Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support business and trade in market towns.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Government values the historic role of market towns in the economic and social life of the United Kingdom and is focused on its plan to breathe life back into our high streets.

This means addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, stamping out late payments, empowering communities to make the most of vacant properties, strengthening the Post Office network, and reforming business rates. We are also working with the banking industry to roll out banking hubs, to ensure essential banking services are maintained for businesses and residents.

To drive further progress, we will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the final evaluation report for the Rural Mobility Fund to be published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Rural Mobility Fund evaluation consists of two elements – a first stage including monitoring data collection and a process evaluation and a second stage including impact and value for money evaluation.

An interim monitoring data collection and process evaluation report was published in September 2023 and a second concluding process evaluation report will be published later this year.

The impact and value for money evaluation will be published in 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a separate regulatory framework for Demand-Responsive Transport services, distinct from taxi and bus regulations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is recognition that the regulatory framework covering demand responsive transport (DRT) is complex, not least because it includes elements of taxi, private hire vehicle and bus legislation, including vehicles using community transport permits.

We keep all policies under review and my officials have regular engagement with a range of stakeholders across the DRT sector, ensuring that key regulatory issues are considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the final evaluation report for the Rural Mobility Fund will include a conclusion on the optimum zone size for Demand-Responsive Transport services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) impact and value for money evaluation will seek to explore what works best, when and why in the RMF scheme areas (rural and suburban). However, it may be the case that there is no single optimal zone size, as the optimal size may vary depending on the number of vehicles in operation, hours of operation, traffic congestion, rurality, population density, other transport infrastructure and connections and demographics.

Additionally, DRT Best Practice Guidance is being developed which will support local authorities in determining whether DRT might be a suitable option in certain areas.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure people who could not pay their Self Assessment Tax because of the Barclays outage do not have to pay a fixed penalty.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

No Barclays customers who filed their tax return and paid their Self Assessment tax liability by 3^rd February will face a penalty.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the widespread adoption of updated circulator pumps in the UK on energy savings.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is continuing to monitor the UK circulator pump market and will consider how these, alongside other technologies could support greater energy efficiency and the transition to Net Zero.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to include information on the benefits of updating circulator pumps in official energy efficiency guidance for consumers and businesses.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will consider how circulator pumps alongside other technologies will support greater energy efficiency and the transition to Net Zero.

The Government provides advice on energy efficiency improvements at the following Find ways to save energy in your home - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND provision in schools in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) the East of England.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Bedford Borough was inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November 2024 and received the strongest possible outcome: “the local area partnership’s special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) arrangements typically lead to positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND”.

In 2022, Ofsted and CQC revisited the area of Central Bedfordshire to decide whether sufficient progress had been made in addressing the areas of significant weakness detailed in its 2019 inspection. They found sufficient progress in three of six significant weaknesses.

The department and NHS England continue to support and challenge the local area by assessing progress and providing advice through a SEND expert advisor.

Since the introduction of the current Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, five local areas in the East of England have undergone inspections. Suffolk and Hertfordshire were found to have systemic failings, while Southend-on-Sea exhibited typically inconsistent outcomes. In contrast, Bedford Borough, as stated above, demonstrated generally positive outcomes. Cambridgeshire was inspected in January 2025, but the report has not yet been published.

The department issued improvement notices to Hertfordshire and Suffolk and is working with NHS England to continue to assess progress against priority and strategic action plans.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the adequacy of the availability of land and property for new 5G infrastructure and (b) its impact on the UK telecoms market.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The department has not carried out an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of land or property for 5G infrastructure, and this is not an issue previously raised by industry. The Electronic Communications Code provides the regulatory framework by which telecommunications operators gain access to land and property to deploy infrastructure. This aims to balance the rights of site providers and operators to facilitate infrastructure deployment on public and private land, as well as encouraging the sharing of infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 18740 on Driving Tests, whether the DVSA has developed a training schedule for organisations requiring delegated examiners in 2025.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is continuing to explore this matter in a way which balances all of the demands on DVSA’s training resource. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the proposed statutory powers of Metro Mayors for rail services will operate under Great British Railways.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The statutory role for mayors in governing, managing, planning and developing the rail network intends to bring decision making within Great British Railways as close as possible to local communities. This will empower local leaders and support the development of seamless, integrated transport networks and a public transport system that properly serves local areas.

Further detail will be outlined in an upcoming consultation on the Railways Bill, which will be published soon.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of cleaning products used on the parliamentary estate are cruelty free certified.

Answered by Nick Smith

We currently use 40 products on site; 31 products are confirmed as not tested on animals.

The remaining nine products are not cruelty free certified or we do not hold the relevant information as they are used by a contractor.

We are committed to supporting cruelty free alternatives and, where possible, we will be working with our suppliers to find cruelty free alternatives for these items.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new government-backed train ticket website will include a search facility to help people affected by train delays find actual past (a) departure and (b) arrival times to support their claims under the Delay Repay scheme.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Once Great British Railways is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. It will work alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail.

Exact plans will now be developed in close partnership with industry, the private sector and wider stakeholders, with further detail to be consulted on shortly as part of the Railways Bill consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driver shortages have been reported by each rail company in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Driver shortages and unavailability cause delays and cancellations, and so it is a very high priority for this government to ensure operators have sufficient number of drivers trained and available across the network.

