Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential causes of the underspend of the Access of All Scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
After Network Rail’s failure to deliver a large number of Access for All projects between 2014 and 2019, various reviews of the Access for All programme have been undertake by the Department for Transport and Network Rail. A number of changes to the programme have been implemented around Network Rail resourcing, governance and supply chain engagement. We are starting to see the benefits of these changes with the programme due to complete 27 projects in financial year 24/25.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on the feasibility study for installing lifts at Raynes Park station under the Access for All programme; and what her planned timetable is for the completion of those lifts.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Feasibility work for step free access at Raynes Park station is underway. We expect all 50 of the feasibility studies announced last year to be complete in April. We expect to be able to confirm which stations will move forward over the summer.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish her Department's review of the Access for All Scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Various reviews of the Access for All programme have been undertake by the Department for Transport, the Government Internal Audit Agency and Network Rail. A number of changes to the programme have been implemented around Network Rail resourcing, governance and supply chain engagement. We are starting to see the benefits of these changes with the programme due to complete 27 projects in financial year 24/25.
The review has been completed in full. However, any decision regarding its publication will be a matter for the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The report has found that the governance structures are generally strong, with only minor recommendations for improvement.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of train platforms have tactile platforms.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Using £75m of government funding, Network Rail have recently completed a programme to install platform edge tactiles at all mainline stations that did not have them in place or where they were planned to be installed as part of another enhancement or renewal project. This leaves 20 stations across Britain without tactiles out of a total of 2585 stations, with the majority of these to be installed this year or early in 2026.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential impact of expanding (a) Heathrow and Gatwick airports and (b) regional airports on (i) the economy, (ii) connectivity, (iii) the environment, (iv) health and (v) inequalities.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the (a) objectives, (b) timeline and (c) interim findings of the car insurance taskforce.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
The taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the car insurance taskforce has been formally established; and whether its remit has been defined.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
The taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of use of electric vehicles on emissions in the next 15 years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The main driver of electric vehicle uptake in the UK is expected to be the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate for cars and vans. This has legislated zero emission vehicle targets for sales of new cars, rising from 22% of new car sales in 2024 to 80% in 2030, and for sales of new vans, rising from 10% in 2024 to 70% in 2030. A cost benefit analysis was published alongside the regulation that estimates that this uptake of zero emission vehicles will deliver greenhouse gas savings of 29 Mt CO2e across carbon budget 5 (2028-2032), 79 Mt CO2e across carbon budget 6 (2033-2037), and a total of 420 Mt CO2e savings from 2024-2050.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has developed contingency plans to respond to potential legal challenges to the proposed expansion to Heathrow airport.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government will take all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure a sound legal basis for its decisions.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what independent modelling her Department has used to conduct cost-benefit analysis of Heathrow expansion; and whether this analysis included consideration of (a) air pollution-related illnesses and premature deaths and (b) NHS expenditure.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.