Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123167 on British Transport Police: Finance, what proportion and monetary value of the British Transport Police’s budget was recovered from (a) Train Operating Companies, (b) Network Rail, and (c) other rail industry bodies in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

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

In the most recent year for which figures are available (2025/26), the total British Transport Police budget was £418.5 million. Of this, £392.4 million was funded by the rail industry through Police Service Agreements (PSAs), with a further £26.1 million provided through grants and Enhanced Police Service Agreements (EPSAs).

The proportions and values funded by the rail industry were:

A) Train Operating Companies, including Transport for London and operators in the devolved administrations: £256.2 million (61.2% of total funding).

B) Network Rail: £138.7 million (33.1% of total funding, including EPSA funding).

C) Other PSA holders and operators: £7.8 million (1.8% of total funding).

The remaining just under 4% of BTP’s total funding was provided through grants for specific programmes or projects by DfT or other government departments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Serbia; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Vietnam; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Taiwan; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to the Cayman Islands; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Mozambique; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Nigeria; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is to conclude the Rail Safety and Standards Board research project entitled Cost Benefit Analysis of Noise Mitigation on the Rail Network; and whether she plans to publish its findings.

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

The Rail Safety and Standards Board is the independent safety, standards, and research body for Great Britain's rail network. It expects to publish all findings from its research project, Cost Benefit Analysis of Noise Mitigation on the Rail Network, by early 2027

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking under GBR to increase cross border rail connections, such as the Wrexham-Shropshire-Midlands Railway.

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

In anticipation of the establishment of GBR, the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers have worked closely together to develop and sign a Memorandum of Understanding outlining how they and their agencies will work together to deliver a more aligned and integrated railway in the Wales and Borders area. The MoU specifically commits to the collaborative development, oversight and management, of cross border services between England and Wales. The MoU further commits to establishing a baseline of services within Wales and the Borders area which will be used as a metric to understand the impact of any changes to service provision.

The Government already understands the potential connectivity benefits that Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway’s (WSMR) proposals could deliver, and for that reason has provided conditional support for WSMR’s application. Access to the rail network is, however, currently a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) under existing legislation, and the Department for Transport is unable to direct ORR in its decision-making.

Once established GBR will be responsible for taking access decisions under a new access and charging framework, and the commitments made within the MoU will ensure decisions take account of the needs of people in Wales and the Borders.

Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) have applied to operate new Open Access services between Wrexham General and London Euston. This is a resubmission of an application that was previously rejected by ORR due to lack of capacity on the West Coast Main Line. DfT has provided its conditional support for WSMR’s application, subject to ORR and Network Rail being satisfied that services can be accommodated without compromising network performance and without adversely affecting the rights of other operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of cars rented by her Department are (a) electric and (b) UK made; and what steps she is taking to encourage departmental travel conducted in cars manufactured in the UK.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport (DfT) actively encourages staff to use EVs for planned trips, and in addition we mandate that long term vehicle hire (more than 5 days) follows the Government Fleet Commitment to use EVs wherever operationally viable. The DfT has a group-wide car hire contract with Enterprise and so does not hold the information requested.

We encourage and promote the use of UK manufactured vehicles as part of the government’s overall growth agenda, but World Trade Organisation rules prevent us from specifying that vehicles must be manufactured in the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of (a) the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime, (b) rising fuel prices and (c) other increased transport costs on tourism to the Isle of Wight.

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

As set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, emissions pricing is a vital policy to decarbonise the sector, and the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to domestic maritime was assessed on a scheme wide basis. The Impact Assessment concluded that the policy is not expected to materially affect the competitiveness of ports or operators. The UK ETS Maritime regime will be reviewed in 2028.

The Government recognises the importance of ferry services to the Isle of Wight and continues to engage closely with cross-Solent ferry operators to understand impacts of fuel prices and other costs on businesses and tourism in the area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to provide capital funding for large-scale port grid upgrades in addition to UK SHORE.

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

The Government is taking action to reform the grid connections process to ensure that ports can access the large-scale grid upgrades that they need.

Alongside that, through the measures set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy and our work at the International Maritime Organization, we are creating the right investment environment to unlock private sector funding for maritime decarbonisation that can also cover the cost of grid upgrades.

