Written questions by Morello.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that road network infrastructure is equipped to utilise safety technology in modern vehicles effectively.

The Department is aware of the growing availability of ADAS Advanced Driver Assistance Services in new vehicles and the data and connectivity applications that support them. The Department has supported a number of research and development activities in recent years to develop the standards required for ‘vehicle to infrastructure’, (V2I) communications and services that will enable infrastructure-based safety systems, and continues to work with the automotive and highway authority sectors to ensure that the technology used in highway network management will support V2I services as they become available in new vehicles.

What steps she is taking to ensure that investment in cycling infrastructure is equitably distributed to rural areas.

The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities. In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of rural road conditions on (a) cycling and (b) horse rider safety.

The Government agrees that the condition of our local road network, both in rural and urban areas, has suffered as the result of a decade of underinvestment by the previous government. Poor road conditions can be particularly dangerous for cyclists and horse-riders, because they can cause vehicles to swerve at the last minute and because the consequences of hitting a pothole can be far worse for cyclists and horse-riders than for motorists. To enable local authorities in rural areas and elsewhere to start to get on top of the highway maintenance backlog and deliver smoother, safer roads for all road users, the Government has already announced a £500 million funding uplift for local highway authorities for next financial year. Funding allocations to individual highway authorities were announced on 20 December, and Dorset is set to receive up to £25 million, a funding uplift of nearly £7 million compared to the current financial year. It is up to each local authority to decide how best to spend this funding, and in planning their maintenance programmes they should consider the needs of all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders.

What steps she is taking to help provide safe cycling infrastructure for residents of rural areas.

The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities. In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.

What steps she is taking to support local authorities in rural regions to (a) develop and (b) maintain dedicated cycling lanes.

The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities. In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce fatality rates of cyclists on rural roads.

The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve road safety for cyclists and pedestrians, by strengthening pedestrian priority on pavements and at crossings and introducing the Hierarchy of Road Users, which places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision, at the top of the hierarchy. The Highway Code makes it clear that those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others, and highlights the need to take care and be particularly aware of young cyclists and pedestrians. The Department has awarded local authorities £185.8 million of funding between 2017 and 2024 through the Safer Roads Fund to improve the safety of England's most high risk 'A' roads. To date, it has funded 445.3 miles of rural roads which make up 62.4% of all funded routes. Additionally, Active Travel England works with rural authorities to provide funding and to support the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, including segregated cycle lanes and junction improvements. This includes training for local authority staff, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the regularity of bus services on vulnerable users in West Dorset constituency.

We know that bus services can be a lifeline for many, and are committed to delivering better, more frequent services across the country. That is why we are allocating bus funding based on need not the quality of bids. Dorset Council will receive £3.8m nex...

What steps her Department plans to take to help fund the replacement of end-of-life rolling stock on South Western Railways. in the context of the planned establishment of Great British Railways.

South Western Railway has procured 750 new Class 701 carriages to replace older Class 455 units. The first trains have entered passenger service, with a gradual roll out expected over the next two years. The Government is in the early stages of formulatin...

What steps her Department is taking to replace end-of-life rolling stock on South Western Railways.

South Western Railway has procured 750 new Class 701 vehicles to replace the older Class 455 units. The first trains have entered passenger service, with a gradual roll out expected over the next two years.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to establish Great British Railways on long-term (a) investment and (b) planning in the rail industry.

The stand up of Great British Railways will happen in parallel to the continued operation of the railway, therefore not impacting long-term investment. As for the passenger service business planning, this won’t change and Network Rail still have the Contr...

What steps her Department plans to take to help support the transition to Great British Railways.

While primary legislation is required to establish Great British Railways, the government has begun delivering improvements for passengers and freight users straight away. That is why the main organisations responsible for the operational railway (Network...

What her timeline is for the establishment of Great British Railways; and what key milestones she expects to reach in the next 12 months.

The King’s Speech confirmed legislation – the Railways Bill – will be introduced to create Great British Railways in the first Parliamentary session. The consultation on this legislation will be published around the turn of the year. We anticipate GBR to ...

What steps her Department is taking to accelerate the rollout of public charging points.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 November, there are over 71,000 publicly available chargi...

What plans she has to improve road safety in West Dorset constituency.

The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government and will support our health mission. Since the general election, the Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. We will set out next steps on thi...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for local authorities to improve road safety.

Local authorities are responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government. It is for the local authority to decide what measures may be appropriate in their local areas.Since the general election, the Department has begun wor...

Whether she plans to provide additional funding to fill potholes in West Dorset constituency.

This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. To this end, the Government will provide authorities with funding to help them fix up to one million more potholes acros...

Whether she plans to increase funding for transport projects in West Dorset constituency.

This Government is working at pace to improve transport provision across the country. That is why an internal review of the department’s capital spend portfolio has been commissioned which will support decision making on current and future transport inves...