Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What discussions are held between UK Search and Rescue Aviation and Magpas Air Ambulance in Cambridgeshire on precedence of responses.

There have been no direct discussions with Magpas Air Ambulance and HM Coastguard search and rescue aviation. On request from an authorised authority for search and rescue air assistance the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Aeronautical Rescue will assess the request to ensure that it is appropriate, achievable and compliant and will deconflict every incident. Search and rescue aircraft are prioritised on the risk to life.

What progress has she made in re-baselining East-West Rail Connection State 2 and 3.

In the Spending Review in June, the Government announced £2.5bn of funding to progress the delivery of East West Rail (EWR). The Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR benefits early where possible and is reviewing what can be done to bring higher frequency services to Bedford ahead of route completion. In assessing the best way to sequence the programme as a whole, East West Railway Company is looking at alternative ways to deliver more passenger services and new stations earlier to unlock benefits for local people and businesses. Work is continuing over the coming months, and more information will be provided in a more detailed plan next year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79742 on Railways: Mobile Broadband, by what date mainline trains will be fitted with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology.

Funding for LEO satellite technology becomes available in the new financial year 2026, at which point my officials will begin the implementation of this on trains.The objective will be to complete all installations within 5 years from 2026/2027, and this is based on our experience of fitting all GB trains with on-train wifi between 2016 and 2020.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2025 to Question 79364 on Defence Safety Authority, what recent progress the Maritime and Coastguard Authority has made on the development of its own maritime autonomy programme.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have developed multiple workstreams to support the UK’s maritime autonomy industry. This includes marine guidance notices and the third edition of the UK’s Workboat Code, which provide a regulatory framework within which autonomous vessels can operate. In addition, the recently developed Remote Operator Training and Certification Pilot Framework provides a voluntary scheme for training and certification of Remote Operators, which will lead to an experienced and qualified workforce. The existing provisions under the Merchant Shipping Act have been maximised to support various sizes and types of vessels, and as parliamentary time allows, we will go further to enable emerging use cases.

What progress she has made on delivering the 2nd generation UK search and rescue aviation programme.

The Second Generation UK Search and Rescue Aviation Programme is now 12 months into its Transition phase. It remains on track for the full capability to be delivered by 01 January 2027.

What power capacity upgrades will take place in Huntingdon constituency via the Rapid Charging Fund.

A reliable, accessible public charging network to support EV drivers on long journeys is essential to support the EV transition. The market has changed significantly since the Rapid Charging Fund was announced, with now over 6,000 open-access, rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints within one mile of the Strategic Road Network – more than quadrupling in the last three years (July 2022 – July 2025, Zapmap). No grant funding was awarded via the Rapid Charging Fund to Huntingdon. We are adapting our approach to meet the needs of industry today. The recent Spending Review announced £400m for charging infrastructure, including to support charging on the Strategic Road Network. We will use lessons from the Rapid Charging Fund pilot and continue working with industry to target financial support where it is needed most.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on E10 petrol production following the closure of the Vivergo bioethanol plant.

On 15 August 2025 Vivergo announced the closure of its UK bioethanol production plant in Hull, which at full capacity could produce 420 million litres of bioethanol per year from wheat for blending with petrol.Whilst the UK retains bioethanol production capacity elsewhere, the closure of Vivergo represents a significant loss.  However, it is not considered likely to impact the production or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of awarding the first certification for a remotely operated and unmanned vessel under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Workboat Code Edition 3 Annex 2 to the ACUA Ocean PIONEER on (a) civilian passenger transport and (b) commercial shipping.

