Department for Transport

Department for Transport Ministers have not discussed with the Scottish Government limiting cruise ship activity. Nor have they undertaken any assessment of the levels of such activity.

Cruise visits bring jobs and growth to coastal communities. That’s why the Government, in partnership with the industry, published the UK Cruise Growth Plan in September 2025.

That plan offers a blueprint for future collaboration on connected priorities, such as further progress towards net zero and increasing environmental protection. It sits alongside the UK Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets out our pathway and key policies to decarbonise the maritime sector.

Department for Transport Ministers have not discussed with the Scottish Government limiting cruise ship activity. Nor have they undertaken any assessment of the levels of such activity.

Cruise visits bring jobs and growth to coastal communities. That’s why the Government, in partnership with the industry, published the UK Cruise Growth Plan in September 2025.

That plan offers a blueprint for future collaboration on connected priorities, such as further progress towards net zero and increasing environmental protection. It sits alongside the UK Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets out our pathway and key policies to decarbonise the maritime sector.

Level crossings form part of the rail estate and legal responsibility for their safe operation falls to the relevant infrastructure manager, such as Network Rail. Infrastructure managers must operate level crossings in line with their statutory duties but they work closely with local authorities, highways agencies and users to understand the impacts of barrier downtime. Effective co-operation and collaboration between these parties is critical and each has an important role to play.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the Spending Review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

This includes funding to extend the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027, ensuring that millions of people can access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.

This investment also includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan. Surrey County Council has been allocated £33.6 million for 2026/27 to 2028/29. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, which could include introducing local fares schemes to further reduce the cost of bus travel.

In respect of rail travel, the Chancellor and Transport Secretary have announced that regulated rail fares will be frozen for a year from March 2026, for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters in the Surrey Heath constituency could save over £200 on season tickets into London.

The Department does not hold this information in the format requested. I have asked Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager responsible for East Tilbury Level Crossing, to write to you as soon as the information is available.

The Government has set out that Great British Railways will have a broad retail function, using all available channels to serve passengers. The Railways Bill will deliver the statutory basis for this function.

The move to Great British Railways will enable passengers to receive a more consistent offer across the network, and we are already taking steps to overhaul the complex fares and ticketing system and make it easier and simpler for passengers to trust they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare for their journey.

As modern ticketing and payment methods roll out more widely on the railways, we will ensure that all passengers, including those who need to use cash or do not have access to smartphones or the internet, are able to buy a ticket across the different retail options.

Department Officials meet regularly with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to review performance and reliability, including driver resource considerations. The Department is supporting GTR in the recruitment of nearly 100 additional Thameslink drivers, which will assist in reducing reliance on rest day working.

Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up, which we are aiming to be around 12 months after the Railways Bill receives Royal Assent.

The detailed GBR design process is underway, considering how all functions in Network Rail, DfT Operator, publicly-owned train operating companies (TOC) and parts of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) should transfer to GBR.

The most recent Ticketless Travel Survey data we hold for Greater Anglia covers rail industry period 5, starting on Sunday 26 July 2025, to rail industry period 7 ending Saturday 17 October 2025. The overall revenue-at-risk was £4.685 million, and the portion of revenue-at-risk is 3.527 per cent.

The Government has set out that Great British Railways will have a broad retail function, using all available channels to serve passengers. The Railways Bill will deliver the statutory basis for this function.

For various operational and technical reasons, it is not possible to sell certain railcards at station ticket offices.

The Railcards currently unavailable to purchase at stations are 16-17 Saver, 26-30 Railcard, Disabled Persons' Railcard, Veterans Railcard and the HM Forces Railcard.

In the case of the Disabled Persons' Railcard, Veterans Railcard and HM Forces Railcard station staff are not able to verify the eligibility of passengers.

The 26-30 Railcard is only available in digital format.

The Railways Bill includes the introduction of Great British Railways (GBR) which will be a new public company responsible for providing the single point of leadership our railways sorely need, squarely accountable to its passengers for the service it delivers. This will help prioritise service reliability throughout the country, including Birmingham and Walsall, as well as the rest of the West Midlands.

We recognise the impact in terms of noise, environmental damage, and air quality that large vessels can have in proximity to coastlines. Whilst we have made no recent assessment of this impact for the purpose of placing restrictions, we have taken significant steps to improve our evidence base on the emissions from shipping by developing a new Maritime Emissions Model.

The UK continues to push for the adoption of the Net Zero Framework at the International Maritime Organization, which will place global regulation on the maritime sector to incentivise the transition to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels.

