Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67397 on Aviation: Alternative Fuels, what the total budgeted cost is for the continuation of the Advanced Fuels Fund through to 2029–30.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Spending Review 2025 will continue support for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK to 2029/30 by building on the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). DfT will provide details on the parameters of this support in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83387 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost of the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme for each of the next five years from 1 January 2026.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are unable to confirm the spend for 2025-26 as the financial year is still in progress with projects placing orders for final ZE HGVs and infrastructure sites.

All project spend is due to end at the end of the current financial year (31 March 2026). Programme spend for the remainder of the Spending Review period (2026/27-2029/30) is £1 million and will cover programme management costs, and benefits monitoring and evaluation activities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which bodies Great British Railways will be statutorily required to consult when proposing service or infrastructure changes.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways (GBR), which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. GBR will set out their plans for passenger services and infrastructure in an Integrated Business Plan, which the Secretary of State will approve. When GBR proposes to update its business plan, under the Railways Bill it will be required to consult the Office of Rail and Road and Passenger Watchdog, as well as seek approval from the Secretary of State. This will ensure that there is expert, third party scrutiny on proposed material updates before delivery changes

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish a separation policy for its operational and infrastructure functions.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The aim of the Railways Bill is to unite track and train and to reduce the fragmentation that comes with the separation of infrastructure and passenger services operations – a model which has repeatedly failed passengers over many years. However, where there is a need for safeguards, there will be separation. For example, there will be separation of decision-making between GBR's retailer and the wider retail industry management functions for which GBR will be responsible. This will be delivered via a code of practice, which will be owned and managed by the ORR and have the force of a licence condition.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish all access decisions and criteria used in determining them.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

GBR will take access decisions against duties clearly defined in the bill and public law principles including to act fairly and transparently. As ORR do now, we would expect GBR to publish its access decisions. GBR will be required in Legislation to publish its criteria for taking access decisions in its Access and Use Policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to establish an independent mechanism for public reporting of rail safety incidents.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The main independent mechanism for publicly reporting safety incidents on the railways is the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS). The Office of Rail and Road also operate an anonymous whistleblowing service. Therefore, no plans exist to create an additional independent mechanism for public reporting of rail safety incidents.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what process Great British Railways will follow when preparing and consulting on its long-term strategic plan for the rail network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

GBR will engage with stakeholders as it develops its short, medium and long-term plans. However, it will be a matter for GBR to decide on its systems and processes when it is established.

With regard to the Secretary of State's Long-Term Rail Strategy, allowed for in the Railways Bill recently introduced, there will be extensive engagement with key stakeholders as the strategy is developed with statutory consultees, such as the Welsh Government.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what functions of Great British Railways will be located at the new Derby headquarters.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Derby will be the heart of our new rail network as the home of GBR, and work to establish the GBR Headquarters in Derby, including which functions will be located there, is continuing. The national headquarters will bring high-skilled jobs to a city already brimming with rail industry talent.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of asylum seekers claim to be under the age of 18 once they have reached their assigned hotel or army camp.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what fiscal provision has been made to cover the costs of relocating key Network Rail and DfT Operator Limited personnel to Derby, as part of establishing the new headquarters of Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The work to establish GBR Headquarters in Derby is continuing. It is not, at this time, confirmed which key roles will be based in Derby. Should any key roles be relocated, the costs associated with this will be defined as part of formal consultation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what responsibilities his Department has in providing alternative safe, legal and compliant space for the Crowborough Cadets at Crowborough Training Camp, in the context of its proposed use for asylum seeker accommodation.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government takes the safety and wellbeing of all Cadets extremely seriously. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact that housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on our Cadet Forces and future activities, and to develop any necessary mitigating actions. Our priority is ensuring these developments have limited impact on our Cadets, and we will always apply the appropriate safeguarding measures so that we can continue delivering Cadet programmes. We will also ensure that staff, Cadets and their families are kept abreast of any updates.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what responsibilities he has for the Crowborough cadets at Crowborough training camp.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government takes the safety and wellbeing of all Cadets extremely seriously. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact that housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on our Cadet Forces and future activities, and to develop any necessary mitigating actions. Our priority is ensuring these developments have limited impact on our Cadets, and we will always apply the appropriate safeguarding measures so that we can continue delivering Cadet programmes. We will also ensure that staff, Cadets and their families are kept abreast of any updates.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role and responsibilities his Department has for cadet security and protection on Army training camps.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence takes the safety and wellbeing of all cadets extremely seriously. Cadets receive the same level of security as other users of the

Defence Estate, aligned to the UK Threat Level and Response.

Cadet facilities on the Defence Estate fall under the Head of Establishment; those in other locations not on the Defence Estate are overseen by the local Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association.

Defence operates a robust safeguarding system open to referrals from cadets, volunteers and parents, with all concerns investigated. Physical security is reviewed regularly, and risk assessments are aligned to security regulations. Industry partners that work on site are subject to the minimum vetting of Baseline Personnel Security Standards.

Found: It is worth sharing that, in our interview, Jerome Mayhew MP told us: “Rather than having one capitalist