Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will ask the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to respond to the coroner's Prevention of Future Death report following the death of Kenton Beasley.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Unfortunately, although the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had prepared a reply to the coroner, an oversight meant it was not sent as intended. I can confirm that the DVLA has now responded to the coroner on 24 October.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Over the past 5 years (between 1st October 2020 and 30th September 2025) there have been 38 occasions when Department for Transport central department’s employees have been investigated for alleged disciplinary offences. Please see the attached table.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to prepare the rail network for adverse weather in winter 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and the industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on the rail network. The industry’s winter preparedness regime begins in September each year.
Special trains and equipment are fully checked and any repairs carried out, while contingency plans are reviewed and agreed with train operators to keep passengers moving during adverse weather. Network Rail use detailed forecasts from weather experts, MetDesk, to formulate local action plans during adverse weather to minimise disruption to journeys. These forecasts cover not just the weather but how the conditions will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the tracks, conductor rails, and overhead power lines.
A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop in real time. In extreme weather conditions, Network Rail and train operators prioritise getting passengers home safely over running the normal timetable. It also prioritises vital rail freight to ensure the supply of essential goods across the country and fuel to power stations.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) number and (b) monetary value of fines issued for non-compliance with obligatory lighting and reflectors for bicycles in the Thames Valley area in 2024.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Rule 60 of The Highway Code makes clear that cyclists must have their front and rear lights lit when riding at night, and reflectors must also be fitted to their cycle. The Department does not collect any information from the police with regards to fines issued for non-compliance with these rules.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken with local authorities to help tackle pavement parking in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities, like Slough Borough Council and West Berkshire Council, can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to improve passenger railway services in (a) Slough and (b) the South East.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State is committed to improving rail services by working together with train operators, Network Rail, and where appropriate, Transport for London, to continue to improve reliability and punctuality in the South East. Slough already benefits from contactless ticketing, which we have announced will be further expanded to 49 more stations across the South East later this year.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to assist people impacted by the practice of illegitimate motor insurance.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for, and all drivers are subject to roadside enforcement by the police. Consumers should check that the firms they are purchasing insurance from are legitimate, which they can do by searching the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Services Register.
The Register lists all firms the FCA has approved, as well as firms that may be providing regulated products or services without the correct authorisation (including those deliberately running scams). It includes the different details unauthorised firms give out and whether they’re falsely claiming to be from an authorised firm.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has been set up by the insurance industry to share intelligence on insurance claims and to identify dubious and repeated claims. The IFB looks for evidence of organised fraud on industry databases, develops cross-industry intelligence and coordinates investigations between insurers, the police and other agencies.
In October 2024, the government introduced a new Insurance Fraud Charter. This is a voluntary agreement between the government and the insurance sector to reduce fraud, designed to identify loopholes in the insurance market, enhance collaboration and criminal justice outcomes, better understand the scale of the problem and improve victim support. Home Office is also working to develop a new Fraud Strategy.
The Government regularly engages with a variety of stakeholders on issues relating to motor insurance, including fraud, and committed in its manifesto to tackle the high cost of motor insurance. To deliver on this, the Government formed a cross-government taskforce, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury. The taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the autumn.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions has she had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) motor insurance companies on the prevalence of ghost broking in the motor insurance industry.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for, and all drivers are subject to roadside enforcement by the police. Consumers should check that the firms they are purchasing insurance from are legitimate, which they can do by searching the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Services Register.
The Register lists all firms the FCA has approved, as well as firms that may be providing regulated products or services without the correct authorisation (including those deliberately running scams). It includes the different details unauthorised firms give out and whether they’re falsely claiming to be from an authorised firm.
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has been set up by the insurance industry to share intelligence on insurance claims and to identify dubious and repeated claims. The IFB looks for evidence of organised fraud on industry databases, develops cross-industry intelligence and coordinates investigations between insurers, the police and other agencies.
In October 2024, the government introduced a new Insurance Fraud Charter. This is a voluntary agreement between the government and the insurance sector to reduce fraud, designed to identify loopholes in the insurance market, enhance collaboration and criminal justice outcomes, better understand the scale of the problem and improve victim support. Home Office is also working to develop a new Fraud Strategy.
The Government regularly engages with a variety of stakeholders on issues relating to motor insurance, including fraud, and committed in its manifesto to tackle the high cost of motor insurance. To deliver on this, the Government formed a cross-government taskforce, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury. The taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the autumn.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help prevent (a) violence and (b) abuse against public transport workers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker; everyone should feel safe and be safe whilst working. The Government values the commitment of everyone who works in the public transport sector ensuring the continued running of all the vital services which many people rely on daily.
We work closely with the transport industry, and on the railway the British Transport Police (BTP), on a continuous basis to ensure that they are supported to tackle offences wherever they occur on the transport network.
On the railway the BTP work closely with the rail industry to encourage staff to report offences so they can take action against offenders.
Through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, we propose to mandate training for staff including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. Training for drivers should cover how to identify and respond to anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. We intend to make clear that training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so. The government intends to issue statutory guidance that considers the most appropriate response to criminal or anti-social behaviour, while protecting the safety of staff.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure adequate (a) working conditions and (b) pay for app-based (i) private hire drivers and (ii) couriers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In “Next Steps to Make Work Pay” the Department for Business and Trade committed to consulting on a simpler framework for employment status. As part of this consultation, it will also explore how to implement the targeted and specific manifesto commitments to enhance protections for self-employed workers.
Individuals are entitled to National Minimum Wage if they are considered a worker or employee under employment rights legislation - some app-based workers are self-employed so do not come in scope.