Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published early next year and set the long-term vision for domestic transport across England.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what engagement she has had with organisations representing motorcyclists in preparation for the Integrated National Transport Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department has conducted extensive research and engagement with stakeholders and members of the public to inform the strategy. We have heard directly from motorcyclists and motorcycle representative groups, including the Motorcycle Action Group, through our Call for Ideas which closed with 6,340 responses and an 11-stop Regional Roadshow across England.
The insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are directly informing the strategy as it continues to evolve. The strategy will seek to address the main barriers people face in accessing good transport that were identified through our engagement.
Officials also met bilaterally with the Motorcycle Action Group on 29 August 2025 to respond to a range of matters of concern to motorcyclists which included an update on the development of the strategy. An update was also provided at the most recent meeting of the officials-led Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on 15 September, chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what new arrangements HM Coastguard is planning for evacuating emergency medical cases from Hurst Castle and Hurst Spit.
Answered by Mike Kane
HM Coastguard is not implementing new arrangements for the evacuation of emergency medical cases from Hurst Castle and Hurst Spit. In the event of a medical emergency HM Coastguard would work with our ambulance service colleagues and the site owners to assess the situation and task appropriate assets to respond, such as lifeboats, search and rescue helicopters and Coastguard Rescue Teams in line with the response to any other island or remote location around the UK coast.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals to make permanent the temporary weigh limits for volumetric mobile concrete plants.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
A temporary arrangement has been in place since 2018. The previous administration held a call for evidence last year and we will consider the evidence carefully before coming to a view.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has taken steps to pilot the use of acoustic cameras to identify vehicles that breach noise limits.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The results of the Department’s initial research into the use of a prototype noise camera for the detection of excessively noisy vehicles was published in August 2021. This research showed that the technology demonstrated some potential, but required further development to be suitable for enforcement.
Further trials were commissioned in 2022, which included the assessment of the latest noise camera technology on a test track and at the roadside. Roadside trials commenced on 18 October 2022 and finished on 1 February 2023. The Department is awaiting a final report of the trial outcomes before considering next steps.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the impact of increases in the rate of inflation on the ability of highways authorities to deliver maintenance programmes.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The Department is keenly aware of the impact of inflation, both on our own programme of works and on those of partners such as local authorities.
The Department is working closely with local highways authority representatives and stakeholders, along with other Government Departments, to understand and address wider inflationary pressures on local authorities.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons South Africa has been retained on the Covid-19 travel red list.
Answered by Robert Courts
South Africa was added to the red list on 24 December 2020 and remains on the red list as the country presents a high public health risk to the UK from known variants of concern.