Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what lessons her Department has learned from the cancellation of previous mass transit proposals in West Yorkshire when overseeing the current scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has conducted an equality impact assessment of the delay to the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what specific risks were identified by her Department that led to requiring West Yorkshire Combined Authority to separate route planning from the business case for the mass transit system.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the delay to the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme does not disproportionately disadvantage communities in Bradford.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the £2.1bn funding commitment for the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme remains fully allocated to the project following the programme reset.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role the Rail Minister has been given in overseeing the West Yorkshire mass transit project following the recent review.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with mayoral combined authorities to deliver large-scale transport infrastructure.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities are in receipt of £5.7 billion of funding through the City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme, running for a five-year period from April 2022 to March 2027. This devolved funding affords Mayors the ability to develop and implement large scale transport interventions that most benefit their areas.
Following the Summer Spending Review, £15.6 billion of devolved funding was confirmed to provide Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements for the nine eligible Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) from the period April 2027 to March 2032.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the additional annual cost to households in Bradford caused by delays in delivering large-scale home insulation programmes since 2019.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No estimates have been made on the delays of home insulation programmes since 2019. We know improving the energy efficiency of our homes is an important step in reducing fuel poverty.
There are several government energy efficiency schemes and households can access the government's home retrofit tool on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), which allows users to get tailored recommendations for home improvements that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm.
This government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps. We will publish more details soon.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress her Department has made in meeting the targets set out in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan; and what assessment she has made of the implications of current progress for households in high-poverty areas such as Bradford East.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan set out how the UK will reduce emissions and benefit from lower bills, skilled jobs, warmer homes and cleaner air. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan, which will be a major step forward to cut energy bills for good. Scaling up new clean energy industries will create opportunities to actively reduce inequalities and create good jobs. We will continue to invest in clean low-cost energy. Our approach to the transition is built on fairness, ensuring everyone reaps the benefits and that no one is left behind.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to end the higher standing charges paid by prepayment meter users; and if she will make an assessment of the impact of that inequality on low-income families in Bradford East.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since 1 April 2024, under the price cap, Ofgem has levelised standing charges for prepayment meter and direct debit customers and implemented a process of cost reconciliation for suppliers. This reduces the standing charges of consumers with prepayment meters, while each direct debit consumer pays more than they would have otherwise done.
This ends the inequity of people with prepayment meters, many of whom are vulnerable, being charged more up-front for their energy than other consumers. The Government knows too much of the burden of the energy bill is placed on standing charges. We are working with Ofgem to address this.