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 29 January 2026 to Question 107278, what items of hospitality were provided at that reception; and if she will publish the relevant food and drink invoices and procurement contracts.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Seccombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Northern Ireland Executive’s plans for graduated driving licence reforms; and what consideration they have given to introducing similar reforms in Great Britain.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Whilst we are not considering further restrictions on newly qualified drivers, such as carrying passengers or driving at night, we are consulting on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test in England, Scotland and Wales. This would allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers.
We are also consulting on a lower drink drive limit for newly qualified drivers with the intention of reducing collisions amongst this group.
My officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the Devolved Authorities, including those in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) road safety and (b) Bikeability into the national curriculum for both (i) primary and (ii) secondary school children, as part of the Lifelong Learning for Road Users.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We welcome road safety programmes which are evidence led and contribute to improving road safety.
The Department has previously funded the RAC Foundation Pre-driver Theatre and Workshop Education Research project, which ran from September 2019 to March 2023. Amongst the conclusions, the report suggests using “shock and tell” tactics and “threat” and “fear” appeals to teach the risks associated with driving does little to improve safety and may be counterproductive. I encourage all those who deliver road safety programmes to avoid this approach.
As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we have committed to publishing 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.
Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30m was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly.
Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25. The Bikeability Trust manages the programme across England and provides support and guidance to local authorities, training providers and schools in order to maximise the reach of the programme.
Primary and secondary schools are free to teach about road safety awareness as part of their duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and many do so through their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) provision alongside the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) content.
The updated RSHE guidance, published in July 2025, has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads.
This can also include teaching about general road safety when using bikes in different situations. Schools can draw on resources available from many providers including, the Department’s THINK! campaign.
We will continue to look at how we best evolve the THINK! campaign in line with the Road Safety Strategy, but resources currently include interactive games, printable activity sheets, and lesson plans tailored to different age groups from primary school aged children all the way up to secondary school and learner drivers. These materials are regularly shared on THINK!’s social media channels and distributed to schools and educators via newsletters and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, whether she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to include (a) the Safe Drive Stay Alive, (b) Think! and (c) similar road safety campaigns in Key Stage 4 Personal, Social, Health and Economic education.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We welcome road safety programmes which are evidence led and contribute to improving road safety.
The Department has previously funded the RAC Foundation Pre-driver Theatre and Workshop Education Research project, which ran from September 2019 to March 2023. Amongst the conclusions, the report suggests using “shock and tell” tactics and “threat” and “fear” appeals to teach the risks associated with driving does little to improve safety and may be counterproductive. I encourage all those who deliver road safety programmes to avoid this approach.
As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we have committed to publishing 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.
Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30m was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly.
Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25. The Bikeability Trust manages the programme across England and provides support and guidance to local authorities, training providers and schools in order to maximise the reach of the programme.
Primary and secondary schools are free to teach about road safety awareness as part of their duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and many do so through their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) provision alongside the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) content.
The updated RSHE guidance, published in July 2025, has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads.
This can also include teaching about general road safety when using bikes in different situations. Schools can draw on resources available from many providers including, the Department’s THINK! campaign.
We will continue to look at how we best evolve the THINK! campaign in line with the Road Safety Strategy, but resources currently include interactive games, printable activity sheets, and lesson plans tailored to different age groups from primary school aged children all the way up to secondary school and learner drivers. These materials are regularly shared on THINK!’s social media channels and distributed to schools and educators via newsletters and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of existing road safety programmes delivered by (a) Police and (b) Fire services.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We welcome road safety programmes which are evidence led and contribute to improving road safety.
The Department has previously funded the RAC Foundation Pre-driver Theatre and Workshop Education Research project, which ran from September 2019 to March 2023. Amongst the conclusions, the report suggests using “shock and tell” tactics and “threat” and “fear” appeals to teach the risks associated with driving does little to improve safety and may be counterproductive. I encourage all those who deliver road safety programmes to avoid this approach.
As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we have committed to publishing 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.
Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30m was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly.
Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25. The Bikeability Trust manages the programme across England and provides support and guidance to local authorities, training providers and schools in order to maximise the reach of the programme.
Primary and secondary schools are free to teach about road safety awareness as part of their duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and many do so through their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) provision alongside the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) content.
The updated RSHE guidance, published in July 2025, has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads.
This can also include teaching about general road safety when using bikes in different situations. Schools can draw on resources available from many providers including, the Department’s THINK! campaign.
We will continue to look at how we best evolve the THINK! campaign in line with the Road Safety Strategy, but resources currently include interactive games, printable activity sheets, and lesson plans tailored to different age groups from primary school aged children all the way up to secondary school and learner drivers. These materials are regularly shared on THINK!’s social media channels and distributed to schools and educators via newsletters and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage weighting is given to social value in the evaluation of bids under each Government-funded scheme supporting the procurement of new buses, including zero-emission, electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Social value, through community benefits, was one of the criteria considered when assessing the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 2 funding announced in March 2024. The strategic case, including community benefits, had a 10% weighting. The published criteria can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-zero-emission-bus-funding-zebra-2/apply-for-zero-emission-bus-funding-zebra-2 . Previous rounds of ZEBRA funding did not explicitly assess social value.
Through the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, which this Government launched in March 2025, my department is working with the sector to explore how best to consider social value in future bus procurement.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 108013, whether the Department has identified any financial year in which the cumulative efficiency savings attributed to Network Rail are expected to exceed the cumulative costs of the major technology investments cited in support of those efficiencies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail's overall Control Period 7 (running from April 2024 to March 2029) efficiency target is £3.9 billion, which it remains on track to achieve. This will significantly exceed the cumulative cost in Control Period 7 of the major technology investments previously cited (Digital Signalling, Electrical Safety and Delivery, and Project Reach).
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 22 January 2026 to Question 105302 on Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Privatisation, what steps she is taking to mitigate for the loss of revenue to her Department from the privatisation of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, ownership and operation of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity. This entity would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service across both.
The entity would be overseen by an independent regulator to ensure it performs effectively and protects the interests of users. Charges collected from both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the entity and used to maintain the crossings and support more reliable journeys.
This approach is designed to bring in private capital to fund the majority of construction, delivering better value for taxpayers and reducing pressure on public budgets. The Department has incorporated the effects of this approach into its financial forecasts and funding settlements with HM Treasury.
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 plans she has to collect data on the frequency of (a) potholes and (b) defects on local roads.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in January 2026, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2025. The statistics are published online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2025
In addition, in June 2025 local highway authorities had to publish transparency reports about their maintenance activities to unlock their full share of the Government’s £500 million uplift for local highways maintenance this financial year. These reports included estimates of the number of potholes they have filled in each of the last five years and from now, must be published annually on local highway authorities’ websites. The reports also require local highway authorities to publish data on the condition of their roads and to demonstrate how they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, for example the extent to which they adopt preventative maintenance approaches which keep roads in good condition for longer and prevent potholes from forming in the first place.
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 2 February 2026 to Question 108459 on Department for Transport: Artificial Intelligence, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI-enabled initiatives operating on a test-and-learn basis not delivering the expected benefits on the corporate initiatives efficiency target.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Please see the previous response to Question 108459 which answers this question.