Lord Trefgarne

Authorised contractors, have a legal right to access the highway for essential works, which can require temporary obstruction. To minimise disruption and protect road users, they must comply with the Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice.

To help tackle congestion, the Government has recently approved new lane rental schemes and continues to support their rollout by highway authorities. These schemes which apply charges for works on the busiest roads and incentivise quicker, better-planned delivery have shown success in reducing delays and improving network efficiency. This is why we are devolving powers to mayors, enabling local leaders to introduce lane rental schemes tailored to their areas

Alongside this, the Department for Transport will publish an updated version of the Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice next year, bringing guidance in line with modern standards and ensuring best practice across the sector. Together, these measures aim to keep traffic moving and improve the experience for all road users.

The Government is clear - it is only the people of the Falkland Islands who can decide their own future. The UK is steadfast in its support for the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination, a right which is enshrined in the UN Charter and in article one of the two UN Covenants on human rights. The Falkland Islanders made their wishes clear in the 2013 referendum when 99.8 percent of voters chose to maintain their status as a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.

Deterrence remains at the core of the UK’s defence policy and influences everything we do; from capability procurement choices to operational activity. The Strategic Defence Review (2025) affirms the centrality of deterrence to Defence thinking. It underpins our focus on home defence and resilience, our move towards warfighting readiness, and our NATO First approach.

There are eight Type 26 frigates on order for the UK. The recent announcement that Norway has selected the UK as their preferred strategic partner for Frigate procurement signals Norway’s intention to order five Type 26 ships.