Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) local authorities, (b) technology providers, and (c) other Government departments about the potential merits of using AI-enabled cameras on (i) bin lorries and (ii) other council vehicles to detect potholes; and if she will commission a review of the potential impact of such technology on (A) reporting times, (B) repair times, and (C) road maintenance costs.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has opened the market for road condition monitoring technology to encourage innovation and efficiency in highway maintenance.
A new data standard published in September 2024, allows local highway authorities to use a wider range of AI-based technologies while also ensuring that local authorities receive robust, comparable data. This is available online, at: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/road-condition-monitoring-rcm-data-specification.
Local Authorities are now able to use any technology which has been approved against this new standard, as assessed by approval trials run by the Transport Research Laboratory. There were 16 different companies that participated in the first approval trial in 2025, and the trials will be rerun again this summer, and then every two years, to encourage more technology companies to take part.
We have communicated the work widely across the highways sector via conferences and the sector press, to encourage the widest number of technology companies possible to participate.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential number of commercial flights that could avoid cancellation if private jet flights were banned during the disruption to global oil markets.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to fuel shortage in the UK. We are engaging with industry partners to monitor supply and demand, and to develop contingency options should disruption arise.
Private jets are used for a variety of reasons such as medical and emergency response, specialised industry logistics, government and military use as well corporate and leisure flights. They account for only a small proportion of overall jet fuel use - in the region of 1-1.5% of fuel used on flights departing UK aerodromes each year are used for private jets - so any restriction would be likely to have only a limited effect in conserving fuel for commercial aviation
As part of contingency planning, we are exploring a range of options in the event of potential disruption. Any policy would have to assess the proportionality, impacts and feasibility of potential measures.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 a temporary ban on private jet travel to save available jet fuel for commercial flights.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to fuel shortage in the UK. We are engaging with industry partners to monitor supply and demand, and to develop contingency options should disruption arise.
Private jets are used for a variety of reasons such as medical and emergency response, specialised industry logistics, government and military use as well corporate and leisure flights. They account for only a small proportion of overall jet fuel use - in the region of 1-1.5% of fuel used on flights departing UK aerodromes each year are used for private jets - so any restriction would be likely to have only a limited effect in conserving fuel for commercial aviation
As part of contingency planning, we are exploring a range of options in the event of potential disruption. Any policy would have to assess the proportionality, impacts and feasibility of potential measures.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the proposed rural roads categories.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Road Safety Strategy sets out the Government’s intention to explore whether the proposed rural road categories are appropriate at a local level and to assess their potential for wider national application. The Department’s forthcoming work on rural road categorisation is intended to better reflect the significant variation in road types currently captured by the broad definition of “rural”. Developing a clearer and more consistent understanding of what constitutes a rural road would support more effective targeting of safety interventions, helping to ensure that resources are focused where they can deliver the greatest impact.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what steps she is making to update guidance on (a) local speed limits and (b) speed camera use.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
My Department is planning to hold an initial workshop later this month, which will serve as an opportunity to begin shaping the direction of the programme. During this session, DfT officials will engage with a range of stakeholders and representatives from local authorities, providing a platform for participants to share their perspectives, highlight key concerns, and contribute local knowledge and experience.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what steps she has taken to implement the Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment pilot trials in new regions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Transport has supported all local authorities that have asked for help with Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment (PRIME) trials. The Department remains open to further involvement and will continue to consider applications on a rolling basis, assessing each request as it is received and working with Local Authorities to determine how best to provide appropriate support.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to develop a comprehensive National Bus Stop Standard that prioritises accessibility, safety, comfort and up-to-date information.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that safe, accessible and high-quality bus stops provision plays in supporting and encouraging people to use local bus services. The Bus Services Act 2025 places a duty on local authorities and National Highways to pay regard to new statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places. We want this guidance to support authorities to provide infrastructure that people can and want to use, and it will be developed collaboratively with stakeholders, including disabled people, over the coming months.
The Government has also confirmed multi-year allocations through the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year from 2026/27-28/29. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including investing in bus stops.
To ensure passengers have access to up-to-date information, the Bus Open Data Service requires operators to publish timetable, fares and real-time vehicle location data. This enables passengers to plan journeys and access accurate, live service information through apps, online platforms and, where available, at-stop displays and audio announcements.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether funding to tackle water pollution caused by highways will be included in the budget of Road Investment Strategy 3.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) includes funding to enable National Highway to continue delivering on its 2030 Water Quality Plan, and to mitigate pollution from a total of 190 – 250 drainage assets (outfalls and soakaways) that pose the greatest pollution risk.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of trends in the levels of risk caused by standing water on rural roads in poor repair.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The effects of standing water on rural roads, including safety risks for road users, are well known. Standing water can obscure defects, reduce skid resistance and contribute to loss of control, particularly on higher‑speed rural routes. It also accelerates the deterioration of road surfaces by weakening underlying structural layers and promoting pothole formation. National guidance on surface‑water management and sustainable drainage, such as the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems and the Department’s Transport Hazard Summaries, highlight the importance of effective runoff control to prevent water accumulating on the highway and causing damage to infrastructure.
The Government has recently announced a record £7.3 billion over the next four years to maintain and improve local roads across the country, which will help local highway authorities manage their drainage infrastructure. Herefordshire County Council will be eligible to receive nearly £115 million of this funding over the next four years.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provided to Herefordshire Council to repair damage caused to roads by flooding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has announced a record £7.3 billion investment into highways maintenance over the next four years which will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys. As part of this investment, Herefordshire Council is eligible to receive over £114.7 million.
This financial year, the Department funded the UK Roads Leadership Group to deliver regional workshops for local highway authorities across the UK to share information about the increased risks to their networks from extreme weather. This is alongside the publication of Transport Hazard Summary documents last year, that provide introductory information to support the transport sector to manage natural hazards, including the risk of flooding.