Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the work of the new Acceleration Unit is aligned with the Government’s net-zero commitment.

This is an ambitious Government, committed to delivering on our decarbonisation targets. The Acceleration Unit, which is directly accountable to the Transport Secretary, will be looking at projects across our portfolio and considering how we can deliver things quicker, better and greener – potentially speeding up our path to net-zero. Furthermore, the incoming head of the unit has a background championing environmental causes and a proven track record supporting public transport, including restoring the Beeching lines.