Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Rosindell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 133 · Department for Transport
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed Great British Railways online rail ticket retailer on rail’s passenger revenue.
The Department is working on plans for Great British Railways’ (GBR) future retail capability and assessing its impact. It will go live once GBR is established. We will provide further details in due course.
What steps her Department is taking to help tackle illegal private hire taxi drivers.
Enforcement of the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing regime is a matter for licensing authorities and the police. Best Practice Guidance issued by the Department for Transport to licensing authorities in England highlights some of the actions licensing authorities should take to reduce the use of those unlicensed, uninsured and unvetted who are seeking to illegally carry passengers. These include assisting the public to recognise the difference between taxis and PHVs; taxis should be required to display a roof sign and, these should be prohibited for PHVs. Taxi marshal schemes provide an opportunity to prevent the use of unlicensed vehicle that might be plying for hire. The important role ‘test purchasing’ can play in identifying and evidencing illegal drivers that should be prosecuted is highlighted. Licensing authorities should also recognise that unnecessary barriers to obtaining a licence can potentially restrict the availability of the licensed trade to such an extent that the public resort to the use of unlicensed drivers and vehicles.
What steps she has taken to work with the Northern Ireland Assembly to improve public transportation in Northern Ireland.
Transport is largely devolved in Northern Ireland, but the UK Government has supported Northern Ireland with funding for the Northern Ireland EV Charging Network, upgrades at Belfast International Airport, and extensions to the Comber–Newtownards and Newtownards–Bangor Greenways. Since 2017, the Department and the Northern Ireland Executive have jointly funded a Public Service Obligation (PSO) between City of Derry Airport and London. We recently agreed to continue supporting the PSO until March 2027. During a visit to Belfast for the British-Irish Council earlier this month, I also met Liz Kimmins, the Executive's Infrastructure Minister, where we discussed active travel and progress in the transition to electric vehicles.
What steps he is taking to support the black cab industry in London.
The Department for Transport’s best practice guidance to licensing authorities in England makes a number of recommendations to support the taxi sector. It is clear that regulation should be proportionate to remove unnecessary costs and that fare tariffs are regularly reviewed. Fares should reflect changes in cost the sector incur and provide the trade with confidence to remain in the sector and plan for future investment.The Plug in Taxi Grant (PiTG) has been crucial in supporting taxi drivers’ transition to zero emission capable (ZEC) vehicles and decarbonise our roads. It has supported the purchase of over 10,000 taxis and over 60% of actively licensed London taxis are now ZEC. On 25 February 2025, the Government announced that the PITG will be extended into the 2025/26 financial year.
What steps she is taking to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) London and (b) Romford constituency.
The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of April 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 76,507 publicly available charging devices, up 28% on this time last year. London, which includes Romford constituency, was allocated over £41m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints across the area. The £381m LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 on-street chargepoints across the country. As of 1 January 2025, there were 22,200 public electric vehicle charging devices in London, 1,341 of which had a power rating of 50kW or above. 48 of these devices were in the constituency of Romford, of which 33 had a power rating of 50kW or above.
How much British Transport Police has spent on the implementation of infrastructure to accommodate electric police vehicles in each of the past 5 years.
The British Transport Police has provided the following figures: 2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalElectric Vehicle infrastructure cost (Capital & Revenue, VAT inclusive)£0£0£952,256£109,287£37,884£1,099,427
How much British Transport Police has spent on electric vehicles in each of the past 5 years.
The British Transport Police have provided the following figures: 2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalFully Electric Vehicles (VAT inclusive)£0£495,544£2,509,465£0£0£3,005,009
What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide sustainable funding to the British Transport Police.
The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set independently by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) and the Department of Transport has no powers to intervene in this process. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. This is comparable with the budget settlements of Home Office police forces. The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.
What steps she is taking to support the maritime registration sector within British Overseas Territories.
The Secretary of State for Transport provides support to the maritime registration sectors of the British Overseas Territories through the Overseas Support Programme managed by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. This programme has been running since 2016. The programme provides legislative drafting support and personnel training to the OTs maritime administrations and their ship registers to develop their maritime sectors. The MCA also discharges the Secretary of State’s general superintendence over all British shipping matters in respect of oversight, good governance, technical advice and common technical policy for the maritime administrations of the Overseas Territories.
What recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on overcrowding on the Elizabeth line’s eastern branch.
Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However, transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL has overall responsibility for the management of the Elizabeth Line which is operated by their current contractor MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited.
