Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects construction works on the Lower Thames Crossing to commence.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Construction enabling works have commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to ensure that the Highway Code changes introduced in 2022 are (a) understood and (b) followed by the public.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.
That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes.
Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As
announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the
development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what milestone dates have been set for the introduction of AI-powered disruption updates on LNER services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In the coming months London North Eastern Railway will begin introducing advanced AI‑powered tools designed to keep passengers better informed and in control when travelling. This new capability will enable instant travel updates and make it easier for customers to manage their journeys during disruption.
These improvements will be supported by enhanced, data‑driven systems that aim to reduce delays and help deliver a more reliable railway for passengers.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the the Greater Anglia timetable changes from 14 December 2025 for meeting peak-time passenger demand at Billericay station over the period of the local plan.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Greater Anglia added extra carriages to a small number of Saturday services operating from Billericay as part of the December 2025 timetable change.
Greater Anglia monitors passenger demand and will make adjustments to train services and capacity where required, and where it is possible to do. I expect Greater Anglia to continue to work with local stakeholders to develop timetables for the future.
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 12 January 2026 to Question 101854, how much funding is being provided over the Spending Review period in a) bus services, b) active travel infrastructure, and c) the Mode Shift Revenue Support grant; and over what years that funding will be allocated.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Funding for Bus Services can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-bus-grant-allocations/labg-revenue-allocations-2026-to-2029
Funding for Active Travel Infrastructure was published as part of the Spending Review 2025, and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document
Mode Shift Revenue Support grant: Up to £20 million provisional budget for 2026/27 – shared with Waterborne Freight Grant. Future funding arrangements subject to future departmental business planning.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys that excludes the depiction of a spire to prevent confusion between ruined abbeys and working churches.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Greater Anglia trains are expected to be fitted with physical advanced monitoring equipment by the end of 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Projects are still in development, but Greater Anglia estimates that between eight and twelve units in total will have physical monitoring equipment installed by the end of this year.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the fatality rate per vehicle mile travelled for hybrid, petrol, diesel and fully electric cars in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department does not hold data that would enable an estimate of fatality rates per vehicle mile travelled by propulsion type.
The STATS19 collection and DVLA records provide a breakdown of fatalities in reported road traffic collisions by vehicle and propulsion type. This information is published in data table RAS0507 available on the gov.uk website.
However, data on mileage driven by vehicles of different propulsion types is not available to the Department. Consequently, it is not possible to calculate fatality rates per mile travelled by propulsion type.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 22112, what progress she has made on assessing the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to create a new category for vehicles that park four wheels on pavements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 8 January 2026, the Secretary of State announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out the legislative measures to tackle pavement parking.
In the first instance we will give local authorities powers in 2026 to issue Penalty Charge Notices for vehicles parked in a way that unnecessarily obstructs the pavement.
At the next opportunity we will also introduce the necessary primary legislation to make powers available on an opt-in basis to local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking across their whole area. They will also have powers to exempt locations where pavement parking would still be necessary to maintain traffic flow, such as in narrow streets. Where there is no strategic authority, unitary authorities and county councils would also have the choice to opt in.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help prevent regional inconsistencies in pavement parking enforcement policy; and when statutory guidance for local authorities to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement will be published.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 8 January 2026, the Secretary of State announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out the legislative measures to tackle pavement parking. The government will publish statutory guidance by end of 2026 to assist local authorities in carrying out enforcement in a fair and proportionate manner.