Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bambos Charalambous (Southgate and Wood Green) (Lab)]

5. What steps she is taking to help improve road safety for gig economy couriers using two-wheeled vehicles.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

This Government have announced a £500 million road maintenance funding uplift for next year, as well as £300 million for active travel schemes. That will improve road conditions and safety for all road users, including delivery riders.

[Bambos Charalambous]

Two-wheeled couriers working in the gig economy experience more road dangers than average riders due to time pressures from employers. Research from University College London shows that gig economy riders are three times as likely to report damage to their vehicle and nearly twice as likely to report injury. What steps are being taken, including with employers of gig economy riders and other stake- holders, to protect gig economy riders and reduce dangers for them and other road users and pedestrians?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important issue, which I know will be familiar to many Members across the House. In December, the Minister for Local Transport wrote to the main food delivery companies to remind them of the importance the Government place on the safety of food delivery riders and other road users and to remind them of their obligations. It is essential that delivery riders follow the highway code, despite the time pressure they are sometimes operating under.

[Matt Turmaine (Watford) (Lab)]

8. What steps she is taking to improve local bus services.

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[Will Stone (Swindon North) (Lab)]

12. What steps she is taking to support the proposed railway line between Swindon and Oxford.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

Great Western Railway is currently operating a trial of direct Saturday services between Bristol Temple Meads and Oxford that call at Swindon. Officials are working with Great Western Railway to explore the feasibility of expanding the current Saturday trial of services between Bristol and Oxford to other days of the week.

[Will Stone]

Over the past decade, we have seen uncertainty in the rail sector. Will the Minister please reassure me that she will be taking decisions differently, to focus on delivery, especially on links such as Swindon to Oxford?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend will know of the ministerial team’s commitment to Swindon. We are committed to delivering a unified and simplified rail system that focuses on improved services for passengers and better value for taxpayers. We are actively exploring the feasibility of the proposal that he described.

[Cameron Thomas (Tewkesbury) (LD)]

13. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of eastward transport links from Gloucestershire.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

The Department is working with the rail industry to improve the performance of rail services in Gloucestershire, while Gloucestershire county council’s scheme for the M5 junction 9 and A46 in Ashchurch is currently being considered as part of the Department’s major road network and large local majors programmes.

[Cameron Thomas]

The Government recently announced a UK-silicon valley project linking Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Cambridge. There was no mention of Gloucestershire, with its burgeoning cyber-tech and engineering sectors. From Gloucestershire, our primary arterial road eastward to Oxfordshire is the A40 and it is woefully inadequate as a single carriageway. Will the Minister meet me to develop improved links eastward from Gloucestershire to the benefit of our neighbours in the east?

[Lilian Greenwood]

Yes, of course.

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

14. What steps she is taking to decarbonise the transport sector.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

Our new maritime decarbonisation strategy, which launched this week, is the latest demonstration of this Government’s commitment to decarbonising transport. We are overhauling public transport services to make the sustainable choice the most convenient one, turbocharging the roll-out of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and making the UK a world leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels.

[Gill Furniss]

I am delighted that our Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, is bringing local buses back under public control. Does the Minister agree that taking back control of our buses will allow us to deliver on a low-carbon future for local transport services? What steps is she taking to increase the roll-out of zero emission buses nationwide?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I too welcome the steps that Mayor Coppard is taking to deliver better bus services for passengers in South Yorkshire. I know that the Minister for Local Transport was delighted to launch our new UK bus manufacturing expert panel in Sheffield earlier this month, which will help to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. Expanding the roll-out of zero emission buses is central to our efforts to decarbonise the bus fleet and improve air quality. Our Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will accelerate that by requiring bus operators not to use new non-zero emission buses.

[Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)]

What steps are the Government taking to address diesel islands, which are sections of track without electrification such as those between Reading and my constituency, to support the decarbonisation of the transport sector and encourage the transition to cleaner rail travel?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The Rail Minister in the other place is very much focused on how we decarbonise our rail sector. A combination of electrification and extended use of batteries can allow us to do that. I am sure he will be happy to write to the hon. Lady about the specifics of the case she raises.

[Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)]

15. What steps she is taking to improve the accessibility of bus services in Kent.

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[Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

19. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support people to use electric vehicles.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

The Government are accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure: it was up 32% in the 12 months to 1 March this year. We are engaging with industry to improve consumers’ experience, including with contactless payments and design standards. Electric vehicles also receive favourable tax rates, with targeted grants supporting electric vans, taxis and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

[Sam Rushworth]

Some 58,000 households in County Durham, including many in my constituency, are unable to charge their vehicles at home. What support are the Government giving to innovative local schemes such as kerb charging so that we can make electric vehicles more accessible for all my constituents?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that charge point numbers increased by 45% in rural areas such as the one he represents, and that the North East combined authority received almost £17.3 million from the local electric vehicle infrastructure fund, which means more public charge points for his constituents. We are also supporting cross-pavement solutions that provide safe charging options for those without driveways, as he describes.

