Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across (a) Gloucester and (b) the South West.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of January 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 73,334 publicly available charging devices, up 37% on this time last year.
Gloucestershire County Council was allocated almost £3.7m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints. The South West region has been allocated over £45.5m capital and resource funding to increase the installation of local charging infrastructure across the region.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with representatives of Great Western Railway since 29 November 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has not met with Great Western Railway representatives since 29 November 2024, however on 12 December the Rail Minister met with representatives of both Great Western Railway and Network Rail to ensure they are progressing their plans to improve services for passengers.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve public transportation options for children with special education needs and disabilities that are in further education.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
Local authorities are responsible for transport to education and training for 16-19 year olds. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training. The needs of young people with SEND should be specifically considered and the arrangements put in place for each group must be documented in local authority transport policy statements.
In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16-19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.
With regard to public transport options more widely, the government wants everyone who needs it, including children and young people with SEND, to have access to public transport and is committed to improving services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.
The government’s reforms to bus services typify this. On 17th December, the government introduced a new Bus Services Bill that will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve road safety for cyclists in Gloucester.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve road safety for cyclists and pedestrians. The Hierarchy of Road Users was introduced, which places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy.
Since 2020-21, Gloucestershire County Council has been awarded over £23 million through the Active Travel Fund. This funding can be used by the authority for new segregated cycling facilities, improved junctions and upgrades to existing routes to improve safety. Over £1 million has been awarded to upgrade the National Cycle Network in Gloucestershire.
Earlier this year, Gloucestershire was allocated £462,000 to build capability and enable more people to walk and cycle safely under the Capability Fund. Additionally, 4,977 cycle training places were funded in 2023-24 as part of £224,000 of Bikeability funding.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. It publishes data annually on the condition of local roads which is available on gov.uk.
At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of nearly 50% compared to the current financial year - exceeding this Government’s manifesto commitment on repairing local roads. The Government will confirm 2025/26 funding allocations to English local highway authorities, including Gloucestershire County Council, in due course.