Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the sanction of a Withdrawal of Implied Permission notice by one Train Operating Company is confined to the services of the train operating company applying that sanction.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Individuals who have been issued with a full Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) will be banned from accessing the station the WIP was issued from and will be prohibited from using any train of that particular train operating company that passes through the same station.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which train companies contracted to her Department utilise Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices are an operational matter for the train operating company or Network Rail. The Department does not hold data on which operators utilise WIPs.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the development of a railway-wide Withdrawal of Implied Permission notice.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department keeps security under constant review, however no change of policy for Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) is planned at this stage.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data she holds on the use of Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices by train operating companies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Use of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices is an operational matter for the train operating companies. The Department does not hold data on WIP notices.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance she has given to train companies contracted to her Department on the usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission notices.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Usage of Withdrawal of Implied Permission (WIP) notices are an operational matter for the train operating company or Network Rail and the Department does not issue guidance.
The Rail Delivery Group are able to provide guidance to operators on WIP notices.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Infrastructure Commission’s 2024 Cost Drivers report, published in October 2024, what steps she is taking to tackle the cost drivers for major UK infrastructure projects.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government will publish a Ten-year Infrastructure Strategy this summer, alongside the Spending Review, to outline the approach it is taking to improve the delivery of economic infrastructure, such as transport. The strategy aims to address the root causes of many of the cost drivers of major projects identified by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) in 2024. The strategy also includes plans for housing and social infrastructure, such as hospitals.
My department also has a rolling programme of project delivery change activity to improve project delivery outcomes over time. This includes established learning and development pathways, with all Senior Responsible Officers of our Major Projects Portfolio required to complete the Major Projects Leadership Academy.
Significant progress has also been made improving the governance of our portfolio of projects with the introduction of “IPDC (the Department’s senior investment committee) in Portfolio Mode”, and new arrangements to manage portfolio-level risks with our delivery partners, including National Highways, Network Rail, and HS2 Ltd.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the need for improvements to the Strategic Road Network to be included within the scope of the forthcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will set out the Government’s approach to core economic and social infrastructure, including transport. The Department recognises the Strategic Road Network (SRN) as a critical component of the UK’s transport infrastructure, supporting economic growth, connectivity, and the movement of people and goods across the country.
In collaboration with National Highways, the Department undertakes regular assessments of the SRN to identify priorities for investment and improvement through the preparation of road investment strategies. The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), starting in April 2026, is currently in development.
Decisions on longer-term funding for the SRN will be made through the Spending Review 2025. However, the Government has already committed £4.842 billion for the SRN in 2025/26. The Interim Settlement, published in March 2025, details how this funding will be allocated, including priorities for maintenance, operations, and enhancements.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of which key Strategic Road Network road schemes need priority (a) investment and (b) improvement.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will set out the Government’s approach to core economic and social infrastructure, including transport. The Department recognises the Strategic Road Network (SRN) as a critical component of the UK’s transport infrastructure, supporting economic growth, connectivity, and the movement of people and goods across the country.
In collaboration with National Highways, the Department undertakes regular assessments of the SRN to identify priorities for investment and improvement through the preparation of road investment strategies. The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), starting in April 2026, is currently in development.
Decisions on longer-term funding for the SRN will be made through the Spending Review 2025. However, the Government has already committed £4.842 billion for the SRN in 2025/26. The Interim Settlement, published in March 2025, details how this funding will be allocated, including priorities for maintenance, operations, and enhancements.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department has allocated for highways investment.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Autumn 2024 Budget announced nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025 to 2026. This includes £500 million of additional funding when compared to funding levels for 2024 to 2025.
National Highways is responsible for the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the strategic road network of major A-roads and motorways in England. £4.842 billion of funding for this has been announced for the 2025 to 2026 financial year as part of an Interim Road Investment Strategy published on 24 March.
Funding allocations for highways investment beyond 2025/26 will be determined as part of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing free bus passes for homeless (a) adults and (b) children.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Transport has made no such assessment. The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six, and was set up primarily to help older and disabled people. ENCTS costs around £1 billion annually and any changes to the minimum statutory scheme would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.
Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations and extend free bus travel to other groups that are eligible under ENCTS, which includes children under the age of 16 and 16-18 year olds in full time education. However, these discretionary concessions are not funded by central government but by local authorities from local resources, such as council tax. Since 2010/11, almost all of the travel concession authorities in England have offered some form of discretionary concession. Bus operators are also able to provide discretionary concessions on a commercial basis.