Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to create a public awareness campaign to promote the new highway code rules.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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 via 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: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission and EU member states on the recognition of UK-issued Blue Badges for disabled drivers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme in the UK is administered and enforced by local authorities and applies to on-street parking locations only. While the UK has informal reciprocal arrangements with EU Member States, acceptance of any non-UK badge is ultimately a matter for local authority discretion.
The UK is a member of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport Resolution ECMT Resolution 97/4 and has accepted Resolution 97/4, but this is not mandatory, nor is it reflected in UK domestic legislation.
The UK continues to recognise disabled parking cards issued in individual EU/EEA Nations for people visiting and travelling in the UK. Any confirmation of reciprocity of this goodwill gesture is not legally binding. It is for individual EU Member States to decide if they will recognise a Disabled Parking Card issued in another country. Using a Blue Badge in Europe - GOV.UK
The Department for Transport has ongoing discussions with individual countries regarding continued recognition of the UK Blue Badge across the European Union (EU).
Through close working and partnership with our French and Spanish friends and allies, this Government has now secured the mutual recognition with France regarding each other’s disabled parking permits and are now currently working on the final agreement with Spain. This means that UK Blue Badge holders can now travel with confidence when heading to France for their holidays or travel and this will also apply to Spain in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to (a) publish guidance and (b) pursue agreements to help improve certainty for UK Blue Badge holders driving in EU member states.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme in the UK is administered and enforced by local authorities and applies to on-street parking locations only. While the UK has informal reciprocal arrangements with EU Member States, acceptance of any non-UK badge is ultimately a matter for local authority discretion.
The UK is a member of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport Resolution ECMT Resolution 97/4 and has accepted Resolution 97/4, but this is not mandatory, nor is it reflected in UK domestic legislation.
The UK continues to recognise disabled parking cards issued in individual EU/EEA Nations for people visiting and travelling in the UK. Any confirmation of reciprocity of this goodwill gesture is not legally binding. It is for individual EU Member States to decide if they will recognise a Disabled Parking Card issued in another country. Using a Blue Badge in Europe - GOV.UK
The Department for Transport has ongoing discussions with individual countries regarding continued recognition of the UK Blue Badge across the European Union (EU).
Through close working and partnership with our French and Spanish friends and allies, this Government has now secured the mutual recognition with France regarding each other’s disabled parking permits and are now currently working on the final agreement with Spain. This means that UK Blue Badge holders can now travel with confidence when heading to France for their holidays or travel and this will also apply to Spain in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on disabled drivers of levels of recognition of UK Blue Badges across EU member states.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme in the UK is administered and enforced by local authorities and applies to on-street parking locations only. While the UK has informal reciprocal arrangements with EU Member States, acceptance of any non-UK badge is ultimately a matter for local authority discretion.
The UK is a member of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport Resolution ECMT Resolution 97/4 and has accepted Resolution 97/4, but this is not mandatory, nor is it reflected in UK domestic legislation.
The UK continues to recognise disabled parking cards issued in individual EU/EEA Nations for people visiting and travelling in the UK. Any confirmation of reciprocity of this goodwill gesture is not legally binding. It is for individual EU Member States to decide if they will recognise a Disabled Parking Card issued in another country. Using a Blue Badge in Europe - GOV.UK
The Department for Transport has ongoing discussions with individual countries regarding continued recognition of the UK Blue Badge across the European Union (EU).
Through close working and partnership with our French and Spanish friends and allies, this Government has now secured the mutual recognition with France regarding each other’s disabled parking permits and are now currently working on the final agreement with Spain. This means that UK Blue Badge holders can now travel with confidence when heading to France for their holidays or travel and this will also apply to Spain in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to seek mutual recognition of UK Blue Badges for disabled drivers when travelling in EU member states.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme in the UK is administered and enforced by local authorities and applies to on-street parking locations only. While the UK has informal reciprocal arrangements with EU Member States, acceptance of any non-UK badge is ultimately a matter for local authority discretion.
The UK is a member of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport Resolution ECMT Resolution 97/4 and has accepted Resolution 97/4, but this is not mandatory, nor is it reflected in UK domestic legislation.
The UK continues to recognise disabled parking cards issued in individual EU/EEA Nations for people visiting and travelling in the UK. Any confirmation of reciprocity of this goodwill gesture is not legally binding. It is for individual EU Member States to decide if they will recognise a Disabled Parking Card issued in another country. Using a Blue Badge in Europe - GOV.UK
The Department for Transport has ongoing discussions with individual countries regarding continued recognition of the UK Blue Badge across the European Union (EU).
Through close working and partnership with our French and Spanish friends and allies, this Government has now secured the mutual recognition with France regarding each other’s disabled parking permits and are now currently working on the final agreement with Spain. This means that UK Blue Badge holders can now travel with confidence when heading to France for their holidays or travel and this will also apply to Spain in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will transfer stored class 221 voyager units to Crosscountry.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has funded 12 additional Voyager trains (60 carriages) for the CrossCountry network which entered passenger service in May 2025.
It is for train operators to present their Business Case for any additional trains, setting out the benefits to passengers and how it presents value for money to the taxpayer. CrossCountry is currently working with the Department on a proposal to procure further additional trains for its Inter-City routes.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Royal Mail on increasing its use of rail services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are fully committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential. My officials regularly speak with major users of rail freight in the UK as part of our efforts to grow the rail freight industry.
We have previously discussed with Royal Mail their decision to retire their dedicated mail train fleet. However, as it is a private company, not owned nor controlled by the Government, the mode Royal Mail choose to utilise for transporting mail is a commercial decision for their business.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the price of (a) rail and (b) road freight on rail freight operators in Devon.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail freight operations are typically long distance and cross-border in the UK. Under the Railways Bill, Government has proposed to place a duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to decision making on the railway which includes charging to use the network.
As part of our continued support for the wider freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme (MSRS) since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review. Any matters relating to fuel duty comes under the remit of His Majesty’s Treasury.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of Direct Rail Services' freight operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the significant economic and environmental potential of rail freight and the critical role it plays in the UK’s resilience and is committed to supporting its growth. However, any freight operations run by Direct Rail Services (DRS) are an operational and commercial matter for DRS, and its parent company the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). NDA is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the economy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and that is why we are committed to supporting its growth.
The Spending Review confirmed a number of infrastructure schemes across the country to help support the economy, housing and jobs. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to assess and identify where there is the potential to grow rail freight across the network.