Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 5045 on Railways: Nature Conservation, how many licences relating to protected species have been issued to Network Rail and its contractors in each of the last five years; what estimate she has made of the average time taken to obtain such licences; and what estimate she has made of the (a) cost and (b) time added to rail infrastructure projects arising from those licensing requirements.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is not possible to confirm the number of protected species licences issued to Network Rail and its contractors over the last five years.
Network Rail has not made specific estimates of the cost or additional time to rail infrastructure projects arising from protected species licensing requirements. For Network Rail, such activities are embedded within wider project development, environmental mitigation and vegetation management processes, rather than recorded as discrete cost categories.
Licensing and survey requirements can influence project scheduling, particularly where seasonal survey constraints apply or where mitigation measures are required before works may proceed. However, the scale of any impacts on cost or programme varies significantly depending on the nature, location and timing of individual projects, and has not been quantified centrally. Effective project planning supports with limiting the impact of these requirements on project delivery.
As set out in Minister Mather’s reply to question UIN 5045 (2026–27), in response to Will Forster MP, where works may affect protected species, Network Rail seeks to carry out activities in a way that avoids the need for a licence wherever possible. Where non‑licensable approaches are not feasible, Network Rail or its appointed contractors will apply for the appropriate licence.
Network Rail does not record information on the time taken for projects to receive licences from statutory bodies. Bodies such as Natural England and Natural Resource Wales publish their own data on time taken to issue licences.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the oversight, accountability, and transparency of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers handling aviation consumer disputes; and what mechanisms are available to passengers to challenge ADR decisions.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent aviation regulator, is responsible for approving and overseeing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers in the aviation sector, ensuring they meet statutory requirements which support transparency and accountability.
ADR decisions are binding on airlines but not on consumers. Where a passenger is dissatisfied with an ADR outcome, they may choose to pursue their claim through the courts provided the time for bringing the claim has not expired.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the average number of sickness absence days per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee for each state-owned Train Operating Company in 2024 and 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold the calculated figures requested.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the new rail operator is taking to ensure the necessary rolling stock and timetabling capacity are secured to double the number of Gatwick Express trains each hour between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria by December; and what specific start dates have been set for the additional early morning services on Saturdays and Mondays during the summer period.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 31 May 2026, the Gatwick Express service transferred into public ownership to deliver more reliable, passenger-centred services across the network. The uplift in Gatwick Express services from December 2026 has been designed to operate within the existing timetable and is supported by robust performance modelling, which has shown that the additional services can be delivered reliably on a busy network with the train operator’s existing fleet. The additional early morning Gatwick Express services will operate over the summer period between Saturday 18 July and Monday 7 September 2026.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2026 to Question 3329 on Electric Vehicles: Grants, what metrics the Department used to determine that the United Kingdom is a world leader in sustainable vehicle manufacturing.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Electric Car Grant (ECG) has robust sustainability criteria. Manufacturers must demonstrate they hold verified Science Based Targets (SBT) for emissions reduction or a strong rating of four or higher with the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI).
Firms must also provide evidence of low carbon emissions in manufacturing, including vehicle assembly and battery cell production. The Nissan Leaf, which is manufactured in the United Kingdom, is eligible for the highest level of the ECG.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is considering (a) transitional measures, (b) grace periods and (c) temporary arrangements to prevent compliant owners of dogs registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs from breaching the law due to a lack of available insurance.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working to ensure owners of banned breed dogs can remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party public liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026.
Defra has published guidance on our GOV.uk page and contacted all registered owners to inform them that no action is required at this stage. Defra will update registered owners and share further guidance which will be published on GOV.uk in early June.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of compliant third‑party insurance becoming unavailable while remaining a mandatory condition of exemption on owners of dogs registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working to ensure owners of banned breed dogs can remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party public liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026.
Defra has published guidance on our GOV.uk page and contacted all registered owners to inform them that no action is required at this stage. Defra will update registered owners and share further guidance which will be published on GOV.uk in early June.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the extent to which costs associated with the UK ETS maritime extension will be passed through to freight rates, supply chains, and consumers in the short term.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Impact Assessment finds UK ETS compliance costs are modest relative to operators' overall costs. Route-specific case studies show very small effects on final prices, with increases well under 1% for typical freight goods.
The extent to which costs are passed through to supply chains and consumers will depend on operators' commercial decisions, contractual arrangements and market conditions. The Government has not undertaken route-level modelling, as these factors vary widely across the sector.
The Government will review the maritime element of the UK ETS in 2028.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether LNER met its target to modernise training for all frontline staff by March 2026; and how many staff have completed this modernised training program to date.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
London Northeastern Railway (LNER) has confirmed that it has successfully transformed and embedded modernised training for frontline staff within its business. This training is delivered through Training, Engagement and Development days and is undertaken by all on-train and station colleagues as part of a continuous 16-week training cycle.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the business case for Northern's procurement of new rolling stock since 17 December 2025; and whether Northern remains on schedule to sign contracts for new trains.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Northern Trains Limited is progressing the procurement process. Manufacturer tenders for new trains have been returned and are undergoing evaluation. The procurement is on schedule to allow the first new trains to enter service by early 2031.