The Department for Transport, in collaboration with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), recognises the certification of ACUA Ocean’s PIONEER under Workboat Code Edition 3 Annex 2 as a significant milestone in innovation in the UK’s maritime regulatory landscape. This certification marks the first formal regulatory approval for a remotely operated unmanned vessel (ROUV) under the revised Workboat Code, setting a precedent for future autonomous maritime operations. The PIONEER is not designed for passenger carriage, is not certificated for passenger carriage and does not operate in contexts involving civilian transport. As such, the direct impact on civilian passenger transport is minimal at this stage. The Department continues to monitor technological advancements and public safety considerations in this area. The certification of PIONEER is expected to have a more immediate and transformative impact on commercial shipping. The vessel’s hydrogen-powered propulsion and autonomous capabilities align with the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan and decarbonisation goals. It is designed for offshore surveillance, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection, offering a lower-emission alternative to conventional crewed vessels. This development supports the broader regulatory framework for autonomous and remotely operated vessels, enabling safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable operations in commercial sectors such as offshore energy, logistics, and hydrographic survey operations. The Department remains committed to working with industry stakeholders to ensure that safety, environmental, and operational standards evolve in step with technological innovation.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a new station at Alconbury Weald as part of the East Coast Mainline Programme.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, I can confirm that there are no current plans to construct a new East Coast Main Line (ECML) station at Alconbury Weald. The Department recognises the importance of the ECML and is working with Network Rail and industry stakeholders in developing a sustainable long-term strategy of investment for the route.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 75323 on Railways: Mobile Broadband, how much funding her Department plans to provide for low earth orbit satellite technology.

The Department was successful in securing funding of £33m capital and £24m resource (or operational expenditure) as part of the Spending Review to fit all mainline trains with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to upgrade on -train wifi.

When work to implement the European Train Control System on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross will be completed.

1) There are no current plans to construct a new East Coast Main Line (ECML) station at Alconbury Weald. The Department recognises the importance of the ECML and is starting work with Network Rail and industry stakeholders on development of a long-term strategy of investment for the route. 2) The following progress has been made on the East Coast Digital Programme. In May 2025, the first phase of the scheme was complete with the removal of conventional lineside signals, and all services using digital signalling on the Northern City Line (NCL) between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. This is the first no signals commuter railway in the country, and first of any kind since the early Cambrian Line pilot in 2011. 100,000 services have now operated on NCL using digital signalling. The infrastructure between Welwyn and Hitchin has been upgraded for the first European Train Control System (ETCS) section on the ECML. In line with the approach taken on NCL, the Welwyn to Hitchin section will initially operate as an overlay (i.e. able to operate with both conventional and digital signalling) to facilitate driver conversion training. The work is being led by Network Rail who, subject to the necessary assurances and regulatory processes, anticipate being able to begin driver train using digital signalling through that section from summer 2026. 3) Work to implement the ETCS on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross is scheduled to be completed in the early 2030s.

What progress she has made on the East Coast Digital Programme.

1) There are no current plans to construct a new East Coast Main Line (ECML) station at Alconbury Weald. The Department recognises the importance of the ECML and is starting work with Network Rail and industry stakeholders on development of a long-term strategy of investment for the route. 2) The following progress has been made on the East Coast Digital Programme. In May 2025, the first phase of the scheme was complete with the removal of conventional lineside signals, and all services using digital signalling on the Northern City Line (NCL) between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. This is the first no signals commuter railway in the country, and first of any kind since the early Cambrian Line pilot in 2011. 100,000 services have now operated on NCL using digital signalling. The infrastructure between Welwyn and Hitchin has been upgraded for the first European Train Control System (ETCS) section on the ECML. In line with the approach taken on NCL, the Welwyn to Hitchin section will initially operate as an overlay (i.e. able to operate with both conventional and digital signalling) to facilitate driver conversion training. The work is being led by Network Rail who, subject to the necessary assurances and regulatory processes, anticipate being able to begin driver train using digital signalling through that section from summer 2026. 3) Work to implement the ETCS on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross is scheduled to be completed in the early 2030s.

When she plans to launch a statutory consultation for East-West Rail Connection State 2 and 3.

East West Rail Company is planning further consultation in 2026. It is currently reviewing plans for this in line with the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill reforms. A further update will be provided shortly.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the European Train Control System on the East Coast Mainline on the feasibility of a new station at Alconbury Weald.

