Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned completion date is for the Barking station upgrade being delivered by c2c.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The estimated completion date for the Barking station upgrade is autumn 2026. The right-hand side gateline and lift are now complete and open to the public.
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 the £663 million per year efficiency saving projected for 2028–29 has already been delivered; and what proportion remains uncontracted, unimplemented or subject to future business cases.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Departmental Efficiency Plans set out the efficiencies that will be delivered by the Department for Transport over the period 2026/27 – 2028/29. These efficiencies are measured against 2025/26 planned day-to-day budgets (i.e. this financial year) and will therefore be delivered in future years.
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 Bath and North East Somerset council, rated red, for the local highway authority’s road condition ratings, improves its performance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department published a new traffic light rating system for all local highway authorities in England on 11 January which rates authorities red, amber or green based on: the condition of their roads; how effectively they spend their record Government funding; and, whether they do so using best practice. This system allows the Government to target support to those who need extra help; red-rated authorities will receive dedicated support to bring them in line with best practice, expert planning and capability assistance.
Bath and North East Somerset Council received an overall amber rating. Its three scorecards show red for condition, green for spend, and amber for wider best practice.
The Government recognises that historic underinvestment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way that they would want to. The Government has therefore confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This new, four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. By confirming funding allocations for the next four-year period, authorities have certainty to plan ahead and shift from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance.
Local authorities can further improve their ratings by adopting new innovative approaches trialled through the government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. This has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Welsh Government have made a formal request for the devolution of heavy rail infrastructure to Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government committed to invest £445 million to enhance rail infrastructure across Wales at the Spending Review. Through the Wales Rail Board, the UK and Welsh Government are collaborating to make sure this investment delivers the greatest passenger benefits, drives economic growth, promotes social mobility, and tackles inequality.
Great British Railways will have a close and collaborative relationship with Transport for Wales, underpinned by objectives set jointly by UK and Welsh Ministers, to ensure the railway better serves passengers and freight.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays in reinstating driving licences following medical clearance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. However, driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as they vary widely in complexity and the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.
The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system, scheduled to be operational in March 2026, which is expected to deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. When fully implemented, this will provide improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. To reduce call waiting times and to support customers, the DVLA is also increasing staffing levels in its contact centre.
Applicants renewing an existing licence may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information on this can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the cost per kilometre of East West Rail from Bedford to Cambridge.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Capital cost estimates for Connection Stages 2 (Oxford-Bedford) and 3 (Oxford-Cambridge) routes were published by East West Rail Company in 2024. Final costs for the project will be driven by scope and design choices.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current blue badge policy for people with Crohn's and Colitis.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme supports people with severe mobility issues, including those with non‑visible disabilities that cause very considerable difficulty walking or significant psychological distress during a journey.
The Government has already extended eligibility to people with non‑visible conditions, and local authorities assess applications on a case‑by‑case basis using medical evidence.
While symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis can be serious, these conditions do not automatically confer entitlement; however, applicants whose mobility is substantially impaired because of their condition may still qualify following assessment by their local authority.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the privatisation of the Dartford Crossing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Autumn Budget 2025 announced that the Government's preferred financing option for the Lower Thames Crossing scheme at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under this model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. New primary legislation is required to enable the RAB model to be utilised to deliver roads. We intend to put forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows for it.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for the construction of a railway station at Tempsford.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail Company has set out details of its proposals for a new station at Tempsford as part of East West Rail in its autumn announcement in November 2025. The Government and East West Rail Company have committed to bring forward the delivery of a new station at Tempsford to introduce services on the East Coast Main Line to the area ahead of the full East West Rail scheme opening and design work is progressing on this.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the projected efficiency saving from corporate initiatives by 2028–29 represents cash reductions in Departmental expenditure, as opposed to productivity improvements, cost avoidance or spending reclassification.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport’s published Departmental Efficiency Plan states that £199m in corporate initiatives efficiencies are forecast to be delivered in 2028/29. These efficiencies are considered cash releasing efficiencies (i.e. they reduce our expenditure requirements) in line with the definition in the Government Efficiency Framework.