Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve public awareness and understanding of the 2022 updates to the Highway Code; and whether she plans to introduce a national public information campaign to support the implementation of the new Road Safety Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users.
That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes.
Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has met with representatives of the Motorcycle Action Group to discuss the role of motorcycling in national transport policy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department will publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy later this year and set the long-term vision for transport across England, putting people and the journeys they make at the heart of how transport is planned, built and operated. We have conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public at an official level to inform the Strategy and heard directly from motorcyclists and motorcycle representative groups including Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). As the Strategy is still in development, I am unable to comment on specific policy questions, but the insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are being considered as the Strategy continues to evolve.
On 20 January, I attended the first part of the first meeting of the reconstituted Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group (MSFG), chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, to demonstrate my support and commitment to the motorcycling community and to the work of that group, of which MAG is a member and were in attendance. I think that the MSFG is best placed for MAG to feed in their concerns and requests about Government policy as it affects motorcyclists.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve road safety for motorcyclists.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving road safety is a key priority of this Government. For road users who choose to travel by motorcycle, the Department remains committed to ensuring that they are equipped with the specialist skills necessary to stay safe on the road.
Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. The Department is developing the Government’s Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the transition of motorcyclists from petrol and diesel vehicles to zero-emission alternative.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government supports the transition of L-category vehicles to zero emission and has been helping people transition to zero emission motorcycles. The Plug-in Motorcycle Grant helps bridge the price gap between zero emission and petrol motorcycles and will continue until at least April 2026 for L3-category motorcycles.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether motorcycling will be included in the Integrated National Transport Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Later this year, the department will publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) and set the long-term vision for transport across England, placing people at the heart of how we plan, build, and operate transport. The Strategy will aim to address fragmentation and inefficiency across the transport system to ensure that people can easily, reliably, and safely carry out the journeys they want to make, however they choose to travel.
We have conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public, including motorcyclists and motorcycle user representative groups, through a Call for Ideas, Regional Roadshows, and targeted sessions with seldom heard groups. As the Strategy is still in development, I am unable to comment on specific policy questions, but all the insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are being considered as the Strategy continues to evolve.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to instruct the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct an investigation into the safety of Boeing aircraft models that are in service in the UK.
Answered by Mike Kane
No. The UK Civil Aviation Authority, as the UK’s aviation safety regulator, are responsible for regulatory oversight of UK airlines and operations. It is for them to assess whether further action is required within the UK. At this time they have ruled out the need for further checks in the UK.
In regard to the recent accident involving Air India flight AI171, currently, we are not aware of any evidence regarding this incident to suggest there is an unsafe condition with any commercial Boeing aircraft types. The preliminary report of this accident ruled out the need for wider action against this aircraft type, engine or manufacturer.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps with international aviation regulators to oversee Boeing’s (a) manufacturing and (b) safety practices.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Department for Transport (DfT) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regularly engage with international counterparts on safety issues.
The primary responsibility for Boeing aircraft is through the Type Certificate Holder and their certificating authority. The certificating authority for Boeing aircraft is the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA informed the CAA and DfT that they have increased oversight and directed Boeing to create an action plan to address issues identified which was submitted in May 2024. The FAA continue to actively monitor Boeing and delivery of their action plan.
In relation to the recent accident involving Air India flight AI171, the preliminary report ruled out the need for wider action against this aircraft type, engine or manufacturer.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling local authorities to use CCTV enforcement to address unlawful pavement parking; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to permit such enforcement.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
No assessment has been made of the use of CCTV cameras to address pavement parking. The use of CCTV for civil enforcement of parking restrictions is currently limited to contraventions occurring in ‘keep clear’ zig-zag areas outside schools, red routes, bus lanes and mandatory cycle lanes, and at bus stops and bus stands.
More broadly on the issue of pavement parking, the Department has been considering responses to the consultation on pavement parking conducted in 2020 and potential policy options. We will announce our formal response to the consultation and next steps shortly.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department provided Greater Anglia with a formal written derogation to not consult on that company's May 2023 train timetable changes.
Answered by Huw Merriman
No derogation was granted to Greater Anglia in relation to the May 2023 train timetable. Operators continue to respond to changing passenger demand levels and travel patterns and it is important they have the flexibility to do so.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department gave Greater Anglia a formal written derogation to not consult on their May 2022 train timetable changes.
Answered by Huw Merriman
No derogation was granted to Greater Anglia in relation to the May 2022 train timetable. Operators continue to respond to changing passenger demand levels and travel patterns and it is important they have the flexibility to do so. We will only be in a position to reintroduce meaningful consultations once demand has stabilised.