Oral Answers to Questions

Lincoln Jopp Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

My hon. Friend raises an important issue. She will be aware that we have already legislated to establish national standards and to reform the way that enforcement action can be taken against private hire drivers and vehicles, no matter where they are licensed. Those standards will provide a robust framework to make sure that people are safe wherever they live, work or travel. I believe that drivers and operators should be licensed where they intend to provide services. We are bringing forward a draft taxi and private hire vehicle Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in this Session, and I would be grateful for the expertise of my hon. Friend’s Committee in looking at that. We want to look at the issue of out-of-area working holistically to make sure that we do not reduce the availability of private hire services for everyone, while also making sure that we have very high standards in place.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

T6.   The Secretary of State will be aware of the provision in the national planning policy framework that if a proposed development is within 800 metres of a train station, it is a presumed yes from the planning inspector’s point of view. However, that creates a planning loophole in my Spelthorne constituency because Kempton Park station is the first one outside the Oyster zone, so no matter how many houses are built there, no one will use the station because they will all go one stop up the line to Hampton to travel much more cheaply. As a result of that loophole, Barratt Redrow is planning to put in a planning application to flatten Kempton Park racecourse and put 2,000 homes on it. Will the Secretary of State look at the planning loophole in the NPPF to ensure that it is not abused? How would she feel if she were indirectly responsible for the destruction of an internationally famous, iconic racecourse?

[Heidi Alexander]

It is right to prioritise development in sustainable locations, namely around railway stations. The establishment of Great British Railways will enable us to look more holistically at the way in which the ticketing and fares system works, and we are expanding pay-as-you-go ticketing to give a more seamless experience to people who travel in the south-east. I do not know the details of the planning application the hon. Gentleman refers to. If he wishes to write to me, I will look into it in more detail.