Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review railcards as part of the move to Great British Railways; and if so, what is their timescale for that review.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As set out in the current consultation document, our intention is that, once established, Great British Railways should be required in legislation to retain discounts targeted at groups for which cost is more likely to be a barrier to rail travel. There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways but it will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the latest status in safeguarding the route for Crossrail 2; what is their timescale; and what steps they need to take to complete the safeguarding.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Although development of Crossrail 2 was paused in 2020, the route remains safeguarded to protect it from conflicting development. Officials from my department regularly discuss the scheme with Transport for London.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of heavier electric vehicles on (1) the maintenance of roads across the country, and (2) the budgets needed going forward to maintain safe road surfaces.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that are the dominant factor determining road design and weight limits, and that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

The Government is determined to enable local highway authorities in England to look after their highway networks, and it has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for the 2025/26 financial year. It has also started the process of updating its guidance to local highway authorities on managing their highway infrastructure, and the revised guidance will reflect, where necessary, the impacts on local highway networks of new vehicle types as well as other changes such as the changing climate.

The Department is also committed to securing multi-year funding settlements for local authorities, to enable them to plan ahead more strategically for the long term, and to invest in appropriate materials and maintenance processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by Sustrans Children's Walking and Cycling Index 2024, published 26 February, what assessment they have made of the potential merits of including children in policy-making relating to travel.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government agrees that it is important to include a wide-range of groups in the policy making process, including children. On 12 February, Active Travel England published guidance to help councils engage with local communities in the development of new walking and cycling schemes. This includes reference to engaging with children in the design process of active travel schemes near schools.

Active Travel England supports a range of programmes to help enable more active travel for children, including Living Street’s Walk to School Outreach, Modeshift STARS and Bikeability cycle training.

The Government understands that perceived safety can be a barrier to more people choosing to walk, wheel or cycle. This is why the Department has recently announced almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6. The Department has also published guidance for local authorities on implementing School Streets, which help improve the safety of roads outside schools for cycling.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by Sustrans Children's Walking and Cycling Index 2024, published 26 February, what steps they are taking to address the gender divide in children cycling.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government agrees that it is important to include a wide-range of groups in the policy making process, including children. On 12 February, Active Travel England published guidance to help councils engage with local communities in the development of new walking and cycling schemes. This includes reference to engaging with children in the design process of active travel schemes near schools.

Active Travel England supports a range of programmes to help enable more active travel for children, including Living Street’s Walk to School Outreach, Modeshift STARS and Bikeability cycle training.

The Government understands that perceived safety can be a barrier to more people choosing to walk, wheel or cycle. This is why the Department has recently announced almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6. The Department has also published guidance for local authorities on implementing School Streets, which help improve the safety of roads outside schools for cycling.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 13 February (HL5039), what is the latest status of any revisions to the Crossrail 2 safeguarded route proposed by Transport for London in 2020 which are yet to be approved; and what is the timescale and next steps to complete the safeguarding of such revisions.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As previously advised, development of Crossrail 2 was paused in 2020. Whilst the department currently has no plans to move forward with Crossrail 2, the route remains safeguarded to protect it from conflicting development and officials from my department regularly have discussions with Transport for London regarding this scheme and their other transport priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support electronic heavy goods vehicles and their infrastructure; and whether their plans include amendments to planning policy as part of the new National Planning Policy Framework.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government is supporting the decarbonisation of the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) sector through the Plug-in Truck Grant, which provides a contribution to the upfront purchase costs of zero emission vehicles until at least the end of the current financial year, as well as the up-to-£200m zero emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, which will deploy hundreds of zero emission HGVs and their associated recharging and refuelling sites by March 2026.

The Government also knows planning is key to the roll out of EV charging infrastructure and is working to ensure the system supports installations. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out policies aimed at realising opportunities from changing transport technology. It encourages local authorities to identify appropriate sites for freight and logistics, consider charging needs when shaping parking policies, and ensure new developments are designed to support vehicle charging. The Government remains committed to further planning reform and intends to consult on national policy related to decision making in spring 2025.

Found: provisions of bus services under franchised schemes. 59/1 HL Bill 72—Running List 7 March Clause 12 BARONESS PIDGEON

Found: provisions of bus services under franchised schemes. 59/1 HL Bill 72—Running List 5 March Clause 12 BARONESS PIDGEON

Found: and including 3 March 2025 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 12 BARONESS PIDGEON

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