What steps she is taking to reduce congestion on the (a) A12 and (b) A127.
A12The A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme is designed to ease congestion and cope with increasing traffic demands. The Development Consent Order (DCO) was granted in January 2024 and the scheme is being considered alongside other road projects as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review which is due to conclude in late spring 2025. Also on the A12, Suffolk County Council is developing a Full Business Case for a scheme to improve junctions between the A12 / A14 Seven Hills and the A12 Woods Lane and provide dualling between the B1438 and the B1079. The Council plans to submit this to the Department in autumn 2025. A127 Essex County Council has submitted a Strategic Outline Case proposing a package of improvements on the A127 between M25 Junction 29 and Noak Bridge, Essex. Officials in the Department are currently working with Council officials to resolve points of clarification on the business case before advice is put to Ministers. These business cases from Suffolk and Essex County Councils will also be considered in the light of the current Spending Review.
Whether she has had discussions with the Transport Commissioner for London on reducing the levels of particulate pollution on the London Underground.
Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for maintaining operations and ensuring health and safety is considered on its network.
Whether her Department plans to support the expansion of Southend Airport.
The Government recognises a role for, and is supportive of, airport expansion where it provides economic growth and is compatible with our net zero targets and strict environmental standards. Should Southend Airport submit a planning application to expand the airport, it would be considered in line with the relevant planning process.
What steps she plans to take to improve transport connectivity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Whilst transport is devolved, the Department for Transport is committed to is enhancing links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The Department is providing funding for Transport Scotland’s feasibility study to explore options to bypass the villages of Springholm and Crocketford on the A75 and is supporting the Windsor Framework to streamline transport and customs processes. The Government is also supporting key aviation routes, including the Public Service Obligation between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow Airport.
If she will publish a timetable for a decision on the funding of the Lower Thames Crossing.
As with all capital projects, spending decisions on the Lower Thames Crossing scheme will be subject to the upcoming spending review.
What steps she is taking to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of officers within the British Transport Police.
The British Transport Police (BTP) are dedicated to building a modern, inclusive, and resilient force that reflects the communities it serves. Their latest headcount figures show the Force is successful at maintaining staff and officer numbers at a consistent level. The Force has focussed on leadership development to foster a culture of empowerment, empathy and support. They have introduced a new well-being programme for the workforce, and they are investing in technology, training and facilities to equip their officers with the necessary tools for the dynamic environment they operate in every day.BTP is also committed to creating a more representative workforce and have an outreach programme to encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups. BTP is launching a pilot in London for new recruits to join BTP as part time police constables. This is a commitment from BTP’s Learning and Development Strategy to attract high calibre applicants, from a range of backgrounds, who would otherwise not be able to apply or consider becoming a police officer.
What steps she is taking to improve passenger safety on the railway network.
The Department works closely with rail industry and the British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure passenger safety on the rail network. Whilst the most recent Transport Focus survey (10th January) shows that 80% of the public rate their personal security positively when travelling by rail we are not complacent. BTP use a range of policing techniques including overt and covert patrols at hot spot locations, regular high-visibility patrols across the network and use internal and external intelligence to assist in targeting locations. BTP also encourage passengers and rail staff to report crime and suspicious activity via 61016, online or by calling 999 in an emergency. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), who are responsible for enforcing statutory health and safety legislation on the railways, continue to work closely with duty holders to deliver improvements in overall system safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. More generally, the Government is committed to maintaining a high standard of safety across the rail network.
What steps she is taking to reduce crime on the London Underground Network.
The British Transport Police (BTP) are responsible for policing the London Underground and are committed to tackling crime on the network. As a devolved matter, the force works closely with TfL, the Mayor of London and rail industry partners to ensure passengers and rail staff feel safe.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for Crossrail 2.
My department has not provided any further funding to develop the Crossrail 2 scheme since it was paused in 2020.
What steps she is taking to prevent the unnecessary felling of healthy trees on network rail infrastructure.
The rail estate Network Rail manages is estimated to include over six million trees. Network Rail’s main priority must be the safe and reliable operation of the railway which will mean that in some cases the felling of healthy trees will be necessary and the reconfiguring of woodland canopy a safe distance from the rail line is sensible. Network Rail has committed to achieve no net loss of biodiversity across the network by 2024 and a net-gain of biodiversity across the network by 2035. Network Rail is also working with the Forestry Commission to identify opportunities for tree planting on land neighbouring the rail estate and has committed £1.2m for community tree planting through the Tree Council over the next five years.