Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of railway stations have level boarding for passengers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is strongly committed to making the oldest railway in the world accessible. We will continue to take the Access for All programme forward as fast as funds allow. The Government programme of rail reform will end years of fragmentation – bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers with more reliable, better-quality services and improved accessibility. Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) will start to provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that improve performance for the benefit of all passengers and taxpayers with accessibility of stations and trains always in mind.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of pre-booked passenger assists.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There was an increase of 22 per cent in the number of bookings for passenger assistance in 2023/2024. We want to see further increases in the number of people who are able to pre-book assistance by making improvements to the assistance that is offered as we know it can still too often fall short of expectations. In November 2024, the Government announced over £10 million in funding to improve the Passenger Assist scheme – the service that enables disabled passengers, or other people who may require help, to book and receive assistance to enable them to make a journey by rail. The improvements, to be delivered over the next two years, will see a step-change in how assistance is provided. For example, the ability for customers to communicate directly with staff on arrival and as they travel, as well as a help function to connect customers to staff in the event of feeling stranded or unsafe.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of train overcrowding on access to railway stations for wheelchair users.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We know that overcrowding can have an additional impact on those requiring assistance to complete their journeys. The Department for Transport publishes statistics on passenger numbers and overcrowding. The latest release was in September 2024. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for making sure passengers are protected by train and station operators from any health and safety risks, such as crowding, and operators are responsible for managing the numbers and flow of passengers using their services. They must also ensure passengers are informed about potential overcrowding.
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 providing full-step free access at Haydons Road station.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Following a recent nomination for step free upgrades at Haydons Road station, the Department and rail industry unfortunately identified limited passenger benefits. As such, limited funding is being prioritised to progress other stations which will deliver greater passenger benefits. Wimbledon station is already fully accessible and less than a mile from Haydons Road station and the TfL bus network in the local area is also fully accessible for wheelchair users.
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
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 - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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.