Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 02 December 2025 to Question 94590 on Railways: Season Tickets, what the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Lostwithiel, (b) Bodmin Parkway, (c) Liskeard and (d) Saltash stations to London Paddington was between 03 March 2024 and 01 March 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost of Annual Season tickets to London Paddington from a) was £24,856.00, b) Bodmin Parkway was £24,856.00, c) Liskeard was £24,856.00, and d) Saltash was £24,648.00 between 3 March 2024 and 1 March 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Lostwithiel, (b) Bodmin Parkway, (c) Liskeard and (d) Saltash to London Paddington in 2010.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost of an annual season ticket in 2010 between London Paddington and b) Bodmin Parkway was £15,036, c) Liskeard was £15,036. There was no season ticket between London Paddington and a&d) Lostwithiel and Saltash in 2010, these season tickets were introduced in 2016.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve bus services in (a) South East Cornwall constituency and (b) other rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows how important, reliable and affordable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services. The Government is committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including South East Cornwall and other rural areas right across England.
The government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.
As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Cornwall Council has been allocated £10.5 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed additional £900m funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to require public e-bike hire schemes to include third-party insurance for (a) injury to people and (b) damage to property as part of the hire fee; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a requirement on (i) public safety and (ii) liability for scheme users.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is empowering local leaders to licence shared cycle schemes through measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. These licences will contain some minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State to ensure a baseline of safety and operability across the country. This could include specific insurance requirements for operators. We will consult publicly on the nature of these conditions before licensing is implemented to ensure we get it right.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include Cornish language on trunk road signage at major entry points into Cornwall.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department has no current plans to authorise the use of Cornish language signs on trunk roads at entry points into Cornwall or on traffic signs within Cornwall.
Even if local authorities believe they have an exceptional need to translate English traffic signs into other languages, there is no provision for this in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD).
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help increase the use of the Cornish language on (a) transport routes and (b) signage within Cornwall.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department has no current plans to authorise the use of Cornish language signs on trunk roads at entry points into Cornwall or on traffic signs within Cornwall.
Even if local authorities believe they have an exceptional need to translate English traffic signs into other languages, there is no provision for this in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD).
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to simplify the renewal process for Blue Badge holders.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of the Blue Badge scheme. They are responsible for determining and implementing the administrative, assessment, and enforcement procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation.
Whilst it remains a matter for each individual local authority to decide on and to produce application form(s) for their area, to assist local authorities in deciding whether an applicant meets the eligibility criteria, the DfT has produced a model application form with accompanying guidance notes for applicants on how to complete the form.
The Department also recommends that authorities provide the guidance notes as a separate document to the application form so that they can be retained by the applicant for future reference after their application has been submitted.
In addition, the Department works closely with its Blue Badge Digital Service supplier to identify possible improvements to the online application and renewal process as part of its continuous improvement programme.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Project Reach will include enhancements to on-train Wi-Fi and mobile signal coverage for passengers travelling to and from Cornwall.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Reach solution is focused on improving mobile signal coverage and the list of tunnels interventions includes the following locations in Devon and Cornwall:
Whiteball Tunnel
Marley Tunnel
Polperro Tunnel
Treverin Tunnel
Parsons Tunnel
Wiveliscombe Tunnel
Buckshead Tunnel.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce speeding (a) on small rural roads and (b) through village centres.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government’s THINK! campaign aims to change attitudes and behaviours among a primary audience of young men aged 17-24 who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on our roads than those over 25. From January - March 2025, THINK! ran a speeding campaign highlighting the risks of driving too fast for the conditions on rural roads, circumstances that contribute to high numbers of young driver casualties. The campaign featured advertising in cinemas, radio, digital audio and gaming environments, as well as working with content creators and influential platforms to tackle speeding via voices the young audience trust.
Decisions on making local speed limits on roads in England rest with traffic authorities who have responsibility for roads in local areas. The Department for Transport issues best practice guidance to assist authorities setting local speed limits, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.
It is for local authorities to decide where reduced speed limits will be effective on the roads they manage, and consultation and community support should be at the heart of the process.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding is available to local authorities to improve road safety in villages.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.
The Department for Transport makes highways and local transport funding available to local transport authorities, who decide how to use the funding to support local priorities. Local authorities have the responsibility of making decisions about the roads under their care, based on their knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and considerations. This includes setting local speed limits and introducing traffic calming measures.
Local authorities are best placed to decide on delivery of road safety initiatives, because of their knowledge of the roads for which they are responsible. We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK!