Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth in Warrington South constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to driving economic growth across all regions through a better-connected, more reliable and greener transport network.
As part of our long-term plan for transport, Warrington Borough Council has been allocated over £33 million from the £2.3 billion Local Transport Grant between 2026/27 and 2029/30. This streamlined funding will support local priorities such as easing congestion, enhancing public transport, and expanding active travel options, helping to boost economic growth, improve access to jobs and support local development.
Warrington is also in line to benefit from the Government’s £24 billion investment in road infrastructure during this period, supporting faster, safer and more resilient journeys across the country.
The Department has also provided over £600,000 to support work on the regeneration and masterplanning of Warrington Bank Quay station, which will play a key role in unlocking housing and economic opportunities. We are continuing to work with stakeholders on this and, as announced by the Chancellor in Parliament, we will set out this government’s plans for taking forward our ambitions for Northern Powerhouse Rail in the coming weeks.
Together, these investments reflect the Government’s commitment to improving local transport in Warrington South and supporting long-term economic growth.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Recommendation 11 of the National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Report, published on 16 June 2025, what legislative proposals her Department is developing to standardise taxi and private hire vehicle licensing across local authorities; and what steps she is taking to prevent the use of out of area taxis.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport will legislate to address the important issues raised in the report, tackling the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing. We will work as quickly as possible and consider all options – including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.
In the interim we will act urgently to make improvements, including consulting on making local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, and determining how existing statutory guidance can be strengthened to further protect the public. We are also reviewing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and will hold those who do not follow it to account.
Some important protections have already been put in place since earlier inquiries into Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. All licensing authorities in England now undertake extensive driver background checks, and since 2023 they are required to use a single database to prevent a driver refused a licence in one area on safety grounds going elsewhere. Careful consideration of the options is needed as we do not want any change to decrease the availability of highly vetted licensed drivers and vehicles and inadvertently increase the use of those offering illegal services that evade these licensing checks.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the expansion of (a) safe, (b) accessible and (c) integrated (i) cycling and (ii) walking infrastructure.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor has recently announced £616 million for Active Travel England up to 2029-30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure. In addition, this Government will provide nearly £18 billion to local authorities through the Transport for City Region settlements and the Local Transport Grant, supporting them to invest in their local transport priorities, including walking and cycling.
Active Travel England works with local authorities to help design and deliver high-quality networks. The forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy we will help to ensure that active travel is safe, accessible and integrated with other modes to encourage more people to cycle, walk and wheel.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for when Northern Powerhouse Rail will be complete.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget, which can be accessed on the following webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-2024, the Government is maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail by progressing planning and design works to support future delivery, building upon the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The Government will set out further details of its plans in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail; and what her planned timetable is to announce further information.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Briain, and the Government is committed to improving rail connectivity across the North. As announced in the Budget, the Government is progressing planning and design works to support future delivery of our plans for rail connectivity in the North and will set out further details in due course.