Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that access to Heathrow Airport from Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire are considered in any assessment of new rail links to the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will carry out an economic assessment, including a regional analysis, when evaluating rail access to Heathrow Airport as part of expansion proposals.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider surface rail transportation benefits of a southern link to Heathrow when evaluating proposals for the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost to the rail network of providing rail replacement bus services between Three Bridges and Brighton.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
When engineering work takes place, it is the responsibility of the train operators to ensure the provision of rail replacement bus services, via their contracted suppliers.
My Department does not hold the information on these costs at a granular level.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of unsold vocational driving test appointments in the last month.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The table below shows the numbers of available slots for vocational testing (Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) & Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV).
| Available slots | Booked slots | % Available |
w/c 01.11.21 | 394 | 2,461 | 14% |
w/c 08.11.21 | 321 | 2,617 | 11% |
w/c 15.11.21 | 299 | 2,621 | 10% |
w/c 22.11.21 | 226 | 2,595 | 8% |
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold on the safety impact of the B+E car and trailer test; and what criteria they will use to review the impact on safety of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021 after three years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
There is not currently any statistical evidence to categorically say that competence and skills will worsen if drivers do not take a statutory test to tow a trailer. Road safety has significantly improved over recent decades for several reasons, and it is therefore difficult to identify how much the car trailer test (Category B+E) has made a difference since it was introduced in 1997 or that there is a causal link between road safety and the test. The number of trailer accidents is low, with the proportion of accidents of cars/vans towing a trailer compared to all car/van accidents, as roughly 0.45% in 2019.
Over recent decades, there has been a decline in the number of personal injury accidents for cars/vans towing trailers (with current 2019 accident figures of 474 being around a third of the total in 1997, 1442 accidents). This is likely due to several factors including vehicle safety improvements, road infrastructure improvements, other changes to licencing laws, as well as changes to the theory and practical test (for example the introduction of the hazard perception test). We also know that the number of personal injury accidents involving at least one car or van has also declined over this period (whereby total accidents have halved from 222,181 in 1997 down to 108,348 in 2019).
In respect of the demographics of the drivers towing trailers, our statistics show that individuals generally only start getting their car and trailer licence (Category B+E licences) from their late 30s and 40s onwards, indicating that people tend to start towing within the later age groups. Analysis of the proportion of licence holders relative to accidents involving a vehicle towing a trailer by age reveals injury accidents are higher within lower age groups relative to the number of licences, which mirrors the collision statistics for drivers more generally – although this excludes ages groups above 41 as anyone with a B licence pre-1997 would have acquired automatic right to the B+E licence.
We have committed in the regulations to a post-implementation review after three years and then after five years. We will keep monitoring and gathering data throughout this time to understand the impact on road safety and will take action if needed.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safety assessment they have made of the impact of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
A full impact analysis of these regulations has not been published yet. We have shared information on the road safety impact with the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, which it has published in full in its 15th Report for the session 2021 – 22. This can be found on Parliament’s website. We are working on a fuller assessment which will be published.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when communities will be able to apply for the remainder of the £500 million fund for the reopening of railway lines.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Secretary of State for Transport is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore. He has set out how this should be done and officials are providing further guidance and assistance. He will consider the proposals received and expects to make a further announcement on development funding in the autumn this year.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make funds available for the construction of reopening railway lines, beyond the £500 million feasibility studies.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The £500m is expected to fund both feasibility studies and delivery of new stations and new services on lines reopened to passengers during this Parliament. The value and progress of these will be monitored and the funding will be kept under review.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to fund a feasibility study into the reopening of the Oswestry to Gobowen railway line.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
We have committed £500m to start restoring train lines and stations closed around the time of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s and 1970s. We are inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore the possibility of reopening train lines and stations. At this stage it is too early to comment on any specific schemes other than those already announced.