Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department considers (a) increased passenger numbers, (b) reduced average fares and (c) increased revenue to be measures of success when evaluating rail fares reform.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passenger demand, fares levels and revenues are some of the factors considered amongst the success criteria of rail fares reform, as we seek to balance benefits and potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. Other factors include passenger experience, crowding and simplification of fares to support passenger understanding.
The independent evaluation into the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) fares trial commissioned by the Department for Transport and conducted by SYSTRA does not provide a definitive estimate of the proportion of passengers paying more or less for an equivalent journey. It demonstrates that some passengers paid less and some paid more, and that average revenue per journey increased.
More information can be found here - LNER single leg pricing and Simpler Fares trial evaluation - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has undertaken analysis of the reasons for increases in average revenue per passenger journey on LNER’s London routes following the introduction of single-leg pricing.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passenger demand, fares levels and revenues are some of the factors considered amongst the success criteria of rail fares reform, as we seek to balance benefits and potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. Other factors include passenger experience, crowding and simplification of fares to support passenger understanding.
The independent evaluation into the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) fares trial commissioned by the Department for Transport and conducted by SYSTRA does not provide a definitive estimate of the proportion of passengers paying more or less for an equivalent journey. It demonstrates that some passengers paid less and some paid more, and that average revenue per journey increased.
More information can be found here - LNER single leg pricing and Simpler Fares trial evaluation - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of passengers pay (a) more and (b) less for an equivalent journey following the introduction of single-leg pricing on LNER services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passenger demand, fares levels and revenues are some of the factors considered amongst the success criteria of rail fares reform, as we seek to balance benefits and potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. Other factors include passenger experience, crowding and simplification of fares to support passenger understanding.
The independent evaluation into the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) fares trial commissioned by the Department for Transport and conducted by SYSTRA does not provide a definitive estimate of the proportion of passengers paying more or less for an equivalent journey. It demonstrates that some passengers paid less and some paid more, and that average revenue per journey increased.
More information can be found here - LNER single leg pricing and Simpler Fares trial evaluation - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department plans to expand the Modal Shift Revenue Support scheme to improve the cost-competitiveness of waterborne freight.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department is currently evaluating the Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme, with a view to determining how best to support freight and logistics businesses in shifting freight between transport modes once the scheme expires on 31 March 2027.
Government supports the shift towards greater use of waterborne freight, where appropriate, and is undertaking a comprehensive review of the potential for waterborne freight and the barriers that currently constrain its growth.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish a national strategy for inland waterborne freight.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Domestic shipping routes are an important part of the UK maritime sector and wider economy. Such routes accounted for 70.1 million tonnes of freight moved in 2025. Moving freight in this way can be environmentally beneficial and improve inland transport efficiency. We support the shift towards greater use of waterborne freight, and Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of waterborne freight.
While Government currently has no plans to publish a national strategy for inland waterborne freight, this review will explore the potential for waterborne freight growth and review the barriers blocking it.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Victims and Courts Act 2026 on people falsely accused of serious crime.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government considered the impacts of the measures in the Victims and Courts Act 2026 on those affected by them, including defendants and offenders, as part of the Bill’s impact assessments, equality analysis and assessment of compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. These considered, among other matters, fair trial rights and relevant safeguards for defendants.
No separate assessment was made of people described as having been falsely accused of a crime. However, making a false allegation of a criminal offence is a serious matter which may itself amount to the commission of an offence such as perverting the course of justice or wasting police time. Where an individual intentionally makes a false allegation and their conduct amounts to a criminal offence, prosecutions may be brought for offences including perverting the course of justice or wasting police time.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of reforms to the Tour Operators' Margin Scheme on coach holiday businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The government published a call for evidence on 28 October 2026 “VAT treatment of travel services in relation to the Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme’, which runs until 31 January 2027. It seeks views on retaining, reforming, simplifying or withdrawing the scheme, including changes to calculations and transitional arrangements. Coach holiday businesses and their representative bodies can contribute evidence about the potential effects on their operations. The evidence received will inform future proposals and assessments of their impacts.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department collects data on the number of reported thefts of domestic heating oil; and if she will take steps to ensure that thefts of domestic heating oil are separately identifiable in police-recorded crime statistics.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not currently collect or hold data on reported thefts of domestic heating oil. Police data collections are set out in the Annual Data Requirement (ADR), which is subject to annual review and consultation. Any proposals for new or amended data collections are considered through established governance processes, taking account of the value of the information requested and the burden placed on police forces and other stakeholders.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115907 on unadopted roads, whether her Department plans to collect data from local highway authorities on the number of roads awaiting adoption.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has no current plans to collect data from local highway authorities on the number of roads awaiting adoption.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure roads subject to section 38 agreements between developers and highways authorities are gritted during winter weather before formal adoption.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 33556 on 20 October 2026.