Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on providing English Local Authorities the powers to enforce a pavement parking ban.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Department for Transport on this matter. The Department for Transport held a public consultation in 2020 and has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Sustran's report entitled Transforming mobility, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing paid local access panels to (a) review and (b) improve transport (i) policy and (ii) practice for disabled people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Sustrans Transforming Mobility Report highlights how paid access panels could be one means by which local transport authorities engage with disabled people to shape, review, and monitor transport policies and projects, so that accessibility is embedded from the start of projects.
This recommendation is aimed at local leaders, who know their communities and are best placed to make decisions about how they can improve local transport for disabled people. Improving accessibility is a collaborative effort, with operators, industry, and local authorities having key parts to play – alongside the support of all passengers. Breaking down barriers to opportunity is a core mission statement for this government and that is why we are developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy to enable us to better work with partners across the transport sector to deliver a network that works for all passengers.
More widely, the government is committed to improving public transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, introduced by the government on 17 December is intended to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them and includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive. In addition, on 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.
Ensuring the rail network is accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of the establishment of Great British Rail.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that innovative UK building products are approved for use in a timely manner.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Construction Products Green Paper, published earlier this year, set out a range of potential measures for reform. This included proposals which seek to encourage the adoption of new technologies and methodologies that promote safety and sustainability in construction, simultaneously facilitating growth. We also sought views through the green paper on ways to support and encourage innovation in the built environment by ensuring that the safety and regulation of emerging technologies is robust enough to assure a safer future for the built environment. We also consider that there is a need for greater public sector testing and research capacity to support regulatory activity and research safety issues.
We are now analysing responses and will set out the government’s initial response, and our next steps for long term reform.
More broadly, all building works need to meet the functional requirements of the Building Regulations 2010 regardless of the products or methods used. The functional requirements are product agnostic, allowing designers the freedom to innovate and design new ways to comply.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing zebra crossings without zig-zag lines.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be required to permit zebra crossings to be placed without zig-zag lines or yellow globes.
The Department has been working with Active Travel England who have been carrying out further research to inform good practice advice to support possible future legislative change. The Department cannot give any timescale at present for when TSRGD may be amended.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Sustran's report entitled Transforming mobility, published on 8 July 2025, what steps she is taking to support the roll-out of side road zebra crossings.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be required to permit zebra crossings to be placed without zig-zag lines or yellow globes.
The Department has been working with Active Travel England who have been carrying out further research to inform good practice advice to support possible future legislative change. The Department cannot give any timescale at present for when TSRGD may be amended.