risk of similar disruption occurring in future.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of protections available to homeowners where a developer leaves a new-build housing development before roads, pavements and other agreed infrastructure have been completed; and what recourse is available to homeowners where the developer and relevant local authority have been unable to secure completion of those works.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises concerns where developers leave housing developments before roads, pavements or other agreed infrastructure have been completed. Under section 38 of the Highways Act 1980, developers may enter into agreements with local highway authorities for new roads to be adopted once they have been constructed to the required standard. Where a Section 38 agreement is in place, local highway authorities will normally require a financial bond or other security to help ensure outstanding highway works can be completed if the developer fails to do so.
The Department for Transport recently commissioned independent research into the road adoption process in England and is considering the findings alongside wider cross-government work on unadopted estate amenities. The recourse available to homeowners will depend on the circumstances of the development and the legal arrangements in place but may include action by the relevant local authority under agreements entered into with the developer, including the use of any bond or other security.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 23177 on East West Rail Line, what progress has he made on the delivery of Tempsford Railway Station and what stage is the project currently at.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail Company consulted on proposals for Tempsford station in its Spring consultation which closed on 9 June. The company is considering feedback to this and is currently progressing design work as part of preparation for its Development Consent Order application in 2027.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, Tables, East Coast Digital Programme, what are the 19 recommendations made by the NISTA Review Team.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority reviews of individual projects are used internally within government, and their detailed findings are not generally published. However, I can confirm that the review of the East Coast Digital Programme made a number of recommendations covering the Programme’s governance and programme communications, commercial arrangements, risk management and financial planning processes, freight business change agreements, programme re-baselining and benefits strategy update.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2026 to Question 18207 on Railway Stations: Biometrics, what offences were the 13 individuals arrested for; at which railway station did each arrest take place; and in what way was each arrest linked to the deployment of live facial recognition technology.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police have informed us that this information is not readily accessible within the timeframe for parliamentary questions. I have asked the Rail Minister to write to you with the data requested when it is available.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of revoking the Traffic Distribution Rules 1991 on (a) passenger services, (b) dedicated air freight services and (c) regional airports serving the London air freight market.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is currently undertaking its review of the 1991 Traffic Distribution Rules (TDR) after consulting stakeholders more widely. Once the review has concluded and the CAA has provided its advice, the government will give this careful consideration before determining next steps.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has for the Traffic Distribution Rules 1991 following the Civil Aviation Authority's review of those Rules; and when she expects to make a decision on this.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is currently undertaking its review of the 1991 Traffic Distribution Rules after consulting stakeholders more widely. Once the review has concluded and the CAA has provided its advice, the government will give this careful consideration before determining next steps.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the level of net Government support to the rail sector per passenger journey in September 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not routinely publish estimates of net government support to the rail sector per passenger journey for individual months. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes annual statistics on government support to the rail industry and passenger journeys. These can be found here:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/rail-industry-finance/.
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/.
Rail industry finance figures for 2025-26 will be released in November by the ORR but will not include September 2026 as this falls in the 2026-27 financial year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a breakdown of how much was spent by the London and North Eastern Railway on hospitality and supporting sporting events in 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The amount spent by London North Eastern Railway is commercially sensitive given competition on the route. As public bodies, all DfT Operator train companies must follow the Managing Public Money guidelines to ensure investment made represents value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2026 to Question 15004 on Airports: Fees and Charges, what modelling or projections her Department has undertaken of the potential impact of Government requirements relating to airport surface access on (a) airport drop-off charges and (b) airport parking charges.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
UK airports are responsible for developing and maintaining their own surface access strategies in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders, reflecting local needs, transport networks and future development plans. In some cases, specific surface access targets may be considered through the planning process as part of airport expansion proposals.
Assessing the impact of surface access measures would generally be a matter for the airport operator and, where relevant, the planning authority.
However, the Government recognises concerns about the impact of airport drop-off charges on airport users and we are considering how any such review of this might be taken forward.