Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of private jets on the availability of jet fuel for commercial flights.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. We are engaging with industry partners to monitor supply and demand, and to develop contingency options should disruption arise.
Private jets are used for a variety of reasons, such as medical and emergency response, specialised industry logistics, government and military use as well as corporate and leisure flights. They account for only a small proportion of overall jet fuel use, so any restriction would provide only a limited amount of fuel savings for commercial aviation.
As part of contingency planning, we are exploring a range of options in the event of potential disruption. Any policy would need to assess the proportionality, impacts and feasibility of potential measures.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average duration has been of full closures of the rail line between Newton Abbot and Dawlish for planned works in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
During the 2025-26 Financial Year, there were planned closures for two midweek nights during the last week of February, for 6 hours each night. On the first weekend in March, there was a planned closure for 52 hours. On the second weekend in March, there was a planned closure for 10 hours. All other access required for maintenance of our infrastructure is carried out during ‘rules of the route possessions’ when no trains are running, to avoid impact to train operators.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance the Department issues on the acceptable duration of full closures of rail lines for planned engineering works, with particular reference to the coastal route between Newton Abbot and Dawlish.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not set acceptability criteria for access to rail lines for engineering works. Access is agreed through the established regulatory and contractual framework. Network Rail engages train operators via the Network Code and Access Agreements to agree possessions, taking account of passenger and stakeholder impacts.
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 made of the potential impact of onboard connectivity and mobile signal coverage on productivity and passenger experience on long-distance rail services in the South West.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
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 effectiveness of the pilot of enhanced onboard Wi-Fi services on Great Western Railway routes in the South West and South Wales.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
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 support the rollout of enhanced onboard Wi-Fi services across Great Western Railway routes.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to improving on-train Wi-Fi for passengers, including on the Great Western Railways route, where poor connectivity remains an issue. That is why we have secured £57 million as part of the recent Spending Review to improve on train Wi-Fi using low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains, which will include services on the Great Western Railways route. Officials have also been working with the Peninsula Taskforce and Motion Applied on the trial Peninsula Taskforce funded to test low earth orbit and 5G connectivity. The tests on the train itself have evidently been successful. Other operators, such as London North Eastern Railways, have also shown that low earth orbit technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
Network Rail's Project Reach will also address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels, which include ones on the Great Western Railways route, and this will complement the low earth orbit solution.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 108386 on the Dawlish sea wall, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of updated assessments indicating that seven areas of damage were identified following Storm Ingrid and other recent severe weather events; and how this affects her Department’s plans for long‑term coastal resilience improvements along this section of railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises the importance of a resilient railway that passengers can rely on. Significant government investment has already ensured the South West coastline is better protected against extreme weather, boosting the region’s connectivity and economy for years to come. The new Dawlish sea wall successfully withstood its biggest test during the recent disruptive weather in January 2026, with the structure performing as designed. There were only two significant areas of damage; on the sea wall at Dawlish and near the line at Teignmouth. Urgent repairs were undertaken by Network Rail, which has responsibility to ensure the railway is safe and reliable. The Department will continue to work in partnership with Network Rail to ensure the line remains resilient and is fit for purpose for the local communities it serves.
More broadly, the Wales and Western Region will see a £2.6 billion asset renewals programme and £1.6 billion invested to maintain existing assets during Control Period 7. Network Rail is also addressing severe weather events through a comprehensive weather resilience and climate change adaption plan, focusing on safeguarding assets, embedding resilience into daily operations, and adapting to climate change impacts across the route.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of doubling fixed‑penalty notices and extending overrun charges for utility companies whose roadworks exceed agreed deadlines.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has recently strengthened the powers available to local highway authorities through the Street and Road Works (Charges and Penalties) (Amendments) (England) Regulations 2025. These measures are intended to support councils in coordinating utility works more effectively and encourage timely completion of roadworks, including during major transport infrastructure projects.
These enforcement powers operate alongside lane rental schemes, which allow authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.
As the Regulations only came into force in January 2026, it is too early to assess their full impact. The Department will review the strengthened penalty regime and the expanding use of lane rental schemes as evidence becomes available, to ensure they collectively support more efficient coordination of street works and reduce disruption to road users.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of county councils’ statutory powers to coordinate utility works during major transport infrastructure projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has recently strengthened the powers available to local highway authorities through the Street and Road Works (Charges and Penalties) (Amendments) (England) Regulations 2025. These measures are intended to support councils in coordinating utility works more effectively and encourage timely completion of roadworks, including during major transport infrastructure projects.
These enforcement powers operate alongside lane rental schemes, which allow authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times.
As the Regulations only came into force in January 2026, it is too early to assess their full impact. The Department will review the strengthened penalty regime and the expanding use of lane rental schemes as evidence becomes available, to ensure they collectively support more efficient coordination of street works and reduce disruption to road users.
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 has made an assessment of the potential impact of dynamic pricing practices used by airlines during school holiday periods on families with school-aged children.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK aviation sector operates as a private market, with airlines independently determining their routes and fare structures. The Minister for Aviation and DfT officials regularly meet airlines to discuss a range of topics, including pricing.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has statutory competition functions in relation to airline markets. The CMA and the CAA both have responsibilities for enforcing consumer protections relating to price transparency, contract terms and passenger rights, including those during flight disruption.