Last year we ran a call for evidence on ports’ energy needs to inform our future maritime emissions policy. A response will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 22 Apr 2026 to Question 127105, what the outcomes of each of the Rail Engagement Group's meetings were; and whether her Department plans to take steps as a result.

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

Three Rail Engagement Group (REG) meetings have so far been held, which included discussion on a number of matters, such as the creation of Great British Railways and the progress of the Railways Bill.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what assessment she has made of the impact of requirements relating to the Disclosure and Barring Service Update Service on taxi and private hire driver licence renewals; b) whether her Department plans to review the requirement for drivers to subscribe to the DBS Update Service within a fixed timeframe; c) what estimate she has made of the number of drivers required to submit a new enhanced DBS check due to lapses in Update Service subscriptions; d) whether she has had discussions with the Disclosure and Barring Service on simplifying renewal processes for licensed drivers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department’s statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities require driver licence applicants to provide an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and to subscribe to the DBS Update Service, to enable a status check to be carried out at least every six months. Where a driver is not subscribed to the Update Service, the guidance recommends that a new DBS certificate is provided. This helps ensure that licensing authorities have access to up‑to‑date information when considering whether a licence should be granted or retained.

The administration of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a matter for individual licensing authorities. The Department does not collect data on the impacts of local licensing processes, but expects authorities to administer them efficiently, with public safety as the overriding priority.

The operation of the DBS Update Service, including its subscription requirements, is a matter for the Home Office.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to bring forward primary legislation to enable the safe and lawful operation of autonomous and remotely operated maritime vessels in UK waters during this parliamentary session.

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

The Government recognises the transformative potential of autonomous and remotely operated maritime vessels and the need to ensure their safe and lawful operation in UK waters.

The King’s Speech set out the Government’s plans to introduce the Regulating for Growth Bill. We will explore the establishment of an ambitious regulatory sandbox for maritime autonomy as a flagship use case for the Bill’s sandbox powers, to trial safely breaking down regulatory barriers and increasing UK competitiveness on the global stage for commercial vessels. This in turn, could enable controlled testing of next generation defence technology in closely supervised environments, supporting national security while accelerating innovation, productivity and growth across the UK defence industrial base.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for completion of the East Birmingham tram extension from Digbeth through Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and Tile Cross to Birmingham International Airport, the NEC and Arden Cross.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has been allocated £2.4 billion of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. This funding settlement is devolved, therefore WMCA will determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with their local transport priorities.

Officials continue to work closely with WMCA as they develop their plans to deliver the East Birmingham extension and look forward to supporting the delivery of the project.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the answer of 28 April 2026 to Question 129518, how many additional journeys have been taken by civil servants since 4 July 2024; and what the total cost to the public purse has been, broken down by (a) department, (b) grade of official and (c) overseas posting location.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of delays in the processing of taxi and private hire driver licence renewals by licensing authorities.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The administration of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a matter for individual licensing authorities. The Department does not collect data on the impacts of local licensing processes, but expects authorities to administer them efficiently, with public safety as the overriding priority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116589 on Cycling: Accidents, what the remit is of the research being undertaken by Active Travel England into floating bus stops; which organisations have been commissioned to undertake that research; and whether professionals with expertise in accessibility, including for disabled people, are involved in the design and delivery of that research.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The research that has been commissioned on floating bus stops (FBS) seeks to assess if, where and when FBS designs are appropriate in different contexts. The research has a focus on safety, accessibility and user experience and aims to improve the evidence base for FBS as well as informing future national guidance.

ATE has appointed Costain, as lead of a multi‑disciplinary consortium, to deliver the research.

The consortium includes a range of organisations with expertise in relevant fields across transport, road safety, and research. Accessibility experts are also embedded within the team. The research includes structured engagement with a wide range of users, including disabled people, through a Disability Advisory Group, ethnographic research and user testing to ensure different accessibility needs are considered throughout.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122247, what assessment her Department has made of the lessons learned from the recruitment of driving examiners via Jobcentre Plus referrals; and how these lessons are being applied to wider recruitment practices across the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) piloted the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) Direct Temporary Recruitment scheme at six high‑vacancy driving examiner (DE) locations. From the pilot, DVSA made 37 job offers. Candidates are now undergoing pre-employment checks, and seven have already agreed training start dates.