1) There are no current plans to construct a new East Coast Main Line (ECML) station at Alconbury Weald. The Department recognises the importance of the ECML and is starting work with Network Rail and industry stakeholders on development of a long-term strategy of investment for the route. 2) The following progress has been made on the East Coast Digital Programme. In May 2025, the first phase of the scheme was complete with the removal of conventional lineside signals, and all services using digital signalling on the Northern City Line (NCL) between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. This is the first no signals commuter railway in the country, and first of any kind since the early Cambrian Line pilot in 2011. 100,000 services have now operated on NCL using digital signalling. The infrastructure between Welwyn and Hitchin has been upgraded for the first European Train Control System (ETCS) section on the ECML. In line with the approach taken on NCL, the Welwyn to Hitchin section will initially operate as an overlay (i.e. able to operate with both conventional and digital signalling) to facilitate driver conversion training. The work is being led by Network Rail who, subject to the necessary assurances and regulatory processes, anticipate being able to begin driver train using digital signalling through that section from summer 2026. 3) Work to implement the ETCS on the East Coast Mainline between Huntingdon and Kings Cross is scheduled to be completed in the early 2030s.

When she expects Project Reach to be completed.

Network Rail’s Reach partners are developing a detailed delivery plan and hope to have made significant improvements to coverage this control period (end of 2029).

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, by what date she plans to publish the new plan for freight and logistics.

The Government intends to publish a new plan for freight and logistics before the end of the year. The development of this plan is underway in partnership with industry and sector stakeholders. This includes workshops in early summer and discussions with the Freight Council to ensure the plan addresses sector needs and supports the ambitions of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.The forthcoming plan will build on actions already taken to raise the status of freight within government and provide tangible support the sector in areas including innovation and planning. The plan will reaffirm our commitment to collaborating with the freight and logistics sector to drive transformation and recognise freight as a strategic enabler in delivering economic growth and the transition to Net Zero. Further commitments and actions will be detailed when the plan is published.

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, how much of the funding to (a) maintain and (b) improve bus services will be spent in Huntingdon constituency in each year between 2025-26 and 2029-30.

The £900 million RDEL per year to maintain and improve bus services referenced in the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy refers to funding announced at the Spending Review on 11 June. This funding applies from 2026/27 through to 2028/29. The Department for Transport is working with key stakeholders to develop and implement a new bus grant allocation system for future years of bus funding, and individual allocations for Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) will be announced following this process. The Department has already announced individual allocations for funding to support and improve bus services in 25/26 through the LA Bus Grant. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have been allocated £10.6 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, which could include improvements in Huntingdon constituency.

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, how much of the funding for the Local Transport Grant to improve transport connectivity in (a) smaller cities, (b) towns and (c) rural areas will be spent in Huntingdon constituency.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) has been allocated just under £40 million of the Local Transport Grant from 2026-27 to 2029-30. It is for CPCA to determine how this funding is used across the combined authority and constituent authorities, in line with local priorities. The Local Transport Grant is additional to bus, active travel and highways maintenance funding.

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress she has made on introducing low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on mainline trains.

Following the Spending Review, we have secured funding to deliver low earth orbit satellite technology, to improve on board passenger Wi-Fi on mainline trains. We are currently considering the most appropriate procurement and delivery approach, with a preliminary notice period issued on gov.uk. Funding will be made available in 2026 as part of the settlement period.However, we know satellite connectivity will not work in tunnels. Network Rail's Project Reach will address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels.

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, how much of the Freight Innovation Fund accelerator is allocated to be spent in Huntingdon constituency.

In 2023, the Freight Innovation Fund accelerator awarded £133,000 to RoboK Limited, a Cambridgeshire based start-up. This award was part of the more than £3.9 million funding that the accelerator has allocated to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK in the last three years.This accelerator programme is open to UK-based SMEs who meet additional eligibility criteria and fund recipients are subject to a rigorous selection process to ensure awards are directly supporting innovation in the freight sector and specific challenges set each year. The Department will shortly announce the successful SMEs for year four of the accelerator.