Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate coverage of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) rural areas and (b) the Forest of Dean.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,334 publicly available charging devices, up 35% on this time last year. There was particularly strong growth in rural areas in 2024, with chargepoint numbers increasing by 45%.
Going forward, Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated almost £3.7m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints. LEVI funding allocations factored in the proportion of residents in rural areas, meaning local authorities in rural areas were allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of roads in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) Gloucestershire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing their local highway networks. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority responsible for the condition and maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency.
The Government has allocated Gloucestershire County Council £35.3 million for 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is £9.4 million more than in the current financial year, an increase of around 36%. It is Gloucestershire County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities. The Government publishes statistics each year on the condition of local roads in different local highway authorities, and these are available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing their local highway networks. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority responsible for the condition and maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency.
The Government has allocated Gloucestershire County Council £35.3 million for 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is £9.4 million more than in the current financial year, an increase of around 36%. It is Gloucestershire County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities. The Government publishes statistics each year on the condition of local roads in different local highway authorities, and these are available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help improve accessibility for disabled passengers on public transport in Forest of Dean constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 1st October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.
On 17th December, the government introduced a new Bus Services Bill that will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive.
Ensuring the rail network is also accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We know that the experience for disabled people when traveling by rail too often falls short of what is expected and what passengers deserve. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of Great British Rail.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure bus travel is accessible for people with disabilities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to public transport and is committed to improving services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On October 1st, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.
The government will also shortly introduce a new Bus Services Bill that will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including disabled people.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it mandatory for cyclists to have lights on their bikes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is already a requirement that cycles have white front and red rear lights lit when being ridden at night. Under The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 cycles must also be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors (if manufactured after 1 October 1985). Rule 60 of The Highway Code explains these requirements, the enforcement of which is a matter for the police. The Government has no plans to require cyclists to have lights on their cycles in daylight hours.