Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Ballinger Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

I commend the hon. Gentleman for his campaigning on this issue. We do need to make the environment around schools safer for children. Some of the most successful and enduring interventions to improve road safety have been things like school streets initiatives. If traffic-calming measures can reduce the number of people being killed or seriously injured, it is right that local authorities look at the local situation and do not hesitate to make the interventions that could make all the difference.

[Alex Ballinger (Halesowen) (Lab)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

The King’s Speech promised to change the country for the better, and this Government are getting on with the job. Yesterday we completed the passage of the Railways Bill through this place, paving the way for Great British Railways and an industry that finally works for passengers instead of profit. We have already seen new trains on South Western Railway and more capacity on LNER, and the first GBR-branded trains are now in service. More than half of train operating companies are now in public ownership and are performing better, on average, than those still in private hands. [Interruption.] That is just one part of how we are transforming journeys.

Tomorrow I am launching the third cycling and walking investment strategy, building on the investment already announced, to enable more people to make safe and healthy choices to get around. We are progressing legislation—[Interruption.]

[Heidi Alexander]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Opposition like to chunter, but this Government are backing our aspirational words with real action. A stronger, fairer Britain is what we promised, and it is what we will deliver.

[Alex Ballinger]

I have been contacted by a number of residents including Stuart from Quarry Bank and Stephanie from Homer Hill about the dangerous use of modified e-bikes and e-scooters in parks across the constituency. Older people are particularly worried about youths riding dangerously without thought for road conditions. Will the Secretary of State set out what steps she is taking to help to improve safety and reduce the dangerous use of these modified e-bikes and e-scooters?

[Heidi Alexander]

E-bikes that are modified to go over 15.5 mph are illegal. We continue to support the police with the tools they need to enforce road traffic legislation. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has given the police stronger powers to seize vehicles used antisocially without first requiring a warning and has introduced new respect orders, enabling police and councils to ban persistent offenders from areas where they cause harm.