Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how she plans to distribute the £24 billion funding to improve motorways and local roads which the Government announced on 8 January 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The 2025 Spending Review allocated £24 billion of capital funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country.
The Department will confirm in the Third Road Investment Strategy, to be published in March 2026, how much capital funding will be invested in the Strategic Road Network over the five-year period 2026/27 to 2030/31, including annual funding profiles.
The Department has already announced £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance over the four years in question and details of how this funding will be allocated and local authority funding allocations can be found on gov.uk.
The Department will also announce the outcome of its review of MRN schemes shortly, as well as next steps on the new Structures Fund.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Office of Rail and Road on the pricing of fares on cross-Channel routes.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
International Rail services operate on an open access basis, with fares set in line with commercial strategy by the private companies involved. The Government engages regularly with the independent Office of Rail and Road to discuss its regulatory activities, which for international rail services include competition and consumer protection matters.
The Government is committed to supporting the growth of our international rail connections with Europe and is working to establish a thriving and competitive market, which could deliver more competitive fares and greater choice, supporting industry to tackle capacity constraints and signing landmark agreements with Germany and Switzerland to pave the way for new routes.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on delays and disruption on the Brighton Main Line for passengers using stations in Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on standing levels and overcrowding on Brighton Main Line services used by passengers in Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential long-term impact on economic productivity of delivering Crossrail 2, in the context of levels of economic uplift from the Elizabeth Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential long-term impact on economic productivity of delivering Crossrail 2. The scheme was paused in 2020.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on the (a) economic and (b) productivity status of residents commuting from Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review. CARS has not been allocated funding at this time.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding provided to the British Transport Police for protecting (a) people and (b) property at train stations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators.
As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources to meet their objectives as agreed with the BTPA. The protection of people and reducing crime on the railways are key to these objectives, as set out in the BTP’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Policing plan. BTPA and DfT regularly discuss with BTP their delivery and performance against these objectives.
BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce (a) guidance and (b) regulation to (i) cap and (ii) limit airport forecourt drop off and pick up charges.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The provision of and charging for car parking at airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has undertaken a recent cost-benefit analysis of Crossrail 2, in the context of passenger numbers on the Elizabeth Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No – the Department has not undertaken a recent cost-benefit analysis of Crossrail 2 in the context of passenger numbers on the Elizabeth Line.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of forecourt drop off and pick up charging practices at major international airports, including in the United States and Europe.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The provision of and charging for car parking at UK airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at UK airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.