Train operators use a variety of measures to track availability of drivers. For example, total headcount against target, unavailability due to training, illness or leave and levels of overtime, which may be used to balance fluctuations in availability. While these measures are not systematically reported to the Department, ministers have commissioned work to look in detail at the impact of driver unavailability on train performance and suggest options to improve.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the polices on issuing Penalty Charge Notices for patient transport service vehicles.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No assessment has been made by this Department of the potential merits of reviewing the policies on issuing Penalty Charge notices for patient transport service vehicles.

NHS Trusts are expected to comply with the NHS Car Parking Guidance, from 2022, which covers both NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts. This applies to all NHS Trusts, including those that use private parking companies to operate their hospital car parks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of existing regulations for community transport provision.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Community transport operators play a vital role in connecting people with their communities, enabling access to employment, education and other essential services. Recognising the value of these services of social benefit, often provided by charities, the system of section 19 and section 22 permits provided in the Transport Act 1985 allows not-for-profit community transport operators to operate public service vehicles (PSVs) without the associated costs of a PSV operator’s licence.

The section 19 and section 22 permit system continues to support community transport services across the country and the Government provides guidance on the rules for permits and how to apply for them at Section 19 and 22 permits and obligations: not for profit passenger transport - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2025 to Question 25028 on Buses: Sales, for what reason an end-of-sale date is not set for coaches.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No decision has been taken on whether to set an end of sale date for new non-zero emission coaches. We will consider all options to support the decarbonisation of the coach fleet.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of existing regulations for demand responsive transport.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has supported sixteen demand responsive transport (DRT) trials through the Rural Mobility Fund (RMF). Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process which will provide a better understanding of challenges associated with introducing and operating DRT, including those arising from regulation. An interim monitoring data collection and process evaluation report was published in September 2023 and a second concluding process evaluation report will be published later this year.

There is recognition that the regulatory framework covering DRT is complex, not least because it includes elements of taxi, private hire vehicle and bus legislation, including vehicles using community transport permits.

We keep all policies under review and my officials have regular engagement with a range of stakeholders across the DRT sector, ensuring that key regulatory issues are considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time taken was for a local authority to adopt a road in each local authority in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold this information. Adoption of roads that are not maintainable at public expense is a matter for the relevant local highway authority, and the Department does not typically intervene in such matters. The Department provides advice to developers and highway authorities on the process, which can be found on gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-of-roads-by-highway-authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the allocation of the transport budget in England for walking and cycling initiatives.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that investment in active travel supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets, reduce emissions, and enable people to live longer, healthier lives.

We have already announced an additional £100 million investment in walking and cycling infrastructure for 2025/26, to enable local authorities to install cycling infrastructure and upgrade pavements and paths. Decisions on funding for active travel for 2026/27 and beyond will be a matter for the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating her Department's guidance for local transport authorities to require them to have an alternative dispute resolution when franchising services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport published guidance to local authorities on tendering for road passenger transport contracts in 2013. This included advice on dispute resolution. There are no plans to revise that guidance because there are no specific rules or requirements for tendering or awarding bus contracts in buses legislation. It is for individual franchising authorities to determine the appropriate dispute resolution process when tendering or awarding local service contracts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 21 January 2025 to Questions 23569 and 23568 on Animal Experiments, what steps she is taking to ensure that more (a) establishments are audited, (b) audits are unannounced and (c) animals are not subjected to additional harms through failures to provide adequate care.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This provides for a regulatory regimen of activities that protects animals in science including facilities audits by the Home Office to ensure compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA. Each establishment will receive an audit at least every three years if it does not hold special species and at least every year if it holds specially protected species.

The Regulator is presently undertaking a structured programme of reforms. This will increase the total number of Inspectors from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for active travel on national river walks.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is progressing plans to designate nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. This is a priority for us, and we are currently evaluating several delivery options and potential locations. The Department will work with Defra to ensure the nine new walks are accessible, incorporating active travel options where it is possible to do so.

Active Travel England provides funding to Local Authorities to build out Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) and to Sustrans to manage the National Cycle Network (NCN). A package of almost £300 million over 24/25 and 25/26 for active travel was announced on 12 February 2025. Funding for Sustrans and local authorities can be utilised on national river walks.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support (a) trade unions and (b) workers' rights through foreign policy.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to working closely with international trade unions through its foreign policy. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for human rights will soon meet the heads of global union federations to discuss international labour issues. We work actively through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to promote decent work and workers' rights, including raising workers' rights issues with the ILO supervisory system. The Government acts globally to prevent forced labour in supply chains, including, for example, by supporting reform of labour migration policies in South East Asia to ensure fair treatment of migrant workers. In addition, As Minister for Development, I met with trade union representatives in Addis Ababa who were part of the ‘Taqaddum’ platform for civil society, as part of her work on the Sudan conflict and its humanitarian consequences.

Found: Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Catherine Atkinson; Olly Glover; Katie Lam; Alex Mayer

Found: Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Catherine Atkinson; Olly Glover; Katie Lam; Alex Mayer

Found: I wrote to my MP, Alex Mayer, over this.

Found: submitted by Heath and Reach Parish Council (BCC0111) Following a letter recently received from Alex Mayer