Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on the proximity of large passenger vessels to the UK coastline, other than when entering or leaving port.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We recognise the impact in terms of noise, environmental damage, and air quality that large vessels can have in proximity to coastlines. Whilst we have made no recent assessment of this impact for the purpose of placing restrictions, we have taken significant steps to improve our evidence base on the emissions from shipping by developing a new Maritime Emissions Model.
The UK continues to push for the adoption of the Net Zero Framework at the International Maritime Organization, which will place global regulation on the maritime sector to incentivise the transition to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to confirm the remaining funding necessary to complete the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor has committed a further £891m to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, the final tranche of Government support before private sector investment takes forward construction and long-term operation. The total Government investment in the project will stand at £3.1bn. This includes spend to date and funding committed through the Spending Review and Autumn Budget.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for the total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees (ii) other subscriptions by her Department in the last financial year.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department’s total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees for the last financial year was nil and (ii) other similar membership subscriptions was nil.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of bus connectivity between (a) towns and (b) villages in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows how important reliable bus services are in enabling people to stay connected and access education, work and vital services. We are committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including in Surrey. The Government has introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England.
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review, confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead to improve services for local communities.
Surrey County Council will be allocated £33.6 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29. This is in addition to the £12 million they are already receiving under the LABG this financial year. 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 bus provision between towns and villages.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that South Western Railway rail replacement bus services are fully wheelchair accessible in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Regulatory requirements apply to South Western Railway (SWR) to ensure rail replacement buses meet the necessary standards on accessibility across their network, including in Surrey Heath constituency. SWR works with its rail replacement providers to ensure services are accessible as far as possible, but if accessible options are not available, SWR will arrange alternative accessible transport.
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 assessment she has made of the potential merits of private finance support for delivering the remainder of the Lower Thames Crossing; and whether she has had discussions with private investors on that subject.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A robust assessment of private investment options has been undertaken, with the shortlist outlined in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. The Government’s preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model as it offers an integrated approach that focuses delivery, reduces the financial burden on taxpayers, harnesses the benefits of private investment, and ensures strong regulatory oversight to promote the interests of users. The Department, National Highways and its advisors regularly hold informal discussions with private investment markets on a variety of themes and sectors.
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 plans she has to use (a) public-private partnership, (b) concessions model, and (c) toll-based financing model for the Lower Thames Crossing; and what options remain under consideration.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. This funding approach accelerates progress by unlocking private capital, therefore reducing the financial burden on taxpayers and boosting economic growth. This approach was selected following a robust assessment of private investment options, as set out in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. Other models considered as part of this assessment included full public funding and public funding for the tunnels with DBFOM contracts for the roads.
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 assessment she has made of the risk of cost escalation in the Lower Thames Crossing project.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While the Development Consent Order (DCO) provides a fixed framework that limits scope-driven changes and offers higher cost certainty for delivery, it is important to note that at this stage of a project of this size and complexity there is always a level of uncertainty on the ultimate final cost of the project.
The government’s decision to proceed under the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model will significantly reduce the financial burden of construction costs to taxpayers, bringing in substantial amounts of private investment.
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 plans she has to publish regular progress reports detailing (a) expenditure, (b) contractual commitments and (c) updates on the funding position for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department and National Highways are committed to transparency and will continue to provide updates on the Lower Thames Crossing, including expenditure, contractual commitments, and the funding position, through established reporting mechanisms.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the resilience of rail networks during periods of extreme winter weather.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and the industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on the rail network. The industry’s winter preparedness regime begins in September each year.
Special trains and equipment are fully checked and any repairs carried out, while contingency plans are reviewed and agreed with train operators to keep passengers moving during adverse weather. Network Rail uses detailed forecasts from weather experts, MetDesk, to formulate local action plans during adverse weather to minimise disruption to journeys. These forecasts cover not just the weather but how the conditions will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the tracks, conductor rails, and overhead power lines.
A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop in real time. In extreme weather conditions, Network Rail and train operators prioritise getting passengers home safely over running the normal timetable. They also prioritise vital rail freight to ensure the supply of essential goods across the country.