Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of requiring (a) regulatory and (b) policy frameworks to be in place before the Heathrow third runway project can proceed to its next phase.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 106337, what estimate her Department has made of the number of public electric vehicle chargepoints required to meet the 2030 target that will be delivered by the private sector.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made an estimate of how many electric vehicle chargepoints will be delivered by the private sector. Many chargepoints are delivered through a combination of public and private sector funding. This includes the estimated 100,000 chargepoints expected to be delivered under the Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Scheme, which is leveraging significant private sector investment alongside public funding.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 106335, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of public electric vehicle chargepoints that have been installed but are not operational due to electricity grid connection issues.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not have such an estimate.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) Notices to Improve and (b) written instructions her Department issued to train operating companies for which the Department is the operator in relation to (i) service performance and (ii) financial control in January 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2026 to Question 106604, whether growing revenue and delivering value for money for passengers carry equal priority in the rollout of Great British Railways branding.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department provides (a) funding and (b) any other support for increasing (i) grid capacity and (ii) enabling electrification at Portsmouth International Port.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published in March 2025, sets out domestic goals and commitments to decarbonise maritime transport, and a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports was launched to assess future energy demand at ports such as Southampton and Portsmouth International.
While the Government does not directly fund increases in electricity network capacity, we support Ofgem in their work to incentivise electricity network companies to invest strategically, ensuring plans reflect emerging demands from electrifying sectors. Through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, Portsmouth International Port received nearly £20m of R&D funding to support a shore power trial.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 101827, if she will publish the estimates of future passenger demand being used to inform strategic planning across the Essex Thameside area, including an assessment of the potential impact of proposed housing growth in Basildon Borough on c2c and Greater Anglia rail services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail is responsible for developing estimates of passenger and freight future demand, working closely and collaboratively with train operating companies, local authorities, freight operators and other relevant stakeholders.
The Eastern region planning documents, including the Essex Thameside Strategic Advice, are made available on Network Rail’s website -https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-work/long-term-planning/
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of co-funding transport infrastructure associated with port developments; and what criteria will be used to determine when such co-funding is appropriate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK’s ports sector is largely privately owned and operated, with the Government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports efficient operation and investment.
The Government provides targeted support where there are clear public benefits. This includes investing in road and rail connections to ports to improve the efficient and cost-effective transportation of goods and passengers.
The National Wealth Fund has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports. This will catalyse investment in areas which are currently struggling to attract the required volumes of private investment.
As set out in the Government’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, transforming the UK’s infrastructure will require significant increases in private investment to complement and maximise the value of the extensive public investment underway. Government explores opportunities to co-fund transport infrastructure associated with port development on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 105292, what funding her Department has provided directly to Community Rail Partnerships in each financial year since 2019–20; and what funding is planned for (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not award funding directly to Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) – funding to CRPs is awarded via the Community Rail Network (CRN) and Train Operating Companies (TOCs). The CRN provide access to grants and resources for its members (a mix of CRPs and Station Adoption Groups).
The Department has granted over £800,000 of funding to the CRN in this financial year (FY 2025-2026). Funding from the Department has remained at a consistent level since 2019-20.
The Department will set out the funding for 2026-27 at the start of the next financial year. As we move towards establishing Great British Railways (GBR), the Community Rail movement will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities. We will continue to support the community rail sector ahead of the standup of GBR.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2026 to Question 101488, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing or consolidating lower-cost rail fares as part of fare simplification reforms on fare evasion.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of our reforms to the railways, we are making fares easier to understand, so that passengers can buy tickets with confidence, knowing they are getting the right fare every time. Under Great British Railways (GBR), passengers will enjoy a consistent, reliable offer across the entire network. Simplifying fares is intended to improve passenger confidence and reduce the likelihood of unintentional fare irregularities.
Tackling fare evasion is a priority. The Secretary of State has accepted the Office for Road and Rail’s recommendations in its June 2025 review into revenue protection practices, and the Department will respond formally in due course.
In light of this wider work on ticketing and fare evasion, the Department has not undertaken a separate assessment specifically on the impact of removing or consolidating lower‑cost fares on fare evasion.