Written questions by Stephenson.

What plans her Department has to increase reliability on Thameslink services through its Great British Railways proposals.

Currently all train operators are required to plan services and timetables designed to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Improving railway performance is a top priority for this Government. We have been clear with Govia Thameslink Railway, who operate Thameslink services, that we will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold them to account through a range of measures. The Government’s plans for rail reform will deliver an accountable and integrated public body, Great British Railways (GBR), which will take decisions on the use of the railway in the public interest and deliver Government priorities. GBR will plan and implement an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. Better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability and reduce costs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28664, whether it is her Department’s policy to ask retail banks to keep High Street branches open during their discussions with them.

Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Where firms fall short of expectations, the FCA may ask for closures to be paused or other options to be put in place. Where alternative services have been recommended, a branch cannot close until any recommended services are in place. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the FCA the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash service such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub. The Government has no powers to intervene in decisions to open new banking hubs, and the criteria for access to cash assessments is a matter for LINK, the financial services sector and the FCA. The FCA is required by law to keep its access to cash rules under review and is monitoring the impact of these rules on an ongoing basis to ensure they deliver the right outcomes for businesses and consumers.

What plans her Department has to reduce fares on Thameslink services through its Great British Railways proposals.

Whilst it is our ambition through public ownership to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway. Through future legislation, we will set out the role Great British Railways (GBR) will have in fares, ticketing, and other operational aspects of the Railway. Fares and ticketing will continue to be the responsibility of train operators until GBR is established. The Government’s plans for rail reform will deliver an accountable and integrated public body, GBR, which will take decisions on the use of the railway in the public interest and deliver Government priorities. GBR will plan and implement an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. Better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability and reduce costs. Waste, inefficiency, and fragmentation on today’s railways is costing the taxpayer dearly. Reforming our railways will make them more efficient, providing better services for passengers and better value for the taxpayer. Once all franchises are in public ownership, up to £150 million could be saved every year in fees alone that would have been paid to private sector owning groups. Instead, under public ownership, every penny can be spent for the benefit of passengers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 31113 on Stellantis: Luton, what his Department's definition of appropriate support is.

We are supporting affected workers at Stellantis’ Luton plant by making sure they are fully aware of the options available to them and have access to services they need to assist them in taking forward these options e.g. the Job Centre Plus Rapid Response Service. We have been engaging with the company, trade unions, Luton council and across government throughout the process to ensure that a package of measures is being put in place to support all workers at Luton facing redundancy. This includes tools and services to find new employment.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, whether the additional funding of £250m funding for flood defences was included in his Departmental budget set at the Autumn Budget 2024.

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review. Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24. As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences. The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26691 on Unitary Councils, which unitary authorities were contacted on 16 December 2024.

The neighbouring unitary authorities contacted on 16 December 2024, alongside all councils in two-tier areas, were Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Derby City Council, Isle of Wight Council, Leicester City Council, Medway Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, Nottingham City Council, Peterborough City Council, Plymouth City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rutland County Council, Southampton City Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Thurrock Council,Torbay Council.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £2.65 billion on the Environment’s Agency estimate of properties better protected between 2021-2027.

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review. Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24. As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences. The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, how much and what proportion of the £2.65 billion is new money.

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review. Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24. As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences. The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Written Question 25790 on London Stock Exchange, how many firms were listed on the London Stock Exchange (a) in July 2024 and (b) as of 4 March 2025.

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) releases monthly data on the number of companies listed on its markets and maintains historical data on these listings. This information is not published by the government and can be accessed at the following address: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/reports?tab=issuers

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Written Question 26880 on Mortgages, whether her Department makes an assessment of the potential impact of fiscal policies on mortgage rates as part of their decision making.

The government considers the potential impact of fiscal policy on a range of factors, including the potential impact on interest rates. The pricing and availability of mortgages is ultimately a commercial decision for lenders, in which the government does not intervene. Changes in offered mortgage rates are broadly driven by changes in financial market expectations for Bank Rate. Monetary policy, including decisions on Bank Rate, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England. The government remains committed to supporting the MPC to return inflation to target sustainably and does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26368 on Property Development: Floods, if she will make an estimate of the number of houses that may be built on flood plains between up to July 2029.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26368 on 3 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 25797 on Tree Preservation Orders: Bedfordshire, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of keeping a centralised national record of Tree Protection Orders.

Tree Preservation Orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value to local amenity.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively.The government has no plans at present to create a central record of their decisions, but we will keep the matter under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Land Use in England published on 31 January 2025, what the process is for (a) designating and (b) creating new (i) national river walks and (b) national forests.

The Government is progressing plans to designate nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. This is a priority for us and we are currently considering several delivery options, as well as reviewing where existing river walks are in place. Further details will be provided in due course. Defra is running a competitive two-stage process to select the first new national forest. This process is in the final stages and further details will be provided in due course. Alongside this competition we are considering plans for other national forests.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the increased investment in maintenance of flood defences will allow the Environment Agency to keep 98% of its high-consequence assets in the required condition over the next two years.

This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left just 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at required condition, meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk. The Environment Agency (EA) is reprioritising £72 million from capital programme funding, for the 2025/26 financial year, to maintain high consequence assets at target condition. This funding will ensure assets are as resilient and reliable as possible and operate as expected in flood events.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider granting protected geographic status to the Bedfordshire Clanger.

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing noise cameras to tackle excessively noisy vehicles on rural roads in Bedfordshire.

The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023, which assessed a range of different road conditions. This trial demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement to tackle excessive vehicle noise but only when accompanied by human review. It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to simplify the process of applying for protected geographic food status.

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the number of British pies with protected geographic food status.

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of providing protected geographic food status for the Bedfordshire Clanger on Bedfordshire.

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published on 4 February 2025, what the 1,000 flood defence projects are that will receive funding in the next two years.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. This Government is investing £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 is being consented in the usual way over the coming weeks through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. We expect this to include schemes that address risk from surface water flooding. A full list of schemes to receive funding in 25/26 will be published in the Spring.