Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an estimate of the (a) number of local authorities which have exempted blood bikes from the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, (b) cost of those exemptions individually and (c) savings from a national exemption.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local authorities cannot extend the speed exemption in section 87 of The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to ‘Blood Bikes’ or any other class of vehicle. Like the exemptions to red traffic lights and keep left / right signs in The Traffic Signs, Regulations and General Directions 2016, these emergency driving exemptions are a matter for Parliament. Consequently, no such calculations or estimates have been made.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish chargepoint reliability reports under the Public Chargepoint Regulations 2023 submitted by operators for 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, charge point operators are required to publish information on their compliance with the reliability requirement on their website. They must also submit a report for their network of rapid charge points for each calendar year to the Secretary of State. We do not intend to publish individual reports provided by charge point operators under the reporting requirement.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle chargepoints have been installed but are not operational due to electricity grid connections.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure qualified drivers are aware of changes to the Highway Code.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of public electric vehicle chargepoints required to meet the 2030 target will be delivered by the private sector.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To date, most public charge points have been delivered by the private sector. We expect that trend to continue as the network continues to grow.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she had with the Welsh Rail Board on the electrification of the Cardiff - Swansea section of the South Wales Mainline.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rail Minister has regular discussions with the Wales Rail Board regarding their priorities for investment, including future electrification between Swansea and Cardiff. Our initial joint priorities involve improvements on the South Wales Mainline which will deliver more immediate passenger benefits, including increasing the frequency of services to the west of Cardiff. Following the Spending Review, we are funding these improvement works as part of the wider £445 million investment to enhance rail infrastructure across Wales — unlocking economic potential, improving connectivity, and supporting communities.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the development, operating and upgrade costs of the proposed Great British Railways retail app and website; how she plans to assess value for money; and when final information on those costs will be published.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials continue to develop the proposition for the Great British Railways app and website. We are engaging with industry on this project and will provide updates in due course.
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 101830 on c2c Railway: Rolling Stock, how many Class 357 units operated by c2c have received all planned upgrades and modifications in full.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All Door Overhaul and Tight Lock Auto Coupler Overhaul works planned for 2025/26 have been completed on 74 units. Planned train painting and corrosion repairs and LED lighting upgrades are currently being undertaken.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to update the Highway Code to reflect the new 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. Alongside the strategy, 5 consultations were launched.
Following the consultations, the Department will review the Highway Code and consider what amendments may be appropriate.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is planning to take to ensure that any changes to the Highway Code are (a) effectively communicated to road users and (b) enforced.
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. Alongside the strategy, 5 consultations were launched.
Following the consultations, the Department will review the Highway Code and consider what amendments may be appropriate.
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.