Department for Transport

We regularly engage with the Motor Insurer’s Bureau and are working with them to understand the impact of private e-scooters and illegal e-bikes on car drivers’ insurance premiums.

It is clear the law on e-scooters needs to change, which is why the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows. Any future regulations, including potential insurance requirements, will be publicly consulted on before they come into force.

The provision and charging of car parking at airports, including drop-off charges, is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. Government expects fees to be set in a way that is both fair and transparent for consumers.

Private e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements. While it is not illegal to sell an e-scooter for use on private land, retailers are breaking the law if they knowingly mislead a buyer or do not make the legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear.

Meanwhile, the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which is likely to include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. This will provide a proportionate and more agile process for regulating the use of micromobility vehicles.

The British Transport Police (BTP) Crime Screening Policy is an operational document owned by the BTP. Any decisions to publish the document are for BTP, as an operationally independent police service.

The provision and charging of car parking at airports, including drop-off charges is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. Government expects fees to be set in a way that is both fair and transparent.

The Prime Minister announced on 24 March 2025 that local highway authorities would be rated on their progress in maintaining local roads and highways. This was announced alongside the introduction of new reporting requirements for local highway authorities for the 2025/26 financial year, including a requirement to publish transparency reports to improve transparency for local residents so they can see how funding is being spent.

On the same day, the Director General for the Road Transport Group in the Department for Transport wrote to Chief Executives of all local highway authorities setting out the details and data that needed to be included in those transparency reports.

The ratings used the data provided in local highway authority transparency reports, as well as official statistics. Further information on the data sources used is published online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/methodology-used-to-calculate-ratings-for-local-road-maintenance.

As set out in response to WPQ 103428 on 19 January, a Home Office approved solution to this issue has been agreed, and National Highways and the police are continuing to work together to implement this as a priority.

In the meantime, National Highways has put in place measures including increased Traffic Patrol Officers, alongside the existing tactics that the police use to enforce speed limits on the Strategic Road Network including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites.

At present there are no plans to review or update the Harbour, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847. Whilst the Department for Transport continues to ensure that the UK’s maritime legislation is fit for purpose, there has been no pressing need identified to warrant parliamentary time to review this Act.

Yes, we will publicly consult on the outcome of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that any scheme for Heathrow expansion is deliverable and affordable. Last year, the Government undertook a comparative assessment of the proposals, on its individual merits against the published criteria, which included financial considerations. Since this is a private sector project, it is for the potential promoters to develop and finance expansion proposals, and to demonstrate that any scheme is financially viable.

We are currently considering the views received from consultation on, and Parliamentary scrutiny of, the draft revised NPS for Ports, and will lay a final text in due course.

The Government’s overall policy on aviation noise is to balance the economic and consumer benefits of aviation against its social and health implications.

The Air Navigation Guidance 2017 provided by the Department to the Civil Aviation Authority urges helicopter operators to fly with consideration for communities that may live under their flightpath. The Department has also sought to encourage pilots to follow other available guidance, such as that produced by the British Helicopter Association which encourages pilots to fly as high as possible within safety and operational limits.

Aircraft and traffic noise is not included as a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Government believes it is not practical for local authorities to enforce noise from these sources, and that aviation noise is better managed through specific Government policies tailored to individual noise sources. Powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are devolved in Scotland.

The Government’s overall policy on aviation noise is to balance the economic and consumer benefits of aviation against its social and health implications.

The Air Navigation Guidance 2017 provided by the Department to the Civil Aviation Authority urges helicopter operators to fly with consideration for communities that may live under their flightpath. The Department has also sought to encourage pilots to follow other available guidance, such as that produced by the British Helicopter Association which encourages pilots to fly as high as possible within safety and operational limits.

Aircraft and traffic noise is not included as a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Government believes it is not practical for local authorities to enforce noise from these sources, and that aviation noise is better managed through specific Government policies tailored to individual noise sources. Powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are devolved in Scotland.

The Department for Transport does not monitor aircraft movements within uncontrolled airspace and therefore has not made any assessment of existing monitoring and data collection arrangements for helicopter movements in uncontrolled airspace.

The Civil Aviation Authority, as the UK's independent regulator for civil aviation, manages and regulates the use of UK airspace. Uncontrolled airspace enables aircraft to operate freely and without the need to follow set routes, whilst abiding by the Rules of the Air Regulation 2015.