DVSA is working with DWP to explore expanding it to more locations and adopting it as a regular recruitment route.

The approach has also been extended to other hard-to-fill DVSA roles, with job offers currently being made.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Bahrain; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Bangladesh; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which day will the next meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce take place.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce will meet again once funding awards made through the Structures Fund for projects have been agreed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to update the Transport Select Committee on the reports on Yutong electric buses.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes national security seriously.

An update was issued to the Transport Select Committee on Friday 22 May.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119653, whether the Department has considered options regarding the HS2 safeguarding direction affecting the Mid-Cheshire constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

With reference to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119653, the Department continues to carefully consider its options regarding the HS2 safeguarding direction affecting the Mid-Cheshire constituency. We will set out further details in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department has begun work on updating the Setting Local Speed Limits and Red Light and Speed Camera guidance.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials will be holding an initial workshop in June to hear from stakeholders and local authorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on which day will the Valuation Office Agency will publish its final ratings list.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The 2026 Rating List went live on 1 April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 120733, when the Department will publish their assessment of the results of the pilot of the freight crime recording flag.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The forces who participated in the pilot have been asked to submit the data and we are awaiting their manual returns.

Once the data has been received an assessment will be made of the effectiveness of the pilot where potential next steps will be considered.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which month does the Department expect to publish the full report on the Evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts is ongoing. The full report is expected to be published later this year, with timing dependent on completion of the analysis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122568, when the Department plans to announce the next steps on Bus and coach accessibility and the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government wants disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently, and with dignity and we understand the importance of accessible bus services in supporting people to live their lives the way they want to.

While significant progress has been made over the past two and a half decades in securing access to buses and coaches for millions of disabled people, we recognise the barriers that many disabled people continue to face in their everyday use of passenger transport services.

In 2023, the previous Government began a review of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, including the application of accessibility Regulations to rail replacement and home-to-school services. Existing “Medium Term Exemptions” are due to expire on 31 July, and we will provide further information on the regime that will follow them shortly.

In the meantime, we are taking action to improve access to bus services for millions of disabled people. We are requiring local authorities to pay regard to new statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of bus stations and stops, and every Local Transport Authority in England is now required to produce a Bus Network Accessibility Plan setting out how accessible bus services in their area are, and the steps they will take to improve accessibility further.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per kWh of ultra-rapid public electric vehicle charging in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023, (d) 2024, (e) 2025 and (f) 2026; and if she will publish this information.

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

Data on the average pay as you go (PAYG) price to charge an electric car on the public charging network is published by Zapmap (see https://www.zapmap.com/ev-stats/charging-price-index).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a new Accounting Officer Assessment for the Lower Thames Crossing will be published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

An Accounting Officer Assessment summary was published in February 2026, setting out details of the decision to commit further public funding to the project and on the preferred funding model taken at the Autumn Budget 2025. The Lower Thames Crossing project remains on course to be delivered in line with that decision, and the Accounting Officer Assessment is expected to be refreshed at the Full Business Case stage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the status is of tram route designs between Digbeth and Birmingham International Airport.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has been allocated £2.4 billion of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. This funding settlement is devolved, therefore WMCA will determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with their local transport priorities.

The Department continue to work with WMCA to support their mass transit ambitions. Officials look forward to receiving further details from WMCA on their design plans for connecting Digbeth to Birmingham International Airport in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the expected date is for the commencement of on-site works at Bransty Tunnel, and what the expected date is for the full reopening of the Cumbrian Coast Line at Bransty Tunnel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail has set up a dedicated Whitehaven Recovery Taskforce to address flooding and structural issues at Bransty Tunnel linked to historic mining activity. Detailed inspections are complete, and a permanent repair solution has been independently verified and is ready to be delivered.

Network Rail is working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency, in relation to the environmental permitting requirements, so that water pollution issues that are leading to the issues in Whitehaven Harbour can be addressed alongside the repairs to Bransty Tunnel. Construction work is expected to take six to nine months to complete once the necessary permits have been secured.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what minimum English language proficiency requirements apply to frontline rail staff responsible for passenger information and safety critical communications.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Immigration Act 2016 places a statutory duty on public sector employers to ensure that public facing workers can speak fluent English. This requirement applies to frontline rail staff responsible for providing passenger information including guards, dispatchers, and customer service staff.

