Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of cash payments on LNER trains on the ability of visually impaired people to purchase food and drink on its services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no direct assessment of the potential impact, the Department expects all train operators, who are accountable for accessible service delivery, to consider the needs of disabled passengers, comply with their equality obligations, and make reasonable adjustments to ensure services remain accessible.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 introducing card readers with tactile buttons on LNER trains on the ability of visually impaired people to travel.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
LNER’s Train Managers already use payment devices with tactile buttons and markings. LNER’s café bar devices use touchscreens, and LNER is exploring how these can be made more accessible to visually impaired passengers.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether LNER will introduce card readers with tactile buttons on their trains for visually impaired people.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
LNER’s Train Managers already use payment devices with tactile buttons and markings. LNER’s café bar devices currently use touchscreens and LNER is exploring accessibility improvements.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether financial penalties have been levied against electric vehicle charge point operators who do not comply with the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the enforcement authority for the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with these requirements, including determining any financial penalties that are levied.
The OPSS take a pragmatic and proportionate approach to enforcement in line with the Regulators’ Code. Where an operator is found not to be compliant, the OPSS will seek to engage with the operator where possible to agree a route to compliance. However, where necessary, they will consider the full range of enforcement powers available to them and make final determinations on any financial penalties to be imposed.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the electricity output of electric vehicle charge points relative to their advertised speeds.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not routinely monitor electric vehicle charge points to verify their output speeds. While the advertised rate is the maximum charging speed of the charge point, the real-world rate at which a vehicle charges will vary depending on a range of factors, including a vehicle’s battery and charging systems, and wider demand at a site at the time of charging.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of electric vehicle charge point operators that comply with Regulation (a) 5 and (b) 7 of the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the enforcement authority for the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with these requirements. As of 31st May 2026, the OPSS reported that 94% of the operators of public charge points that had been inspected were compliant with Regulation (5), relating to the provision of contactless payments. The OPSS continue to engage with operators to complete their compliance assessments relating to Regulation (7) on reliability.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to minimise the potential impact of parcel delivery drones on wildlife.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decisions on whether and how parcel delivery drones may operate are a matter for the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates UK airspace.
All drone operators are required to comply with aviation regulations, including the CAA’s Drone and Model Aircraft Code, which makes clear that drones must be used responsibly and with due regard to people’s privacy. Operators using drones fitted with cameras are also subject to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
As part of the approval process, the CAA requires operators to demonstrate that all relevant risks are properly assessed and mitigated, including environmental considerations where appropriate. This can include restrictions on where and how drones operate, particularly in or near sensitive wildlife locations. Planning applications for drone operations, where required, also consider impacts on biodiversity, habitats, protected species and wildlife.
Noise impacts are similarly considered through the regulatory and operational approval process. We have asked the CAA to examine the implications of emerging aviation technologies on aviation noise policy in the UK. Developing a proportionate, evidence-led and adaptive approach will be critical to sustainable development of Future of Flight technologies and maintaining public trust.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Amazon regarding the rollout of parcel delivery drones.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decisions on whether and how parcel delivery drones may operate are a matter for the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates UK airspace.
All drone operators are required to comply with aviation regulations, including the CAA’s Drone and Model Aircraft Code, which makes clear that drones must be used responsibly and with due regard to people’s privacy. Operators using drones fitted with cameras are also subject to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
As part of the approval process, the CAA requires operators to demonstrate that all relevant risks are properly assessed and mitigated, including environmental considerations where appropriate. This can include restrictions on where and how drones operate, particularly in or near sensitive wildlife locations. Planning applications for drone operations, where required, also consider impacts on biodiversity, habitats, protected species and wildlife.
Noise impacts are similarly considered through the regulatory and operational approval process. We have asked the CAA to examine the implications of emerging aviation technologies on aviation noise policy in the UK. Developing a proportionate, evidence-led and adaptive approach will be critical to sustainable development of Future of Flight technologies and maintaining public trust.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to minimise the potential impact of parcel delivery drones on privacy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decisions on whether and how parcel delivery drones may operate are a matter for the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates UK airspace.
All drone operators are required to comply with aviation regulations, including the CAA’s Drone and Model Aircraft Code, which makes clear that drones must be used responsibly and with due regard to people’s privacy. Operators using drones fitted with cameras are also subject to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
As part of the approval process, the CAA requires operators to demonstrate that all relevant risks are properly assessed and mitigated, including environmental considerations where appropriate. This can include restrictions on where and how drones operate, particularly in or near sensitive wildlife locations. Planning applications for drone operations, where required, also consider impacts on biodiversity, habitats, protected species and wildlife.
Noise impacts are similarly considered through the regulatory and operational approval process. We have asked the CAA to examine the implications of emerging aviation technologies on aviation noise policy in the UK. Developing a proportionate, evidence-led and adaptive approach will be critical to sustainable development of Future of Flight technologies and maintaining public trust.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to minimise noise pollution caused by parcel delivery drones.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decisions on whether and how parcel delivery drones may operate are a matter for the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates UK airspace.
All drone operators are required to comply with aviation regulations, including the CAA’s Drone and Model Aircraft Code, which makes clear that drones must be used responsibly and with due regard to people’s privacy. Operators using drones fitted with cameras are also subject to the UK’s data protection and privacy legislation.
As part of the approval process, the CAA requires operators to demonstrate that all relevant risks are properly assessed and mitigated, including environmental considerations where appropriate. This can include restrictions on where and how drones operate, particularly in or near sensitive wildlife locations. Planning applications for drone operations, where required, also consider impacts on biodiversity, habitats, protected species and wildlife.
Noise impacts are similarly considered through the regulatory and operational approval process. We have asked the CAA to examine the implications of emerging aviation technologies on aviation noise policy in the UK. Developing a proportionate, evidence-led and adaptive approach will be critical to sustainable development of Future of Flight technologies and maintaining public trust.