[David Davis (Goole and Pocklington) (Con)]

21. What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

rose—[Interruption.]

[David Davis]

It actually follows rather well, because—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The Minister has to answer the question first.

[Lilian Greenwood]

It is lovely that people are so keen.

Charge point availability is increasing everywhere. As of 1 March, there were over 75,000 UK public charging devices, with one added to the network every 29 minutes, but we recognise that there are still regional disparities. The local EV infrastructure fund will deliver a further 100,000 charge points right across England.

[David Davis]

We new boys are still finding our way, Mr Speaker.

My part of the world, Yorkshire, has the lowest EV charging points per head of the whole country. The National Audit Office has pointed out that only 15% of charging points are in rural areas, compared with 44% in London and the south-east. The net zero aims will collapse if we do not fix the equitable provision of EV charging points. What will the Government do to correct those problems?

[Lilian Greenwood]

The right hon. Member is absolutely right to raise concerns that although charge point availability is increasing rapidly, there are regional disparities and differences between urban and rural areas. The local EV infrastructure fund is designed purposely to tackle some of that regional disparity. As I say, charge points in rural areas have increased by 45% in the last year. The East Riding of Yorkshire, which covers the right hon. Member’s constituency, has received £2.7 million in LEVI funding; I hope that that will deliver the improvements he seeks for his constituents.

[Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab)]

Will the Minister update us on the zero emission vehicle mandate consultation? When can the sector expect an outcome?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I know that the global challenges facing the automotive industry have been significant over the past couple of months. During the ZEV mandate consultation, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I met 95% of the vehicle manufacturers. We are currently considering carefully the representations that they and others have made. We will make a further announcement later in the spring.

[Dr Lauren Sullivan (Gravesham) (Lab)]

22. What steps she is taking to support the maritime sector.

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[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

When the Roads Minister came to Norfolk recently, she was reported to have cast doubt over the approval of the A10 West Winch housing access road, which is essential to unlock thousands of homes and economic growth. Without the road, the homes will not be built. Given the Government’s commitment to house building, will the Transport Secretary reaffirm her support for this long-standing road scheme?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I was pleased to find myself in Norfolk announcing huge amounts of investment in the region’s roads. There are a large number of schemes awaiting the outcome of the spending review, but I would be happy to write to the hon. Gentleman about the specific scheme that he raises.

[Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

T4.   Electric bikes are very popular in my constituency. However, they travel at high speed—with a maximum speed limit of 15.5 mph—and are heavy, which is causing quite a lot of distress to many residents. They can be speed-limited, and often are in our parks. Has the Secretary of State considered a lower speed limit for e-bikes for safety reasons?

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[Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)]

The root cause of the pothole problem is councils’ inability to afford to resurface roads. Wokingham borough council saw no uplift in resurface funding for many years, with no account taken of inflation or new roads. This is a legacy of the Conservative party in government, leading to maintenance funding per mile effectively being halved. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the urgent need for funding for resurfacing of new roads?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman’s local council has suffered the same fate as councils across the country as a result of the under-investment in local roads maintenance under the previous Government, but they will now have benefited from their share of our £500 million uplift for the year ahead, and they are absolutely encouraged to use that to resurface the roads and fix potholes.

[Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank the Minister for her answer on the work the Government are doing with businesses to support people dealing with the consequences of the gig economy and road safety. Will she join with me in my work to ensure that the area around Baker Street is safer for residents, and will she work with me and residents around Baker Street to make the case to gig economy businesses that we need to do more on enforcement and on the regulation of these workers?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise concerns. Obviously, enforcement of the rules on using cycles and e-cycles is a matter for the police, but I would be very happy to meet her to discuss the issue.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

This week the Government have given a commitment to providing extra EV charging units right across this United Kingdom, so may I ask the Minister a very helpful question? What discussions has she had with the Northern Ireland Assembly in relation to expanding EV charging infrastructure in the devolved nations? How can we help Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to catch up?

[Lilian Greenwood]

As a departmental team, we have regular meetings with our colleagues across the devolved Governments, including on issues of how to extend EV charging, and I would be very happy to pick that up with the hon. Gentleman further.

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

My constituency has a very successful passenger branch line, but there also used to be a freight line. There is a tiny piece of track that, quite inexpensively, could be reopened to carry tin and lithium out through the docks. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the possibility of doing that?