Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the noise from aircraft operating between 4,000 and 7,000 feet under the proposed Aviation Navigation Guidance 2026 on affected communities; and whether that is a material consideration in airspace change decisions.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport consultation on changes to the Air Navigation Guidance closed on 26 January 2026 and responses are now being reviewed. The consultation included a proposal for new airspace design priorities which would prioritise flight efficiency and reducing carbon emissions from 4,000 feet and above, with minimising noise impacts prioritised below that altitude.
An Options Appraisal was published alongside the consultation. The detailed assessment of the impacts of a specific airspace change would be carried out as part of that airspace change proposal. As well as taking account of the airspace design priorities it would also reflect other airspace modernisation measures which can have a positive impact on noise, such as steeper climbs and descents, meaning that aircraft spend less time at lower altitudes.
A key requirement for any airspace change proposal is, and will continue to be, that people who may be affected by a change have the necessary information and are consulted before any final decisions are made.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ringfencing Section 31 grants.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department does not routinely ringfence the section 31 grants it pays. We have listened to what local government needs and we are consolidating and simplifying the funding we pay to authorities. Local Transport Authorities know their areas better than government can, so this greater freedom and flexibility will help authorities to spend on the most important and impactful local projects. The Government will use Outcomes Frameworks to ensure that spending is used to improve transport for all its users.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to extend the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint and Infrastructure Grants for Landlords beyond 31 March 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An announcement on the available chargepoint grants for 2026-27 will be made shortly.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Minister for Rail plans to respond to the correspondence of 11 August 2025 from the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells on accessibility at High Brooms Station.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On behalf of the Rail Minister, I apologise to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells for the delay in responding to his correspondence regarding accessibility at High Brooms Station. A full response to the hon. Member was issued on 16 September.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of reopening closed passenger rail lines.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Spending Review shows the government’s commitment to investment in the railways and in schemes that support economic growth. The settlement represents an increase in funding on what has been spent on rail enhancements in recent years. While some key schemes have already been referenced by the Chancellor, my officials are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline.
The Restoring Your Railway programme was closed by the government as announced by the Chancellor in July 2024 and currently has no plans to revisit this decision. Most of the Restoring Your Railway schemes that were announced by the previous government were unfunded, which is why the programme was closed.
It is possible that Local Transport Authorities may wish to press ahead with developing individual local rail enhancement projects for funding in the future as this government believes that local authorities are best placed to advocate for projects that will most benefit their local areas.
The aim is to encourage strong business cases that effectively identify the optimal transport solution supporting growth, more homes and increased job opportunities.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating new cars sold to have speed limiters.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We currently have no plans to introduce mandatory speed limiters for new vehicles.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a railcard for (a) civilian police staff and (b) civil servants.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Railways Act 1993 requires all train operators to participate in approved discount card schemes for young travellers, disabled passengers and those over 60. These groups are offered discounted travel because it is broadly assumed that, because of age or circumstances, they are likely to be earning less than adults of typical working age. Our intention is that, once established, Great British Railways (GBR) should be required by legislation to retain these discounts. Further voluntary discount cards have been introduced by the Rail Delivery Group.
There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to GBR, but it will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards. Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy will require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) extending and (b) removing the 30-day time limit for completing a blue badge application.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
While there is no time limit for completion of a Blue Badge application in legislation, in order to comply with UK data handling regulations personal data relating to an application on the Blue Badge online application system is deleted after thirty days. In that thirty-day period applicants are able to save and return to their online application.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing local councils to review applications by utility firms for emergency roadworks in order to determine when the roadworks should take place.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Emergency works are defined in legislation as works needed to deal with dangers to life and property and so must be carried out urgently. For these, and other urgent works needed to restore customer connections or deal with leaks, permits must be submitted to the relevant highway authority within two hours of works starting on site. The authority can assess these permits and request works are completed by a particular time.
Authorities are also required to evaluate the operation of their permit schemes, annually for the first three years of operation and then every three years after that.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which body has responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the cycle path between Pembury Hospital and Tonbridge.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area, including cycle paths. Kent County Council is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the non-motorised user route that runs from Pembury Hospital to Vauxhall Lane, Tonbridge.
This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for the 2025/26 financial year compared to 2024/25, with Kent County Council receiving an additional £14.2 million for highway maintenance.