Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to ensure bus fares do not increase above the rate of inflation following the bus fare cap increase.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 December 2025. As part of the Spending Review, the government announced further funding to extend the £3 cap to March 2027. This will ensure millions of people can continue to access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.
The current terms and conditions for the £3 cap already require operators to demonstrate that they have not raised fares any higher than inflation.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
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 bus fare cap increase on passenger numbers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help keep bus fares affordable, and as part of the Spending Review, we announced further funding to extend the £3 cap to March 2027.
Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.
The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap was published on 12 February. An evaluation of the £3 fare cap is due to be commissioned shortly.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department would make an estimate of the cost of requiring all local government authorities to provide a companion pass for disabled pass holders who cannot travel alone.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The introduction of companion passes for disabled passholders under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme would be an additional concession, introduced at the discretion of local authorities depending on their needs and circumstances. The Department for Transport therefore has no plans to produce an estimate of implementing this at a national level.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department would make an estimate of the cost of extending the statutory minimum criteria to allow disabled bus pass holders to use their passes at all times on weekdays.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport conducted a review of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme which considered expanding statutory travel times for all passholders. We are currently considering next steps.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on when the Competition and Markets Authority plans to publish its assessment of regional road fuel pricing.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) addressed variation in regional road fuel pricing as part of their Road Fuel Market Study which was published in July 2023. The CMA published its latest report on 31 March 2025 and plans to release a more comprehensive report in the future, which will focus extensively on regional pricing differences.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to take steps to help reduce variations in fuel prices between regions.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will implement Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices, to increase price transparency and help drivers make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. This will increase pressure on retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering prices. Subject to legislation and Parliamentary time, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) received statutory information gathering powers on 1 January 2025 through the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Act 2024 so it can monitor and scrutinise fuel prices. Once launched, Fuel Finder will provide the CMA with the appropriate data to adequately consider issues such as regional pricing variations.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps to help increase (a) competition and (b) the transparency of road fuel pricing.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will implement Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices, to increase price transparency and help drivers make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. This will increase pressure on retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering prices. Subject to legislation and Parliamentary time, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) received statutory information gathering powers on 1 January 2025 through the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Act 2024 so it can monitor and scrutinise fuel prices. Once launched, Fuel Finder will provide the CMA with the appropriate data to adequately consider issues such as regional pricing variations.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many additional surveillance sites are being introduced under the Vector-Borne RADAR programme following the detection of West Nile Virus fragments.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Vector-Borne RADAR programme includes a project run by UKHSA’s Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology team undertaking country-wide surveillance for mosquitos in 2025. Pools of any female mosquitos collected will be tested for several potential mosquito-vectored viruses. The sites being surveilled are suitable mosquito breeding sites. In 2024, mosquito traps were successfully deployed in almost all 50 km2 grids across England, collecting nearly 1,000 individuals across 71 sites.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of climate change on the range of mosquito-borne diseases in the UK.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra funds, with UKRI, a large research consortium looking at the effects of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases in the UK. This programme includes the Vector-Borne disease RADAR programme, but there are other equally important vector borne diseases we also accept will be impacted by changes in our climate.
Risk assessments undertaken by the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group, for mosquito-borne diseases consider the likely changes with climate change.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase public health surveillance following the detection of West Nile Virus genetic material in UK mosquitoes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In May 2025, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) reported fragments of West Nile virus genetic material in a small sample of mosquitoes collected in Nottinghamshire during July 2023, as part of the RADAR surveillance programme. There is no evidence to suggest ongoing circulation of the virus in animals or mosquitoes, and there have been no locally acquired West Nile virus detections in humans in the United Kingdom. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has assessed the risk to the general public as very low.
The UKHSA partners with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the APHA on the surveillance of mosquitoes, birds, horses, and humans for a range of emerging infectious diseases, including West Nile virus.
Human health surveillance relevant to the West Nile virus includes routine testing of travellers who have returned from overseas areas affected by West Nile virus with compatible clinical syndromes, including undiagnosed encephalitis.
The NHS Blood and Transplant service screens donors returning from affected areas based on their travel history, and partners with the UKHSA on a research study to understand the risk of climate-related emerging infections, including West Nile virus.
The UKHSA’s clinical testing protocols require that any undiagnosed human cases of encephalitis are referred to the UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory. They will be routinely tested for West Nile virus, regardless of travel history.
Following the detection in mosquitoes, the UKHSA issued a briefing note to National Health Service clinicians nationally on the potential clinical presentation of vector borne diseases, including West Nile virus.
The UKHSA Imported Fever Service offers a clinical advisory and testing service to support doctors managing domestic cases of undiagnosed encephalitis. The British Infection Association’s testing guidelines for encephalitis are being updated to include consideration of the West Nile virus.