Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential safety and operational benefits of converting the Thatcham level crossing from manually controlled barrier with CCTV to manually controlled barrier with obstacle detection.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail is responsible for assessing and managing the safety risk at level crossings on the mainline railway in Great Britain, including at Thatcham. It routinely reviews the most appropriate safety measures, taking into account local risk, user behaviour and operational requirements.
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 6 January 2026 to Question 101488, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing or consolidating lower-cost rail fares as part of fare simplification reforms on fare evasion.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of our reforms to the railways, we are making fares easier to understand, so that passengers can buy tickets with confidence, knowing they are getting the right fare every time. Under Great British Railways (GBR), passengers will enjoy a consistent, reliable offer across the entire network. Simplifying fares is intended to improve passenger confidence and reduce the likelihood of unintentional fare irregularities.
Tackling fare evasion is a priority. The Secretary of State has accepted the Office for Road and Rail’s recommendations in its June 2025 review into revenue protection practices, and the Department will respond formally in due course.
In light of this wider work on ticketing and fare evasion, the Department has not undertaken a separate assessment specifically on the impact of removing or consolidating lower‑cost fares on fare evasion.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects a decision from the Office of Road and Rail on the prospect of approving a Newcastle to Brighton rail link.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Grand Central submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on 19 December 2025 for rights to operate Open Access rail services between Newcastle and Brighton.
The application has not been agreed by the infrastructure manager, Network Rail, and ORR is currently carrying out the statutory consultation with Network Rail and Grand Central. Network Rail responded on 30 January 2026 and Grand Central now has until 20 February to respond to Network Rail’s views.
ORR aims to take decisions on access applications within six weeks of the date of receipt of all relevant information.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking to secure an exemption for UK professional HGV and coach drivers from the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of non-compliant number plates on the ability to trace and prosecute hit-and-run drivers.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Under the new Road Safety Strategy, the Government has announced firm action to tackle non-compliant or ‘ghost’ numberplates. This includes consulting on tougher penalties, including penalty points and vehicle seizure, more robust checks on number plate suppliers, and higher industry standards for numberplates. We also intend to commission targeted research to explore the potential use of AI to identify illegal plates.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration has been given to the effects of her proposed road safety policies on people from both (a) younger and (b) older age demographics.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured per licence held, at least in part due to their frailty.
We know we need to get the balance right for our younger and older drivers, to support young people’s access to work, education, and social activities. and to ensure that older people can actively participate in society and retain their independence, while also keeping both younger and older drivers safe on the roads.
That is why, as part of the Road Safety Strategy, we launched consultations on the 7 January 2025 on introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers and introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.
Government policies are developed with due regard to protected characteristics as outlined by law. To ensure this an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) will be carried out in line with PSED throughout the policy development process. As part of the EIA, the impact of policy options on people with protected characteristics will be considered proportionately and appropriate measures will be taken where a negative impact of policy is identified.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of road safety policy on older people's (a) mobility and (b) independence.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured per licence held, at least in part due to their frailty.
We know we need to get the balance right for our younger and older drivers, to support young people’s access to work, education, and social activities. and to ensure that older people can actively participate in society and retain their independence, while also keeping both younger and older drivers safe on the roads.
That is why, as part of the Road Safety Strategy, we launched consultations on the 7 January 2025 on introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers and introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.
Government policies are developed with due regard to protected characteristics as outlined by law. To ensure this an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) will be carried out in line with PSED throughout the policy development process. As part of the EIA, the impact of policy options on people with protected characteristics will be considered proportionately and appropriate measures will be taken where a negative impact of policy is identified.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule on UK professional drivers and the businesses that depend on them.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts on the potential impact of the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule on UK professional drivers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has has made of trends in the level of public awareness of updated Highway Code rules.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes, with the percentage of road users reporting they knew a little or a lot about the changes going from 36% in January 2022 to over 50% in August 2022 and 70% in September 2023. By that time 86% of road users reported having heard of the changes.
Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.