Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53771 on Railways: Finance, what recent progress she has made on the Union Connectivity Development Fund.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Union Connectivity Development Fund (UCDF) has provided financial support for a range of transport connectivity projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This includes funding to support four rail feasibility studies in Northern Ireland, the conclusions of which have just been published in a Translink report.
While there are no plans for further UCDF-supported projects once those already underway are concluded, the Department remains committed to its strong partnerships with the Devolved Governments, focusing on collaboration, capacity building and the sharing of best practice, where appropriate.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take through the Road Safety Strategy to raise awareness among motorists of their responsibilities when passing pedestrians on roads with no footpaths.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Department is developing our road safety strategy and we will set out more details in due course.
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The advice on safe passing distances in Rule 163 says that motorists should “allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road (for example, where there is no pavement)”.
The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK! plays an important role in raising awareness of, and encouraging compliance with road safety legislation, including the changes to The Highway Code. THINK! ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect, and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Over £2.4 million has been spent on media to promote this campaign, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising.
We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rail connectivity in Shropshire.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Railway’s (WMR’s) modern Class 196 fleet entered service between Shrewsbury and Birmingham in 2022, increasing capacity, and improving reliability and customer experience. Transport for Wales (TfW) are introducing new Class 197 trains from 2026 on their route through Shropshire to Birmingham International.
The Department also worked with the West Midlands Rail Executive to restore the semi-fast WMR service between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the Government plans to curb dangerous driving on the A52 in Broxtowe.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. Details on this will be published shortly.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the APPG for Cycling and Walking's report entitled Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the concerns raised in the APPG report about the safety of e-bikes which do not comply with regulations and the risks associated with battery fires.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act which received Royal Assent in July, created the powers to allow Government to change regulations to respond to emerging technologies, including e-bikes, batteries and conversion kits.
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the future role of the Railway Benevolent Fund under Great British Railways, and what steps she is taking to ensure the Fund can continue its support for current and former rail workers once GBR is operational.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Railway Benevolent Institution, known as the Rail Benevolent Fund (RBF), is an independent non-membership charity, supported by charitable fundraising and donations, and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The future role of the RBF, including when Great British Railways is established, is a matter for the charity.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of vegetation clearance carried out by Network Rail under temporary variations on Network Rail’s biodiversity commitments.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has not made an assessment of the impact of vegetation clearance carried out by Network Rail under temporary variations on Network Rail’s biodiversity commitments. Any work carried out by Network Rail under temporary variation against the vegetation standard, would still be following its biodiversity standard. Network Rail is committed to increasing biodiversity across its estate, but vegetation management is still necessary to maintain a safe and efficient railway.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether extra pollution has been caused by diverted traffic due to the length of time that Hammersmith Bridge has been closed.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My officials are continuing to work closely with Transport for London to progress an assessment of the traffic levels in South-West London following the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motor vehicles, and further updates will be made available in the near future.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment Network Rail has made of the potential impact of (a) the reopening of the Camp Hill Line and (b) the May 2026 timetable change on capacity constraints at Birmingham New Street.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Combined Authority produced a Full Business Case for delivery of Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road stations on the Camp Hill line. The stations facilitate a range of transformational benefits to the region including job creation, new supply chains, economic growth, and decarbonisation by moving passengers from road to rail.
The services for the new stations have been agreed via the usual Network Change process to ensure all stations affected, including Birmingham New Street, meet regulatory compliance requirements.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to PQ82726 answered on 21 October 2025 about Cross Country Strikes, whether her Department has recently had discussions on that dispute with key parties to seek a resolution.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
CrossCountry kept the Department advised on their progress this autumn resolving issues raised by the RMT. It was welcome news that on 2 December the RMT confirmed to CrossCountry that proposed strike action was suspended and they were no longer in dispute with CrossCountry, so passengers can book their travel on this basis.