Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department is making on building missing slip roads at Junction 5 of the M25.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are currently no plans to build additional slip roads at Junction 5 of the M25. National Highways will soon be refreshing its Route Strategies, which are the key evidence base that informs the development of future investment plans for the Strategic Road Network. Development of these strategies will involve extensive stakeholder consultation, and there will be an opportunity for local groups to engage with National Highways as part of that process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reason was for the time taken between the submission of the Project Reach outline business case and final government approval.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The period between submission of the Outline Business Case and final Government approval reflected the need to complete the detailed commercial, legal, and financial arrangements for a complex long-term partnership. Additional time was also required following the withdrawal of the original private-sector connectivity partner and subsequent changes to the consortium's governance and management arrangements.

These matters needed to be resolved and assessed before final Government approval could be granted.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a route-by-route timetable for eliminating mobile connectivity blackspots on the rail network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government does not currently intend to publish a route-by-route timetable for eliminating mobile connectivity blackspots on the rail network.

Improvements to passenger connectivity are being delivered through a range of programmes across the rail network. These include Project Reach, which is improving mobile coverage in railway tunnels and stations, the deployment of Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to enhance onboard Wi‑Fi, and longer-term opportunities associated with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System infrastructure.

As coverage improvements will be delivered through a combination of initiatives and will depend on a range of operational and commercial factors, the Government is not producing a route-by-route timetable for eliminating connectivity blackspots.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the South Eastern Main Line through Tonbridge will be included in the next phase of Project Reach; and when that phase will begin.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The South Eastern Main Line through Tonbridge is not included in the current phase of Project Reach. No decision has yet been taken on its inclusion in any future phase and, consequently, no start date has been set.

The current phase of Project Reach will improve mobile connectivity in fifty-seven railway tunnels and provide upgraded 5G neutral host infrastructure at twelve Network Rail stations, with delivery scheduled through to March 2029.

Any future expansion of the programme will be considered in due course, subject to priorities, funding, and approvals.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government will publish and implement its proposed reforms to planning rules for digital infrastructure.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation on the revised framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a new section intended to replace Chapter 10 of current Framework on supporting high-quality telecommunications infrastructure.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local plans give appropriate weight to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation on the revised framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a new section intended to replace Chapter 10 of current Framework on supporting high-quality telecommunications infrastructure.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in what way he plans to ensure that planning guidance considers visual amenity and the expansion of mobile network capacity.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation on the revised framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a new section intended to replace Chapter 10 of current Framework on supporting high-quality telecommunications infrastructure.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make a statement on how Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council can produce a Local Plan which meets the Government housing targets, in the context of the objection from South East Water.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy makes clear that local plans should be positively prepared and, as a minimum, seek to meet identified development needs.

Local planning authorities are expected to do all they reasonably can to meet need, including working proactively with infrastructure providers (including water providers) to align growth and infrastructure provision. If needs cannot be met, the authority must clearly and robustly explain the reasons during the plan examination.

The approach the authority has taken, including how it engaged with infrastructure providers, will be a key consideration for the independent Inspector in evaluating whether the local plan can be found ‘sound’.

Officials across the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are working in partnership with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to explore supply and demand interventions to progress both current planning applications and local plan development.

Found: These were Conservative MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat and Neil