Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Wales about (1) the adequacy of the two existing bridges over the Menai Strait to meet potential increased traffic arising from the construction of nuclear electricity generating facilities at Wylfa, and (2) whether the construction of those facilities will require a third bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for roads and highways matters in Wales is devolved and therefore this a matter for the Welsh Government to consider.
My department continues to engage positively with the Welsh Government on a range of cross-UK transport matters and remains willing to explore ways in which we can collaborate, support and share best practice.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many National Highways bridge infill schemes have been carried out by the contractor Hammond (ECS) Ltd.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The contractor Hammond (ECS) Ltd has completed 12 bridge infill schemes on National Highways bridges.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons learned from the financing of the Dartford River Crossing they have applied to their plans for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
A robust assessment of private investment options has been undertaken for the Lower Thames Crossing, with the short list outlined in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. The RAB model has been chosen because it enables the private sector to deliver the scheme efficiently, reduces financial burden on taxpayers, harnesses the benefits of private investment, and ensures strong regulatory oversight to promote the interests of users. In developing the preferred financial model for the Lower Thames Crossing, the Government has drawn on lessons from the financing of previous road projects in the UK and abroad, including the Dartford River Crossing (Queen Elizabeth II Bridge). The RAB model shares a number of features with the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) structure used to fund that bridge infrastructure, but also includes a regulator to ensure that it is operated in a way that promotes user interests and is able to attract the level of investment required.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether National Highways have made an assessment of the infilling work at Ridge Road Bridge near Shepton Mallet (reference ESB/10m4ch).
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
National Highways (NH) last intrusive investigation of the infilling work undertaken at the Ridge Road Bridge was the trial hole work adjacent to the South span in May 2023 and the coring of the North and Centre spans in December 2023.
Since this work NH have been engaging with an Active Travel Group about investigating the re-opening of the south span of the bridge.
NH is currently still working through options, safety justifications, and ecological impact. Given the uncertainty over what the next phase of work is, it is not possible to place a timeline on it.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps National Highways has taken to ensure that infilled bridges do not have voids beneath their spans.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
National Highways use assurance and inspection processes to confirm that voids are not present beneath bridge spans. The process is NH check 12 months after completion of the infilling. NH checks that a void has not formed between the infilling and the underside of the bridge by drilling small holes through the deck and inspecting with an endoscope. If there is a void, it is pressure grouted to fill it. The infilled bridge is then visually examined every 12 months, the frequency for all Historical Railways Estate structures examinations.
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 105289, how many meetings of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce have taken place since July 2024; on what dates those meetings occurred; and who was present.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The first meeting of the reconvened Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce was held on 30 January 2025, and a further meeting of the Taskforce will be convened in the near future to discuss next steps. Attendees at the 30th January meeting included representatives from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, the Department for Transport, the Port of London Authority, the London Borough of Wandsworth, Historic England and the Environment Agency, as well as local Members of Parliament attending as observers.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Affordable Homes Programme annual report 2024 to 2025, published on 7 January 2026, whether the £2 billion of funding announced in March 2025 is separate to the £39 billion of funding in the 2026 to 2036 programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549), the injection of £2 billion of new capital investment to support social and affordable housing delivery was designed to act as a bridge to the long-term grant funding that was to be announced at the Spending Review in June of that year. It is part of the £39 billion budget for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he make an assessment of the potential merits of installing a bridge over the level crossing in East Tilbury.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail are engaging with London Gateway and other stakeholders on the merits of level crossing interventions in the East Tilbury area and are keeping my officials updated.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that evidence drives the rollout of online parenting support contained in the Best Start in Life Strategy.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
As set out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the government will fund more evidence-based parenting and home learning offers through Best Start Family Hubs to achieve the 75% good level of development milestone, and bridge the critical gap before children enter school. We will set clearer rules to ensure that funding is used on high-quality parenting programmes.
The publication 'Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies – Preparing for implementation April 2026' sets out a number of relevant programme requirements around evidence, and the department will set out further information in the coming months, including on the online elements of the parenting offer. The publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-guidance-for-local-authorities.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the next meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge taskforce is expected to take place.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government intends to convene a further meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce in the near future to discuss next steps for the project. My Department’s officials will be in touch with key local stakeholders to arrange this in due course.