Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of assaults on bus drivers; and what recent discussions she has had with (a) operators, (b) trade unions and (c) local transport authorities on this matter.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring the safety of bus drivers and is taking steps to reduce the incidence of assaults.
The Bus Services (No.2) Bill includes measures setting requirements for mandatory training for staff including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public or with issues related to the travelling public. This training will be on preventing and/or responding to incidents of violence against women and girls as well as anti-social behaviour incidents that potentially affect the personal safety of any passenger, member of the public, or staff. This measure will also extend requirements for relevant bus staff to undertake training relating to disabled passengers. The Department engages regularly with bus operators, trade unions and Local Transport Authorities across the full range of measures contained in the Bill. This will continue as the guidance around this training is developed.
The Bill also provides Local Transport Authorities with the power to create byelaws and deploy officers who can deal with low level anti-social behaviour and fare evasion on the bus network. Officers will have the power to issue fines, ask people to leave the vehicle, bus station or shelter and, if necessary, to remove them if they refuse to do so.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce legislation to provide UK seafarers with equivalent (a) redundancy, (b) dismissal protections and (c) other employment rights to onshore workers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to strengthening workers’ rights at sea, and the Employment Rights Bill includes measures to improve protections for seafarers facing collective redundancy, and powers to protect the working conditions of seafarers aboard frequent international services. My Department will continue to engage with the maritime trade unions and the sector more broadly about the application of employment rights to seafarers, as well as working with like-minded states and social partners to drive up international standards.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of industrial action by train guards on passengers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department regrets the impact any industrial action by guards may have on passengers. The Department works with its contracted train operators to minimise the impact of any industrial action and encourages them and the trade unions to resolve matters, through discussion, as quickly as possible.
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 8 September 2025 to Question 71253 on Railways: Facilities Agreements, if she will publish a copy of the extant facility time agreements in place for (a) her Department, (b) Great British Railways and (c) DfT Operator Limited.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In rail, facility time agreements are between individual train operating companies or Network Rail and the trade unions (TUs), not between the Department for Transport or DfT Operator Limited and the TUs. Great British Railways has not yet been established so has no facility time agreements.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with train operating companies on industrial disputes relating to the scanning of electronic tickets.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The train operating companies are responsible for managing industrial relations with their workforces and trade unions. The Department engages regularly with all of its contracted train operating companies regarding their approach to industrial disputes, including regarding ticket scanning.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with trade unions on the formation of Anglia Railways.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department and our industry partners, Network Rail and DFT Operator, have regular discussions with trade unions on a range of topics, including rail reform, of which integrated management arrangements are one part. The formation of integrated management arrangements across track and train, such as South Eastern Railway already established, is led by Network Rail and DFT Operator.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the membership and terms of reference of the Rail Engagement Group.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of our manifesto commitment to reset industrial relations, the Government is looking to establish the Rail Engagement Group (REG). It is intended that the REG will bring together leaders from the Department for Transport, rail industry and trade unions for strategic discussions about the railway, as we move towards establishing Great British Railways.
Individuals have recently been invited to join the REG. The group’s membership will be published on gov.uk after it has been confirmed. The terms of reference will be published once agreed by the REG.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she plans to have discussions with unions ahead of rail companies being taken into public ownership.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department and DFT Operator have regular discussions with trade unions on a range of topics, including the public ownership programme. Officials engage with trade unions throughout the transfer process, from the point of confirming when a train operator’s services will transfer into public ownership through to the transfer date and beyond.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance (a) Network Rail, (b) her Department and its agencies and (c) Great British Railways have produced on trade union facility time for railways staff.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Facility time arrangements are matters for individual rail employers and the trade unions to agree, in accordance with trade union and labour relations legislation.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role (a) her Department and (b) its agencies will play in making agreements with trade unions on the nationalised railways.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the employers, Network Rail and individual train operators, including those owned by DfT Operator Ltd, are responsible for negotiating agreements with the trade unions, under established collective bargaining arrangements.
The future role of Great British Railways in this process has still to be determined.