Government has allocated £1.1bn funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail in this Parliament to undertake development and consenting work. The first phase, focusing on electrification and upgrades East of the Pennines, is expected to be delivered during the 2030s.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will deliver turn-up-and-go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with regular services to Newcastle, Hull and Chester for North Wales. The first phase of work East of the Pennines will largely be upgrades to existing lines, including electrification. The government is taking forward work on the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill to seek powers for the section of route into Manchester via Manchester Airport. Options for further sections of new route, including connections to Liverpool, will be assessed with local leaders in the coming months, in advance of any public consultation.

The DfT, together with NHS England, and DHSC are piloting the secure linkage of police collision and healthcare data to better understand the causes and impacts of road traffic incidents. Using the Pre-hospital Research and Audit Network (PRANA) framework, this initiative will enhance analysis of injury severity, collision outcomes, and NHS burden. This work started in 2025 and the department has published an initial feasibility study which can be found on the government website with further updates expected over the next year.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not hold data on the time taken by local highway authorities to repair reported potholes, but national guidance recommends that defects and potholes which require urgent attention should be made safe at the time of inspection or as soon as possible.

Local highway authorities have a wide range of tools and methods available to them to survey their networks and to monitor the condition of the roads they maintain over time. The Government does not prescribe which of these must be used to inform their asset management programme.

Our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) commit to regular onward services east of Leeds to Hull. Specific NPR service patterns will be confirmed in due course as the programme develops.

Local transport, including light rail, is largely devolved. It is for local transport authorities to determine whether a light rail or tram scheme represents an appropriate intervention to address any local mass transit challenge or opportunity.

The Chancellor announced the £15.6 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements for 9 eligible mayoral strategic authorities on 4 June 2025. As part of this announcement East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), which includes Derby, was allocated £2 billion in local transport funding through to 2031/32. This investment aims to drive economic growth and improve access to opportunities in the region. While the Government sets the overarching objectives for the programme, TCR is devolved and Mayors have discretion over how to allocate these funds to meet local transport priorities, including mass transit.

Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing. The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes and the full business case will follow ahead of private sector investment.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Government will provide up to £45 billion of funding to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail turn-up-and-go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York.

This £45 billion does not constitute a formal cost estimate for the programme but is a funding cap that both demonstrates our commitment and ambition, whilst ensuring NPR remains an affordable and efficient programme. Three phases of delivery will see major construction work in the 2030s, continuing through to the 2040s.

No decisions have been taken on the long-term delivery strategy for the programme at this stage. However, HS2 Ltd continue to be involved in the development work covered by the High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill.

The Government recognises that historic underinvestment has meant that authorities have not necessarily had the resources to maintain roads in the way that they would want to. The Government has therefore announced a record £7.3 billion for the next four years. This is building on the c.£1.6 billion in capital funding for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, which includes £500 million of additional funding when compared to funding levels for 2024/25.

In 2025/26, 25% of the additional funding was designated as incentive funding and was contingent upon local highway authorities meeting certain reporting requirements. A portion of the £7.3 billion over the next four years will also be designated as incentive funding and will be subject to local highway authorities demonstrating that they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, for example by spending all the DfT’s capital grant on highways maintenance and adopting more preventative maintenance. Authorities that fail to meet these standards will have this incentive funding withheld.

In addition, on 11 January, DfT published a new traffic light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. Under this system, each authority is rated red, amber or green based on the condition of their roads, how effectively they spend their record Government funding, and whether they do so using best practice. Authorities that state their capital investment to maintain local highways is less than DfT’s capital grant for highways maintenance receive a red spend scorecard under this rating system.

Network Rail awarded its Train Control Systems Framework in April 2024 covering major signalling activities for the period 2024-2034.

Development contracts for digital signalling have been awarded are in delivery, with completion forecast in Financial Year 2027/28.

The ORR undertakes assurance of Network Rail’s signalling renewals delivery as part of its regulatory monitoring role.

Annual assessments of Network Rail | Office of Rail and Road

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.

While there is no mandatory requirement for motorcycles to be fitted with collision notification systems, aftermarket products exist that are promoted as being compatible with motorcycle riding. The Government has not assessed the safety benefits of these systems.

