Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many visas a) her Department, b) the Vehicle Certification Agency, c) East-West Rail, d) National Highways, e) Network Rail, f) Trinity House, g) the Civil Aviation Authority and h) Crossrail International have sponsored since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Visa systems, outside of those specific to sponsored employment routes, do not capture the occupation or employer of an applicant and therefore it is not possible to give a comprehensive answer to this question. In addition, the department does not hold information sponsored employment routes for other employers.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to freeze travelcard fares in 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government froze national regulated rail fares at the Budget, delivering savings on over a billion journeys, and passengers not paying a penny more on season tickets, peak returns for commuters and off-peak returns between major cities. There are a range of different travelcard products available to passengers - where they are managed by national rail operators, fares will be frozen, in line with the announcement. Decisions on TfL specific fares are a devolved matter for the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) reviews conducted by her Department since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information requested could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to tackle the illegal usage of e-scooters.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Enforcement of illegal e-scooter use is a matter for the police and there are a range of motoring offences and penalties that can be used, such as criminal prosecution, points on the user’s driving licence, and having the e-scooter seized.
The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which will likely include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. This will help the police to crack down on those who use them in an unlawful or irresponsible way.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the route of East-West Rail is covered by 5G mobile signal prior to the first services running on the Marston Vale Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail Company (EWR Co) will install high-capacity fibre along the line of route including the Marston Vale Line, which has spare capacity designated for third-party telecommunications such as to provide 5G mobile signal for passenger use. EWR Co are currently exploring options for how 5G data connectivity could be provided including through third party funding.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to (a) speed up and (b) scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to ensure that increased production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels delivers high skilled jobs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 74693, if she will consider the potential merits of the UK becoming a global leader in SAF production.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £104 million government investment to deliver faster, more reliable travel for millions, published on 2 September 2025, how much funding has been allocated for Councils in Bedfordshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local Transport Grant resource funding allocations totalling £104m for the years 2026/27 to 2028/29 were published on gov.uk in September. This funding is in addition to the Local Transport Grant capital funding allocations totalling £2.2bn, which were published on gov.uk in June.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Cutting-edge rail ticket technology to be trialled across the Midlands and North, published on 1 September 2025, for what reason nationalised all rail services are not involved in the trial.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Trial locations were primarily selected based on them not having existing or planned Pay as You Go schemes, there being a significant commuter demographic, and where existing fares structures supported trial delivery. As a result, the lead operators are East Midlands Railway and Northern, supported by Cross Country and LNER as needed.