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The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides the Government with powers to update and replace outdated product safety legislation.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.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were (1) killed, or (2) seriously injured, in road traffic accidents in England in the most recent year for which statistics are available; and what the comparable figures were for (1) 5 years, and (2) 10 years, earlier.
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.
The number of killed or seriously injured casualties in reported road traffic collisions in England are shown in the table:
Severity | 2014 | 2019 | 2024 |
Killed | 1,472 | 1,489 | 1,353 |
Serious | 28,197 | 24,773 | 26,697 |
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 9 December (HL12329), when they plan for Euston station to be equipped with full step-free access for passengers.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Work is continuing with delivery partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for Euston Station, which will include the new HS2 terminus, along with upgrades to the existing Network Rail and London Underground stations and local transport facilities. The development of these plans will include provision of step free access for passengers. The Department will set out more details in due course as the plans for Euston Station are progressed.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many mainline railway stations in London currently have full step-free access for passengers, and what plans they have to guarantee step free access in those stations.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Based on data from a 2023 national accessibility stations audit, there are 138 mainline railway stations in London that currently provide full step-free access for passengers. This is out of a total of 335 mainline stations within the Greater London Authority area.
The Department continues to work closely with Network Rail, train operators and local authorities to improve step-free access at stations in London. For example, a major upgrade to deliver step free access at Hither Green station is forecast to open to passengers in 2027.
Where step-free access is not available, train operators are required to provide alternative transport at no additional cost to the passenger.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the Welsh economy of the delay to the work on the Oxford to Milton Keynes passenger service.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Major infrastructure work for the first phase of East West Rail has been delivered, and the Department for Transport is working with industry partners to start passenger services as quickly as possible. The UK government continues to fund, deliver and manage rail infrastructure enhancements across both England and Wales to support growth and connectivity in both countries.