Decisions on fare changes are taken annually and agreed across government. We will always seek to strike a fair balance between passengers and taxpayers as we seek to return the railway to financial sustainability. In November, the Secretary of State confirmed that regulated rail fares will be frozen for one year from March 2026, saving passengers money as we rebuild a railway that Britain can rely on and be proud of.

Looking forward, we are moving away from the outdated, privatisation-era view of rail fares. Instead, GBR will have commercial flexibility to manage its fares revenue in a more agile and efficient manner, allowing it to create a national fares policy which makes more sense to passengers – so that they can more easily understand what fare they should be paying and why. The Secretary of State will retain a role, in order to influence and manage the overall level of fares, balancing the interests of passengers and taxpayers.

Assessments published by HS2 since 4 July 2024 include an Environmental Sustainability Progress Report, Supplementary Environmental Information reports and reports on Noise & Vibration and Air Quality. These are all made publicly available on gov.uk.

The Government is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the global environmental impact of the maritime sector. We are a leading voice in supporting the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework to reduce global shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, and remain committed to working with others to progress adoption of the Net-Zero Framework in 2026. Additional global measures, such as the introduction of stricter international sulphur regulations in 2020, have already reduced the use of traditional high sulphur Heavy Fuel Oil.

We are also taking action domestically through policies set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This presents a range of fuel scenarios, underpinned by our maritime emissions model, illustrating the varying ways in which the UK domestic maritime sector could transition from traditional fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels. This is also informed by a wide range of other evidence including from industry, non-governmental organisations and academia.

The Government is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the global environmental impact of the maritime sector. We are a leading voice in supporting the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework to reduce global shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, and remain committed to working with others to progress adoption of the Net-Zero Framework in 2026. Additional global measures, such as the introduction of stricter international sulphur regulations in 2020, have already reduced the use of traditional high sulphur Heavy Fuel Oil.

We are also taking action domestically through policies set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This presents a range of fuel scenarios, underpinned by our maritime emissions model, illustrating the varying ways in which the UK domestic maritime sector could transition from traditional fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels. This is also informed by a wide range of other evidence including from industry, non-governmental organisations and academia.

At Budget, Government announced the electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), which will ensure electric car drivers contribute fairly to using the roads and protect the long-term fiscal sustainability of the country. Alongside this, Government committed to providing £1.3 billion of additional funding for the Electric Car Grant, meaning more motorists can benefit from a discount of up to £3,750, reducing the upfront costs of these vehicles for consumers.

The Government's plug-in motorcycle grant is available until the end of financial year 2025/26 or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first.

Due to the complexities of the discount, the three different sales cycles throughout the year, the customer service involved, student verification and the level of product knowledge needed, this has to be managed by a specialist team at West Midlands Trains’ (WMT) Head Office.

The tickets are sold via a separate E-commerce platform. All orders are then checked, processed, and fulfilled by this team. All customer service tasks, including those around refunds, are also managed in house at WMT Head Office.

The Department does not hold this information in the format requested. I have asked Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager responsible for East Tilbury Level Crossing, to write to you as soon as the information is available.

Great Britain’s level crossings are among the safest in Europe. The number of incidents at rail-road level crossings in Greater Manchester since 2017/18 is set out below. No comparable data is available for previous years.

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A robust assessment of private investment options has been undertaken, with the shortlist outlined in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. The Government’s preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model as it offers an integrated approach that focuses delivery, reduces the financial burden on taxpayers, harnesses the benefits of private investment, and ensures strong regulatory oversight to promote the interests of users. The Department, National Highways and its advisors regularly hold informal discussions with private investment markets on a variety of themes and sectors.

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. This funding approach accelerates progress by unlocking private capital, therefore reducing the financial burden on taxpayers and boosting economic growth. This approach was selected following a robust assessment of private investment options, as set out in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. Other models considered as part of this assessment included full public funding and public funding for the tunnels with DBFOM contracts for the roads.

The Department and National Highways are committed to transparency and will continue to provide updates on the Lower Thames Crossing, including expenditure, contractual commitments, and the funding position, through established reporting mechanisms.

While the Development Consent Order (DCO) provides a fixed framework that limits scope-driven changes and offers higher cost certainty for delivery, it is important to note that at this stage of a project of this size and complexity there is always a level of uncertainty on the ultimate final cost of the project.

The government’s decision to proceed under the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model will significantly reduce the financial burden of construction costs to taxpayers, bringing in substantial amounts of private investment.

The Chancellor has committed a further £891m to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, the final tranche of Government support before private sector investment takes forward construction and long-term operation. The total Government investment in the project will stand at £3.1bn. This includes spend to date and funding committed through the Spending Review and Autumn Budget.