DfT collects and collates a range of information about information about local roads from local authorities in England annually.

Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England are published annually on GOV.uk. These statistics have presented the percentage of road that should have been considered for maintenance (red), by road classification and local authority, since 2008. These statistics show that in England:

• The percentage of local ‘A’ road categorised as red has remained at 4% since 2020. Despite a slight increase from 3% in 2019, the proportion of ‘A’ road categorised as red is still below levels seen in 2008 to 2013.
• After reaching a peak in 2011 and 2012, where 10% of ‘B’ and ‘C’ road was categorised as red, the proportion fell to 6% in 2016 but has since increased to 7% in 2023 and 2024.
• The proportion of the unclassified road network categorised as red has fluctuated between 15% and 18% since current reporting started in 2008, and in 2024 stood at 17%, unchanged from 2023.

This financial year the Government has introduced transparency reporting for local highway authorities across England alongside making an additional £500 million available for highways maintenance. To qualify for their full share of this funding uplift, local highway authorities had to publish reports setting out how they comply with best practice, including in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance.

Further to this, on 11 January, the Department published a new rating system for every highway authority in England. Each local highway authority received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they are spending to maintain it, and whether they do so using best practice, including by adopting more preventative maintenance. The ratings, which will be updated periodically, provide an incentive for councils to adopt more preventative maintenance, and enable the Department to provide targeted support to authorities to help them adopt best practice.

To gain access to their full highways maintenance funding in the future, local highway authorities will have to continue to demonstrate that they comply with best practice, for example by adopting more preventative maintenance.

From 2025, all local highway authorities were required to publish transparency reports on their websites to increase transparency and ensure that both Government and local residents can see how record investment into local roads is being spent. Using the data from these transparency reports, the Department published a new traffic light rating system for all local highway authorities in England on 11 January. Under this system, each authority is rated red, amber or green based on the condition of their roads, how effectively they spend their record Government funding, and whether they do so using best practice. This system provides public accountability and reinforces the expectation that funding is used for its intended purpose.

Under this system, 10 local highway authorities scored a red on their spend scorecard, which means they have stated in their highways maintenance transparency reports that in the current financial year they are due to invest less capital to maintain their local highways than their DfT capital grant for local highways maintenance. A large portion of local highway authorities did, however, spend more than their allocation with 113 local highway authorities receiving a green rating for this scorecard.

The Government will seek to minimise impacts for passengers during major construction work. No decisions have been taken at this stage of the programme. As with the Transpennine Route Upgrade, we would expect to adopt a collaborative approach between train operators to keep services running for the public during major works.

The Workboat Code Edition 3, including its annex for remotely operated unmanned vessels, came into force in December 2023. This followed public consultation, during which the Maritime and Coastguard Agency engaged extensively with the industry through meetings, conferences and post‑consultation briefing sessions. This code is already informing the domestic frameworks of international partners, including some of our close collaborators and co-signatories of the North Sea MASS (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships) Memorandum of Understanding.

The UK has been a leading participant in international negotiations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), coordinating several chapters of the non-mandatory IMO MASS Code expected in June 2026. The code will provide guidance for a rapidly developing autonomy industry, enabling the commercial use of autonomous ships. The UK will work with international partners and leading industry players throughout the IMO’s “experience-building phase” to shape the IMO MASS Code ahead of its anticipated enforcement in 2032.

The Government provides the port sector with the right regulatory environment it needs to support investment, providing targeted support where there are clear public benefits, such as decarbonisation. In September 2025 the Government announced a further £448 million to the UK SHORE research programme, the biggest ever Government investment in commercial maritime across the UK. In addition, the Government is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports.

The Government has not conducted an assessment of the impact of an uptake in e-fuels on the current level of port and bunkering infrastructure in the UK, however we are taking action through policies set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy.

This Strategy includes a range of fuel scenarios, underpinned by a 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 GHG emission fuels. Additionally, we intend to publish a consultation on a domestic maritime fuel regulation later this year which will help set the direction of UK maritime fuels policy and reduce uncertainty for the sector.

The Department has no plans to make such assessment.

The GB-wide Waterborne Freight Grant encourages new coastal or short sea shipping services and assists a company with the operating costs associated with running waterborne freight transport instead of road, where transport by water is more expensive. The grant can assist a company for up to three years. The application window for funding in the 2026/27 financial year is open until 15 February.

