Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to reduce private car ownership and improve the connectivity of public transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government recognises the importance of improving public transport to ensure that people have greater choice around how they travel and has recently confirmed its commitment to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines from 2030.
The Government have set out an ambitious programme of reform to help improve bus services and grow usage across the country. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, introduced on 17 December, puts power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them. In the Autumn Budget, the Government also confirmed investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services and keep bus fares affordable.
The Government have also set out plans to create a unified and simplified railway that places train operations under public ownership and control, putting passengers first and rebuilding trust. The Railways Bill, which will be introduced later this session, will enable the biggest overhaul of the rail sector in a generation. Alongside this, the Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.
As part of our commitment to local transport, we have uplifted City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding in 2025-26 by £200m, helping to improve the local transport in our largest city regions and drive growth and productivity across the country. This brings local transport spending for Metro Mayors in 2025-26 to £1.3bn. Also at the Autumn Budget, we allocated over £650m funding for local transport outside of our city regions to improve connectivity and support local growth in our smaller cities, towns, villages and rural areas in England outside London.
The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published later this year and will focus on how transport should be designed, built, and operated to better serve the people who use it, connecting people to housing, jobs and public services.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that independent community pharmacies have adequate funding to sustain their (a) businesses and (b) services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities. They provide an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. CPE represents all pharmacy contractors in England, including independent community pharmacies. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows a first step in delivering stability for the future and a commitment to rebuilding the sector.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
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 implementing stronger regulation for e-bikes, including full registration and insurance requirements.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has no intention of requiring cyclists, including those who ride Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles, to be registered or to have insurance. This would require a national registration scheme for all cycles which would be complex and expensive to design and administer. It would also be likely to lead to a reduction in the number of people cycling, which would have negative health and environmental consequences. The Government believes that insurance for cycling should remain a matter of personal choice. Cyclists who are not insured are liable for the consequences of their actions should these result in injury or damages to others.
Those who ride e-mopeds, or forms of e-cycle that do not comply in full with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983, are already required to have insurance and licence plates. Enforcement of these rules is a matter for the police, who have the power to seize illegal e-cycles and to fine individuals who fail to stop when instructed to do so.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the timelines for grant disbursement to ensure that AI startups have the cash flow they need to grow.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to building an AI sector that can scale and win globally The AI Action Plan sets out how we will support the growth ambitions of businesses across the AI sector.
Innovate UK awards the majority of DSIT’s business-facing R&D grants. Between 2022 and 2025 Innovate UK have achieved a 37.6% improvement on the time taken between grant competition close and grant offer letter approval. The point from which funding competitions close to applicants being notified of a funding decision has reduced from more than 62 days, to around 46 days on average, with Innovate UK continuing to explore how it can deliver further improvements.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that small AI startups in the UK receive adequate support and resources to compete effectively.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting the digital economy, removing barriers to inclusive economic growth, and ensuring that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for our great tech businesses to start, scale and stay.
Programmes such as the SEIS/EIS schemes and R&D Tax Credits demonstrate the UK’s commitment to supporting tech companies in thriving in the UK.
The AI Action Plan sets out our intention to support the growth ambitions of businesses across the AI sector. Initiatives include opening the AI Research Resource to a wider pool of SMEs to drive forward new AI-enabled innovations, fostering national champions within the UK startup ecosystem, and unlocking data assets for startups to access.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support AI startup businesses outside of London and the South East with investments and funding.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to removing barriers to growth for SMEs and ensuring that they have access to resources and expertise needed to develop and scale. Over the last 2 years, Innovate UK has awarded £5.2 billion funding to more than 7,000 businesses across the UK, of which 86% were SMEs.
We are supporting UK tech startups by harnessing the benefits of AI, investment, skills, regulation, data and procurement.
The AI Action Plan sets out our intention to encourage AI development across the UK. We are already working with devolved administrations and local authorities on AI Growth Zones, to ensure all parts of the UK benefit from the investment in critical AI infrastructure.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that social care providers are receiving the £600 million pounds allocated for social care in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant, £600 million of which was announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. Overall, core local government spending power will increase by 6.8% in cash terms in 2025/26. Local authorities are responsible for how they use the available funding to fulfil their duties under the Care Act 2014.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle dangerous driving.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are currently considering policy options in this area.
THINK! is the Government’s flagship road safety campaign. It aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales by changing attitudes and behaviours among those at most risk.
The primary audience for THINK! is young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over.
The latest phase of the THINK! speeding campaign is currently live and highlights the risks of driving too fast for the conditions on rural roads, circumstances that contribute to high numbers of young driver casualties. The campaign features advertising in cinemas, radio, digital audio and gaming environments, as well as working with content creators and influential platforms to tackle speeding via the voices the young audience trust.
The enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that there are adequate electric vehicle charging points for properties that do not have a driveway.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government and industry have supported the installation of over 74,000 public charging devices across the UK. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund will transform the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging for drivers without off-street parking. Through the Fund, an additional 100,000 local chargers are planned to be installed.
For drivers who do not have a driveway, but do have access to on-street parking, Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grants are also available. These offer up to £350 towards the purchase and installation of a chargepoint. To support local authorities, the Government has published guidance on installing cross-pavement solutions for residents without off-street parking.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that football stadiums are accessible to fans with disabilities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government recognises the great importance of sport and physical activity for disabled people at both the grassroots and elite levels.
The Government recently ratified the St Denis Convention. In doing so, we committed to providing an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events. The Sports Ground Safety Authority, one of DCMS’s arm's-length bodies, has begun a partnership with the Council of Europe to better understand and promote the ‘safety’ and ‘service’ element of the convention to the benefit of all fans.
We recognise there are barriers which exist and prevent some people from taking part and spectating. We expect all sports and all clubs to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 so that disabled people are not placed “at a substantial disadvantage” when accessing sports venues.