The Department’s total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees for the last financial year was nil and (ii) other similar membership subscriptions was nil.

Regulatory requirements apply to South Western Railway (SWR) to ensure rail replacement buses meet the necessary standards on accessibility across their network, including in Surrey Heath constituency. SWR works with its rail replacement providers to ensure services are accessible as far as possible, but if accessible options are not available, SWR will arrange alternative accessible transport.

The Government knows how important reliable bus services are in enabling people to stay connected and access education, work and vital services. We are committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including in Surrey. The Government has introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review, confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead to improve services for local communities.

Surrey County Council will be allocated £33.6 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29. This is in addition to the £12 million they are already receiving under the LABG this financial year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, this could include expanding bus provision between towns and villages.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.

LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.

LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

The Department provides a range of funding mechanisms to local authorities to enable them to deliver their objectives. It is for them to determine how best to use this to manage their roads to fulfil their Network Management Duty.

Section 280 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 is applicable to the British Transport Police as it is for a Home Office force. The effect of section 280(1) is to remove police officers from the statutory protections set out in legislation for those who take industrial action. Therefore, if BTP constables were to strike they would have no access to the legal protections provided in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 that other workers have when they strike. The definition of “police service” is set out in section 280(2) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and would include the constables of the British Transport Police.

The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The HM Forces and Veterans Railcards are managed by the Rail Delivery Group.

This Government fully recognises the importance of ensuring that the Blue Badge scheme supports those who have their mobility impacted by substantial and enduring disabilities and other health conditions. The Department for Transport works closely with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Blue Badge scheme remains fair, effective, and focused on those who need it most.

The Department previously consulted on extending the Blue Badge eligibility criteria in 2019 to allow people with non-visible (hidden) disabilities to be eligible for a Blue Badge. The current eligibility criteria are focused on the impact on an applicant’s mobility, rather than based on specific disabilities or conditions, and can be found on GOV.UK.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

The Department for Transport provides an online application through the Blue Badge Digital Service on GOV.UK and works closely with its supplier to identify any possible improvements to the online application and renewal process as part of its continuous improvement programme.

It is for each individual local authority to decide on the application route and to produce application form(s) for their area. To assist them in deciding whether an applicant meets the eligibility criteria, the DfT has produced a model application form with accompanying guidance notes for applicants on how to complete the form.

Local authorities (LAs), in their capacity as the traffic authority for their area, are already free to consider setting up locally determined temporary parking concessions that could assist the recovery of residents who have recently undergone major surgery or suffered serious illness. The cost and nature of any concession would be for the local authority to decide.

LAs already have powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes.

The primary focus of the Blue Badge on-street parking scheme is to help people who have an enduring and substantial disability that affects their mobility to park closer to their destinations, goods, and services. The Department routinely monitors the scheme to see how it may be improved, to ensure that it continues to serve those who need it most.

Currently, local authorities, in their capacity as the traffic authority for their area, are already free to consider setting up locally determined temporary parking concessions that could assist the recovery of residents who have recently undergone major surgery or suffered serious illness. LAs already have powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes. This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide.

Whilst the primary focus of the Blue Badge on-street parking scheme is to help people who have an enduring and substantial disability that affects their mobility park closer to their destinations, goods, and services, the Department routinely monitors the scheme to see how it may be improved, to ensure that it continues to serve those who need it most.

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network.

As announced at the Autumn Budget, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually by 2029/30 for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes. For the first time, we have confirmed local authorities’ funding allocations for four years, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.

This is in addition to the Government’s investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year.

The local highway authority for the Eastbourne constituency is East Sussex County Council. The table below sets out the total highways maintenance funding that East Sussex is eligible to receive from 2025/26 to 2029/30.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the cost of expanding the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) to include companion passes. However, since my response to Question 86957 on Bus Services: Concessions, newly released figures show that the ENCTS cost around £795 million in the year ending March 2025, an increase of 8% on the previous year.

The Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers over the remainder of the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities totalling nearly £700 million per year. Essex County Council will be allocated £59.3 million from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £17.8 million they are already receiving this year.

Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including funding companion passes locally. In the year ending March 2025, 66% of local authorities offered companion passes to disabled people as a discretionary concession.

The Government is reviewing responses to the consultation conducted under the previous government. We are considering next steps and will provide an update once this work has concluded.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. The ENCTS costs around £795 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel times, would need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, including by extending travel times. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

The Government is investing in bus services long-term and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services over the remainder of the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year.

The East Midlands Combined Authority will be allocated £65.5 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £21.7 million they are already receiving this year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including funding discretionary concessions.