Officials across the UK and Scottish Governments remain engaged on the ongoing administration and future of the scheme.

I understand the distress of owners who lose beloved pets and it is a great source of worry and uncertainty when they are lost.

All drivers are encouraged to periodically to refresh their road safety knowledge. All road users are required to comply with road traffic law in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users.

Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report a collision involving specified animals including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets.

Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.

In terms of the national road network, National Highways has clear guidelines for contractors to follow when they find a deceased cat or dog. This process is designed with owners in mind, giving them the best chance of being informed of the incident to allow closure; the process is set out in the Network Management Manual.

Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has told the Department how it intends to resolve residents’ concerns. Although the Department has no relevant powers that can be used to assist in this situation, it is currently satisfied with the PLA’s proposed course of action but will keep the matter under review.

This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the significant social and economic benefits that enhanced accessibility brings to communities.

On 15 January, we confirmed that accessibility upgrades will not progress at Leagrave station in the Hon. Member’s constituency at this time. The absence of third-party funding contributions to the project was the crucial factor in this decision. In contrast, all 30 of the 50 shortlisted projects which included a third-party funding contribution will now be progressing.

Nearby Luton Airport Parkway station already has step-free access to all platforms. Delivery is beginning on step-free upgrades at Luton station.

In the meantime, where step-free access is not available, train operators are required to provide alternative accessible transport at no additional cost to the passenger.

In addition to the Access for All programme, whenever the rail industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure, this work must comply with current accessibility standards, with enforcement action taken by the Office of Rail and Road where those standards are not met.

Should sources of funding be identified locally, for example through section 106 contributions, this would provide an opportunity to bring forward accessibility improvements at Leagrave station.

The Rail Minister would be pleased to meet with the Hon. Member, at her earliest convenience, to discuss accessibility at Leagrave station further.

This Government works closely with industry to address financial barriers to pilot training and to support the growth of a diverse aviation workforce, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. This area is a priority not only for my Department, but also the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England.

A training organisation has been approved to deliver a first officer apprenticeship, which would provide training completely cost-free to young people. In addition, British Airways, Jet2.com, and TUI have periodically offered partly or fully funded training programmes.

My officials are working with the Department for Education and airlines to encourage them to deliver this apprenticeship.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will deliver turn up and go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, with onward services to Newcastle, Hull and Chester for North Wales.

The scheme is expected to provide connectivity and growth benefits across the wider region. Government will work with local leaders to develop the details before decisions are made on future journey times and frequencies.

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) will deliver turn up and go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York. The economic rationale for NPR is to enable these areas to function as a single high productivity growth corridor. The Government has worked closely with local leaders in these areas and will continue to do so in taking the design and delivery of NPR forward.

The Government will still consider future rail improvement schemes more widely for areas such as Lancashire, for example through the future rail network enhancement programme, and it will engage with local leaders and Members on their priorities in the normal way.

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) will deliver turn up and go railway services between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York. The economic rationale for NPR is to enable these areas to function as a single high productivity growth corridor. The Government has worked closely with local leaders in these areas and will continue to do so in taking the design and delivery of NPR forward.

The Government will still consider future rail improvement schemes more widely for areas such as Lancashire, for example through the future rail network enhancement programme, and it will engage with local leaders and Members on their priorities in the normal way.

The Government has allocated £1.1bn funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail in this SR period. This is the first funding allocation within the overall £45bn lifetime cap for the programme.

This funding will drive forward development work for the programme including taking forward the design for a new station in Bradford, subject to the business case process, with decisions expected in Summer 2026.

For 2024-25 rail period 4 (23 June-20 July 2024) TransPennine Express reported 153.5 full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff at stations, including barrier staff. That figure for 2025-26 rail period 10 (7 December 2025-3 January 2026) was 178 FTE, representing a 16 per cent increase. The increase over 2024-25 were mainly due to filling vacancies that had been paused pending the previous Government’s proposed closure of ticket offices which they subsequently reversed.

The Department’s Spending Review settlement and additional commentary were set out on gov.uk. As is usual, the Department does not publish further detail on those budgets. The reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period will be enabled through delivery of the public ownership programme, a relentless focus on improving operational performance and improvements for customers, and by driving passenger revenue growth.