Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising household costs on working parents.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that everyday costs remain too high for many households, including working parents. This is why, at the Budget, the Government took action to bear down on prices and help cut cost of living pressures by targeting everyday expenses.
This includes taking an average of £150 off household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the £150 Warm Home Discount to six million lower-income households, freezing regulated rail fares and NHS prescription fees for one year, and extending the 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026.
The Government is also committed to making renting easier and more affordable. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will strengthen protections for private renters and help tenants challenge unreasonable rent increases.
Alongside this, the Government is supporting working families by removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit, increasing the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour from April 2026, extending the £3 bus cap to March 2027, expanding free breakfast clubs, widening free school meals eligibility, and increasing support with childcare costs through Universal Credit.
The Bank of England has cut Bank Rate six times since the election as inflationary pressures have eased, helping to reduce borrowing costs for households.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support working parents with rising household costs.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that everyday costs remain too high for many households, including working parents. This is why, at the Budget, the Government took action to bear down on prices and help cut cost of living pressures by targeting everyday expenses.
This includes taking an average of £150 off household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the £150 Warm Home Discount to six million lower-income households, freezing regulated rail fares and NHS prescription fees for one year, and extending the 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026.
The Government is also committed to making renting easier and more affordable. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will strengthen protections for private renters and help tenants challenge unreasonable rent increases.
Alongside this, the Government is supporting working families by removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit, increasing the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour from April 2026, extending the £3 bus cap to March 2027, expanding free breakfast clubs, widening free school meals eligibility, and increasing support with childcare costs through Universal Credit.
The Bank of England has cut Bank Rate six times since the election as inflationary pressures have eased, helping to reduce borrowing costs for households.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of advance ticket discounts on affordability on the c2c rail line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
c2c serves a mostly short distance turn up and go market, with around 95 per cent of all daily ticket sales made within a week of the date of travel. Affordability is therefore primarily determined by walk-up fares.
c2c reduced its single fares in December 2023 to always be half the equivalent of a return fare, a change made in readiness for the roll out of contactless Pay As You Go (PAYG) ticketing.
c2c is the first TOC in Britain to offer contactless PAYG ticketing on its whole network and advises that it has the lowest walk-up fares per mile of any train company in the southeast.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve reliability on the railways.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving performance is one of this Government’s strategic priorities for transport, we are determined to enhance services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer. In response to our challenge to improve performance, the rail industry has set out a Performance Restoration Framework, with five clear areas of focus to recover performance to acceptable levels, including timetable resilience, staffing and how to keep trains moving during disruptive events.
The Department has been clear with operators and Network Rail about its expectations on performance, and how operators and Network Rail will deliver for passengers and meet their needs - this includes cancellations. The Department expects train operators to mitigate disruption and provide reliable services for passengers wherever possible.
To improve reliability and reduce traincrew related cancellations, we have developed a seven-point plan for traincrew, which we have built into business plan requirements. Operators have provided a concise, data-driven and evidence-based plan for how they will deliver the seven-point plan as part of their Business Plan responses, which were submitted in early December. These plans cover staffing levels, recruitment, training, overtime and planning efficiency to improve reliability.
The Rail Minister is continuing to meet with the Managing Directors of all train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Office of Rail and Road on the pricing of fares on cross-Channel routes.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
International Rail services operate on an open access basis, with fares set in line with commercial strategy by the private companies involved. The Government engages regularly with the independent Office of Rail and Road to discuss its regulatory activities, which for international rail services include competition and consumer protection matters.
The Government is committed to supporting the growth of our international rail connections with Europe and is working to establish a thriving and competitive market, which could deliver more competitive fares and greater choice, supporting industry to tackle capacity constraints and signing landmark agreements with Germany and Switzerland to pave the way for new routes.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess and monitor the quality of revenue protection services provided by publicly managed train operators; what assessment they have made of whether railway byelaws and the British Railways Act 1989 are being used proportionately and appropriately; and what training they are providing to publicly run train operators to ensure consistency and appropriate use of those regulations.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Our priority is to ensure that fare evasion is addressed, with passengers treated fairly and in accordance with the correct procedures. DFT Operator (DFTO) has reviewed the revenue protection practices of its operators to ensure they are acting consistently and in accordance with legislation. Before an operator enters public ownership, DFTO reviews their practices and prepares to take any action that is required to align activity as appropriate. The Office for Rail and Road carried out a review of revenue protection, and we have accepted all of their recommendations. The Department will publish an update on this in due course which will outline the actions we and industry are taking to ensure revenue protection is addressed.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January to Question 100439, on Luton Airport: Railways, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on the provision of step free access for passengers at Leagrave station travelling to and from London Luton Airport.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of the Access for All programme, before delivery funding was secured. We will make an announcement on which stations will progress in due course.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on delays and disruption on the Brighton Main Line for passengers using stations in Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.
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 Basildon Borough Council on the (a) proposed 27,000 home increase in the Borough and (b) potential impact of that increase on demand for C2C and Greater Anglia services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We expect operators to work with local stakeholders, including local councils such as Basildon Borough Council, in relation to housing developments and their potential increase on demand for rail services. Estimates of future demand are being used to inform strategic planning across the Essex Thameside area, with collaboration across operators, Network Rail and local stakeholders such as councils.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme on standing levels and overcrowding on Brighton Main Line services used by passengers in Dorking and Horley constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government cancelled the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) at Spending Review 2021. The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 8 July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.