In addition, all rail workers are bound by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Sentinel Scheme, and Rail Safety and Standards Board standards, which require that staff have sufficient English language competence for safety‑critical communication.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120882, in what month and year her Department expects discussions with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the detail and timing of work relating to Northern Powerhouse Rail to be concluded.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A joint team with officials from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, government, and supported by the rail industry is working to review and test the options for the Northern Powerhouse Rail station choice at Manchester Piccadilly. We expect this work to conclude in the autumn. City mayors and ministers will consider the recommendations from the review, with the government taking a final decision in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway open access proposal on a) the level of employment, including direct job creation and supply chain effects, and b) regional productivity growth in the West Midlands.

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

The Department for Transport is clear that, in the right circumstances, Open Access can provide benefits to the railway network, such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers - this in turn can have benefits for the local area. That is why the Department has reviewed the resubmitted application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway and provided conditional support for the proposals. Access to the railway network, however, is a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its capacity as independent regulator and the Department for Transport is unable to direct the ORR in its decision making.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 120881, when Network Rail will write to the Rt. Hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay.

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

The Department understands that Network Rail intends to write to the Rt. Hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay by the end of May.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority fulfils the Government’s commitment to reduce administrative regulatory burdens by 25% as set out in the Regulation Action Plan.

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

The Department for Transport issues an annual priorities letter to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The most recent letter outlined the Department’s expectations for the CAA for the financial year 2026/27 and has been published. The letter referenced the 2025 Regulatory Action Plan and the CAA’s role in contributing to the Government’s target of reducing the administrative costs of regulation to businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament. This commitment is to a net reduction across all departments and regulators, including the CAA. We remain prepared to introduce new regulation where this is proportionate and will better enable the sector to grow safely, securely and fairly. The Department holds the CAA to account through regular performance reviews which are a key component of the Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120940, on which day the Department expects the forthcoming change to update the road freight values of time in the Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) to be released.

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

The forthcoming change to update the road freight values of time in the Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) was released in December 2025. See Forthcoming change: updates to road freight values of travel time - GOV.UK. We intend to publish the definitive TAG changes on 28th May 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve wifi on LNER; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of that wifi performance over the past three years.

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

Wi-Fi connectivity across the rail network has historically been patchy. This is why my Department has secured funding through the 2025 Spending Review to install low earth orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains by 2030, to improve Wi-Fi speeds and reliability. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) are working together to deliver these improvements. In addition, Project Reach was launched by Network Rail in 2025 to eliminate mobile blackspots on the East Coast Mainline, West Coast Mainline and Great Western routes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Department plans to make a decision on potential accession to the Eurofima Convention.

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

The Department is exploring a range of financing structures to support investment in rolling stock, in partnership with private finance. The Department remains in active engagement with Eurofima, as one element of this work, to assess how its financing mechanisms could support future investment in the UK rolling stock market. The Government will update the House in due course once decisions have been taken on accession to the Eurofima Convention, to support wider rolling stock investment plans.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any future temporary slot alleviation measures linked to aviation fuel supply concerns would require evidence of an actual fuel shortage before being activated.

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

The Department for Transport is working closely with the aviation industry to monitor potential impacts arising from global fuel supply pressures linked to the Middle East conflict. The Government continues to track jet fuel stocks, while engaging regularly with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to ensure it is well placed to respond to changing circumstances.

The Department is planning for a range of contingencies and is continually reviewing the tools available to support the sector and protect passengers. The slots Statutory Instrument laid on the 20 May will enable airlines to do early planning in response to emerging risks, providing greater certainty for passengers and industry.

Found: 53.3%) Gen Kitchen (Labour, Wellingborough and Rushden) (added 9 Sep 2025) 7 of 15 (46.7%) Jerome Mayhew

Found: Alex Sobel, Sarah Olney and Ellie Chowns: Proportional Representation for general elections Jerome Mayhew

Found: • Shadow Rail Minister Jerome Mayhew tabled amendment 35 to clause 18, which would have similarly