Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with National Highways on Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports; and what her planned timetable is for publication of existing unpublished POPE reports.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Post opening project evaluation (POPE) reports are detailed and complex evaluations and it is right that we take the time to fully assure findings. We are committed to transparency and will provide an update on publication 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, in what circumstances she would extend track access rights for existing operators on the network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Track Access Rights are managed independently by the Office of Rail and Road.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve (a) road resurfacing and (b) other infrastructure completion times.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This year, the Government made an additional £500 million available for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network, bringing the total to a record investment of nearly £1.6 billion. A quarter of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance.
The Government also supports the rollout of lane rental schemes. This allows highway authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at peak times. This encourages quicker completion, off-peak working, or relocating works to reduce disruption on our roads. From January 2026, authorities will be able to use 50% of lane rental revenue for highway maintenance.
Highway authorities can issue overrun charges of up to £10,000 per day for works that exceed agreed timeframes. Currently these charges can only be applied on weekdays, however we are making changes to allow these charges to apply on weekends and bank holidays.
Finally, the Government has set out a new approach to infrastructure in the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, which was published in June 2025. This will restore confidence and drive economic growth by providing stability and certainty, and improve how infrastructure projects, like transport, are planned and delivered. We are working closely with HMT to ensure lessons learned from transport projects, such as set out in the James Stewart Review (published in June 2025) are incorporated into future priorities. The Department has accepted all recommendations from this Review and is already taking steps to implement them.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to manage industrial disputes within the rail sector following the proposed transfer of all rail franchises into full public ownership.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to resetting industrial relations. A first of its kind joint industry and trade union Rail Engagement Group recently held its inaugural meeting to discuss shared ambitions for GBR. The Government plans to use this group to foster productive relationships with rail workers and their trade unions, where they are valued and respected partners in delivering the positive change we need to see on the network.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that rail companies maintain (a) station ramps and (b) boarding equipment to safe standards for passengers using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All train and station operators must develop an Accessible Travel Policy, approved by the Office of Rail and Road. This requires operators to ensure that they make ramps that are fit for purpose, (either at the station or on board the train) to facilitate the boarding or alighting of the train by disabled people.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85831 on Public Houses, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the drink drive micrograms levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences, such as drink driving. We intend to publish this by the end of the year.
The power to set the drink drive limit in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is her Department’s timetable for announcing future rounds of funding for the Access for All programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Access for All funding for the current Spending Review period has been allocated, with projects to be announced in due course.
We would expect any future rounds to align to future Spending Review periods. Until then, accessibility upgrades can be funded via a variety of sources, such as Section 106 developer contributions.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Motor Insurance Taskforce report will be published.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The motor insurance taskforce report will be published shortly.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the amount the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency spent on translation and interpretation services in the last five financial years:
Financial year | Spend on translation and interpretation service |
2020-2021 | £30,081.48 |
2021-2022 | £51,485.04 |
2022-2023 | £77,577.38 |
2023-2024 | £110,494.64 |
2024-2025 | £124,951.66 |
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the criteria that will be used by Great British Railways to allocate funding for (a) infrastructure and (b) rolling stock.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Spending Review 25 and CP7 set railway budgets up to and including financial year 2028/29. The next Periodic Review and future Spending Reviews determine funding levels beyond 2028/29. While it’s government’s responsibility to allocate funding for GBR to use, including for infrastructure and rolling stock activity, it will be GBR’s responsibility, as the railways’ directing mind, to decide how it intends to carry out that activity within the funding allocated.