Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many FTE equivalent staff in (a) their Department and (b) each Arm's Length Body it sponsors are dedicated to fulfilment of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED); what the (i) annual employment and (ii) total annual cost incurred is as a result of PSED and compliance with PSED for each of those bodies; what the outputs are from the work of PSED teams and personnel dedicated to PSED; and if they will publish an assessment of their Department's compliance with PSED.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is embedded into departmental policy-making and decision-making processes and is the responsibility of all those developing and taking decisions. DfT and its Arm’s Length Bodies do not have staff who work solely on PSED, although there is a small central team within the Department for Transport that supports equality policy and compliance alongside a portfolio of other work.
Given that responsibility for the duty sits across the department, the outputs vary between teams. It is not possible to identify a discrete FTE figure or calculate the overall cost of PSED compliance. The department does not publish an overall assessment of our PSED compliance.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for each Arm's Length Body (ALB) their Department sponsors, (a) how many people are employed in the following bands of total earnings, or nearest equivalent, (i) under £25,000, (ii) £ 25,001 to £ 35,000, (iii) £35,001 to £50,270, (iv) £50,271 to £100,00, (v) £100,001 to £ 125,140 and (vi) over £125,140, and (b) what estimate they have made of the total unfunded public sector pension liability.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Please see below table for each ALB:
a) How many people are employed in the following bands of total earnings or nearest equivalent
ALB | (i) under £25,000 | (ii) £25,001 to £35,000, | (iii) £35,001 to £50,270 | (iv) £50,271 to £100,00 | (v) £100,001 to £125,140 | (vi) over £125,140 |
British Transport Police Authority | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | <5 | <5 |
Civil Aviation Authority | 39 | 276 | 357 | 943 | 97 | 72 |
Crossrail International | 0 | 0 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 6 |
DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO) | <5 | 17 | 71 | 156 | 8 | 12 |
East West Rail | <5 | 8 | 38 | 124 | 39 | 21 |
HS2 | 16 | 106 | 301 | 1,039 | 209 | 107 |
National Highways | 107 | 2,344 | 2,288 | 2,233 | 42 | 63 |
Network Rail | 448 | 6,965 | 16,953 | 16,977 | 498 | 343 |
Northern Lighthouse Board | 28 | 22 | 92 | 70 | <5 | <5 |
Office of Rail and Road | 12 | 36 | 107 | 217 | 5 | 8 |
Transport Focus | 0 | 5 | 23 | 24 | 0 | <5 |
Trinity House | 24 | 37 | 86 | 158 | 10 | <5 |
(b) what estimate they have made of the total unfunded public sector pension liability
ALB | Response |
British Transport Police Authority | Not applicable to BTPA. BTPA pension scheme(s) are fully funded |
Civil Aviation Authority | Civil Aviation Authority employees are enrolled in our pensions schemes not covered by the public sector pension fund. We have 10 colleagues who were brought into the CAA on TUPE arrangements and who remain active members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. Employee and Employers contributions are paid monthly based on prevailing rates set by the scheme. |
Crossrail International | There is no public sector pension liability. |
DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) | This question is not relevant to DfTO as they are in a money management scheme. |
East West Rail | We are not part of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. |
HS2 | HS2 Ltd does not have any unfunded public sector pension liability. HS2 Ltd employees do not participate in any public sector pension. Rather they are offered the opportunity to become members of a defined contribution pension plan, administered by Legal and General. |
National Highways | National Highways is unable to estimate liabilities relating to Civil Service Pension Scheme membership. The Civil Service Pension Scheme is an unfunded public service pension scheme, with benefits ultimately funded from future government revenues rather than from a dedicated fund of assets. Actuarial valuations of accrued liabilities are undertaken centrally by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD), which also determines the employer contribution rates payable under the scheme. Consequently, National Highways does not calculate, hold, or recognise any pension liability relating to Civil Service Pension Scheme membership on its balance sheet. National Highways' responsibility is limited to paying employer contributions at the rates prescribed by the scheme, which are publicly available. As the actuarial assessment of liabilities is performed centrally and does not sit with participating employers, National Highways is not able to provide a liability estimate. |
Network Rail | The pension schemes Network Rail currently operates (Network Rail Section of the RPS, NR CARE and NRDC) are not 'unfunded public sector' pension schemes – they are classified as funded private sector occupational pension schemes (benefits are backed by invested assets rather than being paid directly from current taxation). |
Northern Lighthouse Board | Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) participates in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme and NLB is unable to identify its share of the underlying scheme assets and liabilities. Accordingly, no organisation-specific estimate of the unfunded pension liability is available. |
Office of Rail and Road | As per our recently published Annual Report and Accounts, there is insufficient information available to be able to identify ORR’s share of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme liabilities and costs (page 113). Our understanding is that this is common across Government Departments and Arm’s Length Bodies. |
