Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the cost per kilometre of East West Rail from Bedford to Cambridge.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Capital cost estimates for Connection Stages 2 (Oxford-Bedford) and 3 (Oxford-Cambridge) routes were published by East West Rail Company in 2024. Final costs for the project will be driven by scope and design choices.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for the construction of a railway station at Tempsford.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail Company has set out details of its proposals for a new station at Tempsford as part of East West Rail in its autumn announcement in November 2025. The Government and East West Rail Company have committed to bring forward the delivery of a new station at Tempsford to introduce services on the East Coast Main Line to the area ahead of the full East West Rail scheme opening and design work is progressing on this.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what agreement has been made between East West Rail and Universal Destinations and Experiences on the development timeline of East West Rail during the construction of the Universal Theme Park in Bedfordshire.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Universal’s plans for a theme park near Stewartby represents a significant local and national opportunity for economic growth. Following Government approval of the theme park in April 2025, EWR Co is working alongside Universal and key stakeholders to help integrate their proposals for the theme park with the railway and maximise the potential of both.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a decision has been made on the type of power or traction to be used on East West Rail.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In its autumn announcement in November 2025, EWR Co set out proposals for the discontinuous (partial) electrification of the line which can deliver net zero services with hybrid battery-electric trains.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has considered including equestrianism within the definition of active travel for (a) planning and (b) other relevant policy purposes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has no plans to include equestrianism within the definition of active travel.
Decisions on infrastructure to support horse-riding are a matter for local authorities. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans enable local authorities to take a strategic approach to planning local walking and cycling improvements, and to integrate these into wider plans for transport and economic development. We encourage and expect local authorities to consult with local groups such as equestrians as part of their stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what initiatives her Department has considered to help encourage the conversion of buses to electric power.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) represents a great opportunity for UK bus manufacturers and repowering companies, both to supply the electric buses needed here in the UK and to win export orders abroad as other countries upgrade their bus fleets.
The Government recognises the value that repower conversion can provide to advancing the decarbonisation of the bus fleet. We are encouraged by recent developments in the sector, including continued orders placed by operators for repowered buses in depots that have been electrified under ZEBRA.
Future bus funding is still being considered in the round as part of the Spending Review, including funding to support ZEBs.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
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 proposed discontinuous electrification of East West Rail on (a) capital costs and (b) operating costs of the railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost of discontinuous electrification is already included in the publicised capital cost range of the project and the option of full electrification is still under consideration. However, electrification (discontinuous or full) is expected to significantly reduce operating costs for the line over its whole life.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
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 requirement for insurance providers to request images of the front and back of an applicant’s driving licence as part of the quotation process.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Motor Insurers already have the option to sign up to the MyLicence service run by DVLA, where a motor insurer can check the electronic driver record of an applicant for all the relevant information. This service is predicated on direct consent from the individual seeking a policy quote.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review the performance of the Motor Insurance Bureau against their statutory obligations.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport does not currently have any plans to review the performance of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau against their statutory duty.
The Government is clear that addressing the rising costs of motor insurance is a priority and will set out the next steps on this in due course.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the public consultation on National Highways' Strategic Road Network Initial Report for Road Investment Strategy 3.
Answered by Guy Opperman
We anticipate the Draft Road Investment Strategy will be published shortly alongside the summary of responses to our consultation on National Highways strategic road network Initial Report. I would like to thank you and your constituents for your contribution to the consultation in relation to improvements to the A1. I will ensure you are notified alongside other interested parties when the documents are published.