Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 107126 on Road Signs and Markings, if she will make that assessment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has no plans to make such assessment.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys that excludes the depiction of a spire to prevent confusion between ruined abbeys and working churches.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of creating a new brown tourist sign for ruined abbeys.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the Road Safety Strategy will (a) improve drivers’ understanding of cyclists’ rights and (b) promote safer interactions between drivers and cyclists on the roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 7 January 2026, the Government published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to protect vulnerable road users, update vehicle safety technologies and review motoring offences.
The Strategy also set 17 safety performance indicators (SPIs) which will be monitored to provide an understanding of performance against the commitments made in the strategy. One of these SPIs will monitor the rate of cyclists/pedestrians killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions per billion miles walked/cycled.
Advances in vehicle safety technology also offer a significant opportunity to prevent collisions, reduce casualties and protect the most vulnerable road users. As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we are currently consulting on proposals to mandate a range of vehicle technologies including Emergency Braking for cyclists. This technology is designed to warn the driver and automatically activate the vehicle brakes when a frontal collision with a cyclist is imminent.
The Government's THINK! road safety campaign currently runs two year-round radio adverts encouraging safer behaviours among drivers to protect cyclists. These promote use of the Dutch Reach for opening car doors and raise awareness of safe passing speeds and distances for motorists when overtaking cyclists.
We will continue to encourage safer road user behaviours, including to improve safety for those cycling via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the reliability of Northern Train’s services on the Airedale Line from Skipton to Leeds.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In November the Airedale line had cancellations of 1.68 per cent (below Northern’s average of 2.96 per cent). Northern Trains and the department, through the Rail North Partnership, would be keen to discuss any proposals for improving train services with the Hon Member and any interested stakeholders.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that rail operators provide sufficient staffing and passenger management during major route disruptions.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department expects train operators and Network Rail to have plans in place to support passengers during major disruption, including appropriate staffing.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures are in place to ensure that assistance services in rail stations for disabled and vulnerable passengers remain functional during significant service disruptions.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All train and station operators are required, under their Accessible Travel Policy, to provide assistance to disabled and vulnerable passengers during periods of disruption. This includes, where appropriate, the provision of alternative accessible transport.
Operators must set out in their Accessible Travel Policy how they will communicate with passengers and deliver assistance during disruption, including for those who have booked help in advance. These policies are approved and monitored by the Office of Rail and Road.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of passenger notification procedures for planned engineering works that result in disruption to rail services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Standard practice is for journey planner websites like National Rail Enquiries and train operating company websites to start showing alternative travel information 12 weeks in advance. Network Rail is responsible for coordinating and validating timetables for the national rail network and works with all the train operating companies to ensure passengers are adequately informed of planned engineering works.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 off-road vehicles imported from the USA on pedestrian safety.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Any imported car or light goods vehicle up to 10 years old will require approval before it can be registered for use on the roads of Great Britian to ensure it meets prescribed environmental and safety requirements. There are several different approval schemes available, and the process will vary depending on the specific scheme and type of vehicle, but each contains provisions to minimise, as far as practicable, tailpipe emissions and risk to pedestrians. Imported vehicles over 10 years old are required to pass an annual roadworthiness test to assess their tailpipe emissions and ensure that they are safe.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential environmental impact of off-road vehicles imported from the USA.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Any imported car or light goods vehicle up to 10 years old will require approval before it can be registered for use on the roads of Great Britian to ensure it meets prescribed environmental and safety requirements. There are several different approval schemes available, and the process will vary depending on the specific scheme and type of vehicle, but each contains provisions to minimise, as far as practicable, tailpipe emissions and risk to pedestrians. Imported vehicles over 10 years old are required to pass an annual roadworthiness test to assess their tailpipe emissions and ensure that they are safe.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce air quality targets within train stations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the railway maintains the highest air quality standards to safeguard the health and well-being of passengers and rail staff. The Department for Transport already requires Network Rail and train operators to develop air quality improvement plans to address issues in stations. The Department is also working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board to explore the option of specific air quality targets for the rail network, including within stations, to ensure rail remains one of the cleanest forms of mass public transport. The Department will confirm its position in due course.