Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 53771 on Railways: Finance, what recent progress she has made on the Union Connectivity Development Fund.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Union Connectivity Development Fund (UCDF) has provided financial support for a range of transport connectivity projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This includes funding to support four rail feasibility studies in Northern Ireland, the conclusions of which have just been published in a Translink report.
While there are no plans for further UCDF-supported projects once those already underway are concluded, the Department remains committed to its strong partnerships with the Devolved Governments, focusing on collaboration, capacity building and the sharing of best practice, where appropriate.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the Government plans to curb dangerous driving on the A52 in Broxtowe.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. Details on this will be published shortly.
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 make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the APPG for Cycling and Walking's report entitled Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the concerns raised in the APPG report about the safety of e-bikes which do not comply with regulations and the risks associated with battery fires.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act which received Royal Assent in July, created the powers to allow Government to change regulations to respond to emerging technologies, including e-bikes, batteries and conversion kits.
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the future role of the Railway Benevolent Fund under Great British Railways, and what steps she is taking to ensure the Fund can continue its support for current and former rail workers once GBR is operational.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Railway Benevolent Institution, known as the Rail Benevolent Fund (RBF), is an independent non-membership charity, supported by charitable fundraising and donations, and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The future role of the RBF, including when Great British Railways is established, is a matter for the charity.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that there are sufficient replacement trains in operation following the withdrawal of the Class 43 HST trains from services in the South West.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The remaining High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, were withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and have been replaced with existing fleet, including the recently introduced Class 175s, the first of which entered passenger services on Monday 15 December.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the withdrawal of the Class 43 HST trains from services in the South West does not result in severe disruption and cancellations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The remaining High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, were withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and have been replaced with existing fleet, including the recently introduced Class 175s, the first of which entered passenger services on Monday 15 December.
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a list of any outstanding safety recommendations from the Air Accident Investigation Branch, along with the planned implementation date for each of the outstanding recommendations.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
All Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Safety Recommendations are published within the investigation reports to which they relate. In addition, the AAIB provides regular updates on the status of these recommendations on its website. These updates include the responses received, the AAIB’s assessment of those responses, and the progress of any actions taken.
This information is also summarised in the AAIB Annual Safety Review which is published in the second quarter of each year. The review covers recommendations that were opened or closed in the previous year and includes its status at the time of publication as well as expected timelines for further updates.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment Network Rail has made of the potential impact of (a) the reopening of the Camp Hill Line and (b) the May 2026 timetable change on capacity constraints at Birmingham New Street.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Combined Authority produced a Full Business Case for delivery of Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road stations on the Camp Hill line. The stations facilitate a range of transformational benefits to the region including job creation, new supply chains, economic growth, and decarbonisation by moving passengers from road to rail.
The services for the new stations have been agreed via the usual Network Change process to ensure all stations affected, including Birmingham New Street, meet regulatory compliance requirements.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to PQ82726 answered on 21 October 2025 about Cross Country Strikes, whether her Department has recently had discussions on that dispute with key parties to seek a resolution.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
CrossCountry kept the Department advised on their progress this autumn resolving issues raised by the RMT. It was welcome news that on 2 December the RMT confirmed to CrossCountry that proposed strike action was suspended and they were no longer in dispute with CrossCountry, so passengers can book their travel on this basis.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was for commissioning or licensing material from Dovetail Games for use in promotional content relating to the Great British Railways branding, including the computer-generated train livery featured in public communications.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The new brand for Great British Railways (GBR) was developed in-house by the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist working for a train operator in public ownership, with the only minimal design cost being audience testing. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money for the taxpayer.
As part of unveiling the new branding, the Department collaborated with Dovetail Games to connect with a larger audience. Though details of licencing contracts are commercially confidential, this agreement returns a premium to the department through licencing fees, rather than being a cost to the public purse. No payments have been made, or are due to, Dovetail Games.