Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of rail freight crime; and what steps her department is taking to reduce those levels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police (BTP) are responsible for policing the rail network in England, Scotland and Wales.
The BTP work proactively with Freight Operating Companies (FOCs) to identify trends, advise on crime prevention and work to identify and arrest any offenders when crime is reported. BTP hold a 4-weekly Freight Working Group which is open to all freight operators.
For 2025/26 year to date, BTP recorded 48 crimes across all FOCs, the majority of which relate to graffiti.
Asked by: Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have taken to boost cross-border economic growth between England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Economic growth is the central mission of the government. We work closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that Wales, like all parts of the United Kingdom, plays a full part in this mission and benefits from our modern Industrial Strategy, with higher living standards delivered across the country.
As part of this mission, the government is investing in projects that will drive growth across Wales. Alongside rail commitments announced at the last Spending Review, we have recently announced that Anglesey in North Wales will pioneer the UK’s first small modular reactors at Wylfa, with £2.5 billion of UK Government funding. This represents the most significant industrial investment in North Wales in a generation. The project is expected to support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction and provide power for up to three million homes. Alongside this announcement, we have designated a new AI Growth Zone at the Anglesey Freeport, as well as another in South Wales.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to prevent sexual (a) harassment and (b) abuse on the transport network.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department is working across government and with partners, including the transport industry, local authorities and the British Transport Police (BTP), who are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling.
Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities, the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
As part of the Government’s aims to reduce VAWG by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and ASB. The Act also enables all Local Transport Authorities to introduce byelaws to tackle ASB on vehicles, as well as within and at bus-related infrastructure (for example bus stations).
On the rail network, DfT and the BTP are committed to working closely with Train Operating Companies to ensure our railways are safe, reliable, and efficient for all passengers, staff, and communities. This includes tackling ASB that might annoy, frighten, intimidate, or otherwise upset other people.
The Department supports BTP’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences. This includes using a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via BTP’s 61016 text number or 999 in an emergency.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the total identifiable expenditure per head on railways as shown in her department's Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2025, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of spending on railways in Wales in the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our 10 year UK Infrastructure Strategy, published in June 2025, acknowledged that for too long Wales’s long-term rail infrastructure needs have not been recognised and committed the UK Government to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements funding for Wales.
This transformative rail package, the majority of which will be delivered over the Spending Review Period to 2030, will reconnect Wales’s industrial heartlands, improve commuter journeys and drive economic growth in communities that have long suffered from poor transport links.
This funding is on top of the almost £2 billion that Network Rail will invest in the operation, maintenance, and renewal of railways in Wales during Control Period 7 (2024-2029), to tackle climate change, improve train performance from current levels, and invest in the areas that matter most to passengers and freight users.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of assaults on public transport staff.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales and they record the number of incidents of violence and abuse against rail workers. Analysis by the Department of Violence Against the Person offences shows in 2022/23 there were 5.1 violence against person offences per 1 million passenger journeys of which 1.3 were against staff, in 2024/25 this proportion of staff was 1.4.
We are committed to ensuring that public transport is safe for passengers and staff. There is no place for abuse or violence against any worker, and we are supporting industry to develop practical interventions to keep workers safe.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission an independent assessment of the financial and operational implications of fully devolving rail infrastructure and services to the Welsh Government.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK and Welsh Governments are focussed on transformation of the rail sector, modernising and improving rail services and delivering a more integrated, accountable, and passenger-focused railway.
As part of the wider rail reform agenda, and through continued collaborative working, we will be confirming devolved responsibilities, funding arrangements, and joint governance mechanisms, thereby strengthening accountability in the delivery of rail services across the Wales and Borders area.
A joint Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be published in Spring 2026 and will be supported by a partnership agreement between Great British Railways and Transport for Wales. This will ensure we are working towards jointly agreed shared objectives for Wales and Borders rail services and UK services serving destinations in the Wales and Borders geography.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason Welsh Ministers do not have the same statutory powers as Scottish Ministers to produce a High Level Output Specification for rail infrastructure.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in the Secretary of State’s Written Statement to Parliament on 5 November, UK Government and Welsh Ministers are committed to modernising and improving rail services and delivering a more integrated, accountable, and passenger-focused railway in Wales that respects the current devolution settlement.
Welsh Ministers will be statutory consultees on the England and Wales Statement of Objectives, and a formal Memorandum of Understanding, which is expected to be published in Spring 2026, will codify devolved responsibilities, funding arrangements, and joint governance mechanisms. This will strengthen accountability in the delivery of all rail services across the Wales and Borders geography.
This Memorandum of Understanding will include our joint intention for shared objectives and control period / funding period planning, and a dedicated, empowered Business Unit within Great British Railways (GBR) that will deliver against those shared objectives.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the total rail enhancement planned to spent in Wales to 2040.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In June 2025 the Chancellor announced investment plans covering the period from 2026/27 to 2029/30. For this period £350 million has been allocated to rail enhancements in Wales.
The Chancellor also confirmed that a further allocation of at least £95 million would be made in future years. The total amount of rail enhancement funding to be allocated up to 2040 will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews
Plans for rail investment in Wales will be made in close consultation with the Welsh Government. The Wales Rail Board has been established to provide joint strategic direction for schemes in Wales, with representation from the Department for Transport, the Wales Office, Network Rail, the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales. It will be consulted ahead of the next Spending Review so that Wales’s long-term rail infrastructure needs continue to be recognised.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, will the Government will make it its policy fully devolve heavy rail policy to Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport and the Welsh Government have been working collaboratively on the approach to rail reform in Wales, building on recent progress with devolution of the Core Valley Lines and the announcement at the Spending Review that at least £445m will be made available to enhance the railway in Wales.
As announced on 5 November, a joint Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be published in Spring 2026 and will be supported by a partnership agreement between Great British Railways and Transport for Wales. This will ensure we are working towards jointly agreed shared objectives for Wales and Borders rail services and UK services serving destinations in the Wales and Borders geography.
This Memorandum of Understanding will set out the intended working arrangements between the two governments for the management of rail infrastructure in Wales.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what per-capita level of rail enhancement funding has been allocated to Wales for Control Period 7.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail enhancement funding is determined via Spending Reviews rather than Control Period based settlements. In June 2025 the Chancellor announced investment plans covering the period from 2026/27 to 2029/30.
For this period £350 million has been allocated to rail enhancements in Wales, with a further commitment of at least £95 million to continue delivering Wales’ long term infrastructure needs. Based on the most recent Office for National Statistics figure for the population of Wales (mid-year estimate 30 June 2024), this total represents a per-capita value of £139.65.