Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is her Department taking to help ensure pedestrians are kept safe from accidents involving e-bikes and scooters.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of pedestrians like all road users is a priority for this government.
The Highway Code updates in January 2022 implemented a Hierarchy of Road Users. This places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision, such as pedestrians, at the top of the hierarchy.
Our new Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026 sets out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads, including pedestrians, by 65% by 2035.
We are also making our streets safer for pedestrians, by introducing new cycling offences in the Crime and Policing Bill to tackle those rare instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cyclist behaviour.
It is illegal to ride a cycle, e-cycle or e-scooter on the pavement; enforcement against illegal or irresponsible e-scooter use is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police about increasing officer numbers serving the rail network in the West Midlands.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police has recently been given an increased budget - a 15% rise with an increase of £63 million over the three-year settlement, which will see over 200 additional officers over two years, improving coverage at key hubs across England, Scotland and Wales including the West Midlands.
The West Midlands is covered by BTP’s C division, which currently has 700 officers. This will be further bolstered by BTP’s new officer intakes once they’ve completed their initial training.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2026 to Question 101850, if she will publish the British Transport Police’s crime-screening policy for pedal-cycle theft at railway stations.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The British Transport Police (BTP) Crime Screening Policy is an operational document owned by the BTP. Any decisions to publish the document are for BTP, as an operationally independent police service.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to ensure the effectiveness of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders; and how this will be monitored.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) are currently live in Greater Manchester, three London boroughs (Croydon, Bromley and Sutton), Cleveland, North Wales, and with the British Transport Police. These orders combine the strongest elements of the existing protective order regime into a single comprehensive, flexible tool. DAPOs can impose notification requirements, electronic monitoring and attendance to a behaviour change programme. Breach of a DAPO is a criminal offence punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment.
To assess their effectiveness, we have commissioned an independent evaluation of DAPOs to assess how they are working in practice. During this pilot phase, we are closely monitoring the police and courts’ performance as part of the ongoing evaluation. We will use the evaluation findings to help inform the wider rollout of DAPOs and help ensure DAPOs provide effective protection for victims.
Since their launch, more than 1,000 DAPOs have been issued across England and Wales, strengthening protections for victims of all forms of domestic abuse. As set out in the government’s new VAWG Strategy, we are committed to rolling out DAPOs nationally across England and Wales.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to ensure the physical safety of public transport workers in (a) London and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Department is committed to ensuring that public transport workers are safe at work. As transport in London is devolved, it is for the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) to work with the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to ensure the physical safety of their workers is maintained.
BTP continue to take robust action to ensure the physical safety of rail workers in London, including Romford. Their approach is intelligence led, focusing resources on areas and individuals identified through crime data and repeat offending patterns. They work closely with TfL and other rail operators to improve incident reporting, to ensure that all forms of abuse, whether physical, verbal or threatening, are recorded. This partnership strengthens intelligence and enables more effective operational planning.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 British Transport Police’s crime-screening policy for pedal-cycle theft at railway stations on (a) public confidence in policing and (b) the delivery of a joined-up national transport network.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ensuring the railway remains safe for passengers and staff, and creating a hostile environment for criminals on the network is a priority for both the Department for Transport and the British Transport Police (BTP). Decisions on the use of resource and deployment of officers across the railway are for the BTP, as an operationally independent police service.
The BTP’s screening policy, introduced in August 2024, takes into account factors including the possible time window an incident could have taken place in, but also the availability of witnesses and CCTV, the realistic prospect of a successful outcome, and a range of other factors. In some instances this may mean that an investigation is not progressed, but there is no blanket ruling and each case is assessed individually. BTP have not taken the decision to stop investigating bike theft that cannot be narrowed to a two-hour window.
BTP work closely with train operating companies and their counterparts in Home Office forces to run events at stations across the network, which provide practical crime prevention advice and services such as free bike marking to passengers. There was a 23% decrease in cycle theft recorded between 2022/23 and 2024/25.
Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of drink-driving related (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries in Blackpool North and Fleetwood for each of the past 5 years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Statistics regarding drink driving in personal injury road collisions in Great Britain are based on data reported to police using the STATS19 system.
The estimated number of fatalities and serious injuries in drink-drive collisions for Blackpool North and Fleetwood between 2019 and 2023 (the latest 5 years available) are given in the table below.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Values of 0 indicate that the estimated number of fatalities or serious injuries is less than 5:
Year | Fatalities | Serious injuries (adjusted) |
2023 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 0 | 10 |
2021 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 |
These figures are based on the results of breath tests conducted by the police at the scene of personal injury road collisions and combined with data from coroners on blood alcohol levels of those killed in collisions.
On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. Alongside the strategy we published a consultation on reforms to motoring offences, including lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales and introducing tougher penalties for driving without insurance or without a licence.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of safe evening transport for women in (a) rural areas and (b) Langley Vale.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport is committed to making the transport network safer for everyone, including women and girls, whenever and wherever they are travelling. As part of the Government’s aims to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and antisocial behaviour (ASB).
We know that women and girls are more likely than men to avoid travelling alone when it’s dark. The Department’s ‘Protected characteristics and public transport perceptions and safety’ research, published in 2023, also found that women were more concerned than men about the risk of violence regardless of the time of day. People living in rural areas were more likely to say they felt safe, albeit by a relatively small margin.
We are continuing to build our evidence base to better understand the prevalence of VAWG and ASB across the transport network so we can better target interventions. In the meantime, the Department will continue to work 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.
In relation to taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs), the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is seeking a power to set in regulations national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons at Report Stage, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep women and girls and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding provided to the British Transport Police for protecting (a) people and (b) property at train stations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators.
As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources to meet their objectives as agreed with the BTPA. The protection of people and reducing crime on the railways are key to these objectives, as set out in the BTP’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Policing plan. BTPA and DfT regularly discuss with BTP their delivery and performance against these objectives.
BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025 to question 99889 titled Railways: Anti-social Behaviour and Crimes of Violence, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of statutory powers to intervene in budget-setting decisions made by the British Transport Police Authority.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the British Transport Police Force (BTP), plays a key role in ensuring there is independent and expert oversight of the BTP force. It agrees strategies and objectives, resourcing and budgets, and policy and regulatory requirements. The Department for Transport has powers to set overarching expectations of the Authority and I am satisfied that this oversight, as defined in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, does not require amendment.