Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many permanent civil servants in her Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years.
Answered by Mike Kane
Based on the case records held on the Civil Service HR (CSHR) Casework “Casework Management Application” (CMA) database, the number of DfTc staff dismissed due to ‘Managing Poor Performance’ or for Poor Performance whilst on Probation are in the attached table.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of road networks in Mid Leicestershire constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the local authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. They will decide what measures may be appropriate to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents” and they are also responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help promote the uptake of hydrogen powered cars.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Government policy on the transition to zero emissions is technology neutral. The ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicles) Mandate credits hydrogen fuel cell cars and vans as fully zero emission. ZEVs benefit from favourable tax rates compared to the most polluting vehicles, such as the lowest first year rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) at £10. Company Car Tax rates continue to support the uptake of ZEVs, with preferential rates currently at 2%, rising to 3% in April 2025. 100% First Year Allowances (FYA) have also been extended into financial year 2025/26 for qualifying expenditure on zero emission cars.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Department for Transport has not estimated the potential impact on annual staff costs in the department of abolishing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion roles.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Department for Transport is not currently using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of earmarking 10% of the transport budget for encouraging (a) walking, (b) cycling and (c) other healthier transport choices.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February. Decisions on Government funding for active travel and other transport priorities for the years 2026/27 and beyond will be a matter for the Spending Review.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the regulatory health checks required before a person purchases a mobility scooter outside the remit of the mobility scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has made no assessment as we are unaware of the regulatory health checks referred to in the question. It is important that a mobility scooter is not used in a manner that is detrimental to the safety of the user or others.
Powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters are intended to provide local outdoor mobility for disabled people or those with mobility difficulties.
Creating a consistent, reliable mobility scooter policy which balances the interests of all road users continues to be a challenge. However, the Department is committed to ensuring that users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs remain safe, mobile and independent.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to delivering Active Travel Schemes in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Through the Active Travel Fund in the last five years, £646,775,713 has been awarded to local authorities across England, outside of London. Of this funding, £2,209,470 has been awarded to Leicestershire County Council. None of this funding was awarded to schemes in the Mid Leicestershire Constituency.
The Department also provides funding to Sustrans to upgrade and maintain the National Cycle Network (NCN) and has awarded £67,685,062 of NCN funding to Sustrans in the last five years. £1,902,970 of NCN funding has been awarded to routes in Leicestershire.
Funding for active travel in London, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland is devolved, as such the figures provided above are not inclusive of funding for active travel across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the potential impact of the increase in the bus fare cap on the number of bus journeys taken in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.
The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of increasing the bus fare cap on people living in Mid Leicestershire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.
The published interim evaluation of the £2 fare cap showed that patronage continued to recover following the COVID 19 pandemic and early evidence from the first two months of the scheme suggested the £2 fare cap may have played a role in this recovery. The final evaluation of the £2 fare cap, including a further assessment of its impact on patronage will be published in due course.