Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78719 on East West Rail Line, when she expects (a) train testing, (b) driver training and (c) general works to be completed in order for the new station at Winslow to open.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the annual cost was of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce in 2024–25, including a) staff costs, b) external consultancy costs and c) other programme expenditure.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

For financial year 2024-25 the annual cost of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce was £342,983.19. This includes £342,306.01 in staff costs and £677.18 in other programme expenditure covering travel and subsistence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will achieve an average 5% annual real-terms reduction in resource spending between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Spending plans for the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29 were agreed with HM Treasury as part of the Spending Review 2025 settlement and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document.

They were amended as part of the Autumn Budget 2025 and can be found at [page 146] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/Budget_2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many standards checks of approved driving instructor trainers have been carried out in each of the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of periods of more than five years without quality assurance checks on training quality.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DVSA does not have a separate standards checks for trainers of ADIs. If a driving instructor wishes to train driving instructors, they do not need an extra qualification.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112226 on Airports: Fees and Charges, whether her Department plans to collect information from airports on the level of kerbside drop-off charges paid by passengers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Kerbside drop‑off charges are commercial matters for airports to set and justify to their customers, and information on charge levels is already freely available on airports’ respective public websites.

The Department collects a range of information on airports’ surface access strategies through our regular engagement with airport operators, and drop‑off charges form part of these wider discussions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2026 to Question 108301, what the cost was of applying the temporary Bee Network promotional livery to that Northern train; and whether that cost was met by (a) her Department, (b) the train operator, (c) Great British Railways Transition Team and (d) Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The cost of applying the temporary Bee Network promotional livery to the Northern train was met by Transport for Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current level of rail industry productivity is as a percentage of pre-pandemic levels.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Office of Rail and Road published its report on rail industry productivity in March 2025.

The report can be found at: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025-rail-industry-productivity-report.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate the Department for Transport has made of the lease costs written off by East West Rail following delays to testing of the route.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is not proposing to write-off any contracted lease costs following delays to testing of the route. Driver training, testing, and rolling stock modifications are continuing in preparation for entry into service.

The Department continues to meet and budget for the contracted rolling stock lease costs for East West Rail.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118263 on East West Rail Line, in which month will the first services operate from the new station at Winslow.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Chiltern is continuing to work closely with its partners and the Department to conclude the remaining train, infrastructure and staff issues. The start date for the first East West Rail (EWR) services at Winslow station will be announced as soon as it is possible to do so.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2026 to Question 118863, what the annual estimated cost of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce is in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28 and (d) 2028-29.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) is not able to provide an estimated annual cost for the Sustainability Taskforce for 2025/26 before its accounts for the financial year are finalised. Its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 will be laid before Parliament in the normal way.

The CMA does not allocate specific multi-year funding to individual workstreams such as the Sustainability Taskforce, which remain subject to wider prioritisation decisions. Budgets for 2026/27 and 2027/28 have not yet been formally delegated by HM Treasury or approved through the Main Estimate process. Estimated costs for these future years are therefore not available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Department for Transport 2024-25, published in November 2025, whether capital spending on the High Speed Two programme is on track to fall by 7.9% in real terms between 2025-26 and 2029-30.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The figures within the National Audit Office’s report reflect table 5.18 within the 2025 Spending Review document. The HS2 programme will be required to align with the Spending Review settlement which, based on the annual capital Departmental Expenditure Limits between the period FY 25/26 - FY 29/30, reflects an average annual real growth rate of -7.9%.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on implementing the statutory Private Parking Code of Practice provided for under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department is considering the findings of the Private Parking Code of Practice consultation very carefully and will set out further details on the private parking code of practice as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor since January 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Oxford–Cambridge Corridor is a national priority for the Government. We believe that growth here will boost the whole UK economy, creating jobs, enhancing connectivity and opportunities across the UK.

On East West Rail (EWR), major construction work has completed for Connection Stage 1 and in June 2025 the line opened to freight trains. In March 2025 the Department announced Chiltern as the line operator and is working with partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes.

On future stages of the project, East West Rail Company completed its third non-statutory consultation in January 2025 and set out an update on proposals for the railway in November 2025. Work is currently progressing on a Spring consultation on East West Rail to take place shortly.

The new Cambridge South station is expected to open in June 2026, providing vital connectivity to the Cambridge biomedical campus and the wider region and enhancing travel options for both local residents and visitors. The station is expected to serve up to 1.8 million passengers each year, improving access to economic opportunities and housing development in the region. The station will also have built in-capacity to support future East West rail services.

In October 2025, the Government announced a £120 million funding contribution to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passenger services. This will see regular services from Oxford starting in 2029/2030 and serving new stations at Littlemore and Cowley to support growth, housing and innovation in the city and across the region.

Turning to strategic roads, construction of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement has continued and we expect it to open in 2027. When complete, the scheme will provide quicker, safer and more reliable journeys for thousands of road users every day and help give more access to jobs in Milton Keynes, Cambridge and everywhere in between.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role her Department has in overseeing the safety and adequacy of compulsory pilotage arrangements in UK waters; and whether her Department holds or reviews records relating to pilotage incidents involving vessels operating under compulsory pilotage.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The assessment and provision of pilotage services are matters for Competent Harbour Authorities (CHAs). Given the local knowledge and experience necessary, as well as wide variations between ports, they remain best placed to assess what arrangements are necessary.

The Department has responsibility for the effective and efficient functioning of the legislative framework and is content that current arrangements under the Pilotage Act 1987 remain fit for purpose. The Department does not hold any records relating to pilotage. However, these may be reviewed should there be an incident requiring investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and/or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the long-term climate resilience strategy being developed by Network Rail is expected to be published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail have already undertaken significant adaptation planning and action. They have produced Weather and Resilience Climate Change Adaptation (WRCCA) plans for each of the five regions for CP7 (2024-29); they have reported on their activity under the Adaptation Reporting Powers, with the most recent response submitted in late 2024; and in 2025, they published their Greener Railway Strategy which included adaptation objectives.

Network Rail (NR) is planning to publish its long-term climate change adaptation pathways strategy in March / April 2029. This will take strategy commitments a step further and provide a route-by-route plan of how to respond to current and projected risks.

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