Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch Collision between two passenger trains near Talerddig, Powys, published on 18 June, whether questions relating to dynamic passing were considered as a factor causing or worsening the consequences of the crash.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is the independent body responsible for investigating rail accidents and determining their causes. In its report on the collision between two passenger trains near Talerddig, Powys, RAIB did not identify dynamic passing, dynamic loops or their absence as a cause of the accident, nor as a factor that worsened its consequences.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been (1) the loss of annual revenue and (2) the savings of administrative cost arising from the abolishing of the Severn Crossing toll.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has not made any estimate of what revenues or administrative costs would have been if tolling had continued at the Severn Crossings after 2018.
The power to levy tolls at the Severn Crossings expired on 7 January 2018 when the private sector concession operated by Severn River Crossing plc ended. During the concession, the Government received no income from tolls and did not incur any costs relating to the administration of the toll, except for a short period from 2 November 2017 to the end of the concession, when toll income was paid to the Secretary of State.
A road user charge under the Transport Act 2000 operated from 8 January to 16 December 2018 inclusive, with drivers charged reduced rates compared to the previous toll. In the 357-day period from 8 January to 31 December 2018, income from the charge was £96.2 million and expenditure was £18.7 million, of which £3.85 million related to the costs of removing toll collection infrastructure, with the remainder covering operating and maintenance costs.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which stretches of public roadway in England currently raise toll charges on vehicles which use them.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Tolls and road user charges are levied on vehicles using the following public roads and private infrastructure on otherwise public roads in England:
M6 Toll motorway
Aldwark Bridge
Batheaston (Bathampton) Bridge
Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels
Cartford Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Dartford Crossing
Dunham Bridge
Eling Bridge
Humber Bridge
Itchen Bridge
Kingsland Bridge, Shrewsbury
Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges
Mersey Tunnels
Rixton and Warburton Bridge
Swinford Bridge
Tamar Bridge
Tyne Tunnels
Whitchurch Bridge
Whitney-on-Wye Bridge
This list excludes zonal road user charging schemes where charges are applied over multiple roads to manage congestion or emissions, for example the Clean Air Zones in several English cities.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the statement in the King's Speech made on 13 May that they will "unlock the benefits of airport expansion" refers to airports in England only or throughout the UK.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Following the King’s Speech, the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on 14 May.
The Bill has three core objectives: to promote economic growth and infrastructure development; strengthen consumer rights and protections; and enhance aviation safety. It will modernise the UK’s aviation legislative framework so it can keep pace with technological change, evolving consumer expectations and increasing operational complexity, while supporting a resilient sector aligned with international standards.
The Bill applies across the UK and will support the aviation sector nationwide to grow and remain competitive, while ensuring passengers can travel with confidence.
Its measures will help ensure the regulatory framework supports the efficient use of existing capacity and can accommodate future growth across airports across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to the figures reported by fire brigades indicating an increase of 38 per cent in the number of fires associated with e-bikes and e-scooters.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides the Government with powers to update and replace outdated product safety legislation.
The Department for Business and Trade, though the Office of Product Safety and Standards, are consulting on reforms to modernise the product safety framework, strengthen enforcement and improve consumer safety, including in relation to high-risk products and online sales. This includes consideration of lithium-ion batteries for e-bike and e-scooter batteries, which can present a fire risk where they do not comply with product safety legislation.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Holyhead Port Authorities regarding the cause of the closure of the port for passenger ships from Ireland on 7 and 8 March; and what steps they are taking to prevent this happening in the future.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has had no such discussions with Holyhead Port Authorities; however, we understand that the closure was the result of a technical issue with a vessel, which blocked a key berth and prevented other vessels from operating. As transport in Wales is devolved, it is for the Welsh Government to decide what steps may be necessary. In 2025 the Welsh Government established the Irish Sea Resilience Taskforce, and the Department for Transport continues to engage with and support the taskforce’s work alongside the port to strengthen resilience and operational readiness.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the cost of electrifying the railway line between Crewe and Holyhead.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Although the previous government committed to the electrification of this line under ‘Network North’, no funding was ever made available to begin exploring the costs and benefits of such an enhancement. As such we do not have a current estimate of the cost.
At least £445 million has been set aside for rail improvements in Wales as part of the 2025 Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy, marking the beginning of a long-term UK Government commitment to modernise Welsh railways as recently announced by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister has pledged that the UK Government will collaborate with the Welsh Government to deliver all the projects outlined in Transport for Wales’ vision for rail across Wales and the Borders, including North Wales Mainline electrification, as quickly as possible.
The Wales Rail Board will advise the UK and Welsh governments on the strategic prioritisation of future enhancements, and further UK Government funding allocations beyond the £445m already announced will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were killed in road traffic accidents in England in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how that figure compares to each of the preceding two years.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Data on road collisions involving personal injury are reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the STATS19 system. The latest year for which data is available is 2024.
In 2024, 1,353 people were killed in reported road collisions in England. This compares with 1,370 in 2023 and 1,443 in 2022.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Wales about (1) the adequacy of the two existing bridges over the Menai Strait to meet potential increased traffic arising from the construction of nuclear electricity generating facilities at Wylfa, and (2) whether the construction of those facilities will require a third bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for roads and highways matters in Wales is devolved and therefore this a matter for the Welsh Government to consider.
My department continues to engage positively with the Welsh Government on a range of cross-UK transport matters and remains willing to explore ways in which we can collaborate, support and share best practice.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about restructuring funding of railways and train services that (1) operate in Wales, or (2) serve Wales.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The UK Government has held constructive discussions with the Welsh Government throughout the development of the UK Railways Bill, focusing on restructuring governance and funding arrangements for rail services in Wales and on cross‑border routes. This work includes jointly developing a Memorandum of Understanding to classify devolved responsibilities, funding structures, and shared objectives for the Wales and Borders rail network.