Transport Focus | Transport Focus participates in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme and Transport Focus is unable to identify its share of the underlying scheme assets and liabilities. Accordingly, no organisation-specific estimate of the unfunded pension liability is available. |
Trinity House | Trinity House participates in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme and Trinity House is unable to identify its share of the underlying scheme assets and liabilities. Accordingly, no organisation-specific estimate of the unfunded pension liability is available. |
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the written statement of 30 June 2026, HCWS165, on Defence funding update, what reductions in programme spending will be made to deliver further Department for Transport savings and (b) reduce departmental capital budgets by one per cent.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is contributing to the reprioritisation of funding to support the Defence Investment Plan.
No final decisions have been taken and therefore, no projects have been formally cancelled, delayed, descoped or reprofiled at this stage and there are no revised regional allocations.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight arrangements exist between her Department and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority regarding the delivery of rail infrastructure schemes receiving Government funding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) on the progress of rail schemes being delivered in the region, including those funded through the Government’s Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and the Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement. This helps to ensure issues related to integration of rail infrastructure schemes with the wider network are considered and managed effectively, ensuring they progress smoothly.
Forums include, but are not limited to, the locally chaired Leeds Senior Steering Group, the Leeds Station Board and the Leeds Station and Rail Partnership Forum. From this year (2026/27), WYCA will report on its use of CRSTS funding through the Integrated Settlement Outcomes Framework.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail station construction projects completed since 2020 exceeded their original approved budgets.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not centrally hold information on the original approved budgets and final outturn costs of all rail station construction projects completed since 2020. This information is held across a range of programmes and delivery bodies. Establishing how many projects exceeded their original approved budgets could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much departmental expenditure has been incurred in developing the proposed Freight Plan since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Work to date has been conducted within departmental staff time.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has been made of compensation payments arising from the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment scheme to (a) train operating companies, (b) Transport for London and (c) other affected parties.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The plans have been designed to keep the station open and operational. The detailed and careful phasing of the works means that compensation payments are not a material consideration and have been accounted for as part of the works. They are not hidden costs. Neighbouring interests have also been captured as part of the financial viability assessment and shall be negotiated at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment scheme has been assessed against HM Treasury Green Book and major project value for money criteria; and whether the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority has provided advice, scrutiny or review of the scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The project has been assessed against the HM Treasury Green Book. The project has not been reviewed by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.
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 accuracy of cycling usage data used by local authorities when preparing business cases for active travel schemes; and what guidance her Department issues on the verification of such data before public funding is approved.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Transport has not made a formal assessment of the accuracy of cycling usage data used by local authorities. This is the responsibility of the local authority. Active Travel England provides guidance and tools to assist local authorities in performing effective appraisal. This includes identifying and assessing the suitability of data for business case development. The guidance supports good assurance and validation of data.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the competitiveness of the emerging autonomous vehicle market; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce regulatory and operational barriers to market entry.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 established the legal framework for regulating automated vehicles in the UK. In May 2026, the Department for Transport established a new Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, creating a clear legal route for commercial pilot deployments.
These pilots are an important opportunity to improve regulatory and public understanding ahead of full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act in the second-half of 2027.
Automated Vehicles technology continues to develop with major global players expressing interest in bringing automated passenger services to GB. Further to this, the UK’s Code of Practice for UK trialling continues to support research and development of technologies, including for wider use cases.