Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase railway capacity in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Rail services in the Hertfordshire region are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Operators must continually reassess their services to ensure they provide rail timetables that provide sufficient capacity, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost and performance.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of passenger rail performance in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials continuously monitor the performance of train operating companies across a range of measures and meet regularly with senior management to scrutinise and challenge their companies’ performance. The Department will continue to engage with the operators serving the constituency to ensure that they deliver their contractual commitments.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected, including in rural areas. Buses in England outside London were deregulated by the Transport Act 1985 and at present are largely run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision.
The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024 as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire more widely, and rural areas right across England.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million to local authorities across the country, of which Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas.
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the (a) Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the affordability of motor insurance for drivers requiring specialist vehicles due to (i) disability and (ii) mobility needs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government is committed to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, 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. It is looking at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
The Taskforce was co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury when they most recently met on 28 April 2025 and further meetings are being planned. It has yet to make recommendations. The Government will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) school-aged girls and (b) young women can access help on public transport if they are concerned for their safety.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to ensuring everyone, including women and girls, is safe on the transport network. As part of our aim to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, we have an ambitious, evidence-based programme to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes proposals in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, such as staff training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour.
The Department is also working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling.
For example, in line with their zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences on the railway, the BTP deploy a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via the 61016-text number or 999 in an emergency. They also have a range of innovative awareness campaigns to encourage reporting and bystander intervention in response to sexual offences. This includes the successful ‘Speak Up Interrupt’, encouraging bystanders to support or intervene to help victims.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with car insurance companies on the affordability of compulsory car insurance for drivers who require larger vehicles for disability-related mobility needs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My officials meet motor insurers and their representative bodies such as the Association of British Insurers periodically to discuss a range of motor insurance issues.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of passenger rail performance in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Performance in the area has been challenging in recent months, affected by a range of issues including points failures, train faults and external trespass and fatality incidents affecting Thameslink services operated by Govia Thameslink Railway. However, there is an improving trend in service delay and cancellations with continued monitoring and challenge of the train operator and Network Rail by my Department.
Ongoing upgrade works on the Midline Main Line overhead power lines will help improve reliability. Department officials continue to monitor performance against contractual targets and will ensure appropriate action is taken to address any emerging issues.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to rail links in rural communities in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows that public transport needs to be better integrated in order to improve the experience for passengers, providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links. The Government is taking action to help improve local bus services and encourage greater integration between transport modes.
We introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area.
The Government will also be publishing an Integrated National Transport Strategy this year to set the vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it, including those in rural areas.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the affordability of rail fares in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare, with the move to Great British Railways (GBR) passengers will be able to receive a more consistent offer across the network. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver GBR, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.
Passengers traveling in the South East and London, which includes a) the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and b) Hertfordshire, can also benefit from one third off the price of fares after 10:00 with the Network Railcard.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) review and (b) amend the Blue Badge eligibility criteria to accommodate individuals with temporary disabilities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping people with a long-term disability, that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use. The Department for Transport currently has no plans to amend the eligibility criteria.
The Department has previously provided guidance to local authorities on how they can use their existing powers to offer parking concessions tailored to local needs. These same powers could also be applied to assist individuals with temporary mobility issues or medical conditions.