Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Maguire this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 62 · Department for Transport
What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Business and Trade to ensure enforcement, regulation and market controls operate cohesively to tackle the use of illegal high powered electric bikes.
Awaiting answer.
How the Government’s Better Connected transport strategy will ensure that walking and cycling are fully integrated into the wider transport system.
Awaiting answer.
Whether her Department is taking steps to help people use cheaper forms of transport such as (a) cycling and (b) walking during continued fuel cost pressures.
Awaiting answer.
How the new safer streets guidance for women and girls will help ensure that women feel safer when cycling as well as walking.
Awaiting answer.
What steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of illegal high-powered electric bikes.
Awaiting answer.
What recent discussions she has had with the cold chain industry on changes in the level of fuel prices.
The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department continues to work and meet regularly with industry, including representatives of the cold chain industry, to understand the pressures and options to mitigate any risks.
What support is available to help the cold chain and general haulage industry to manage cost increases across the supply chain, including to help stabilise costs for businesses and consumers.
The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department continues to work and meet regularly with industry, including representatives of the cold chain industry, to understand the pressures and options to mitigate any risks.
What steps she is taking to support the cold chain and general haulage industry given recent changes in the price of fuel.
The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department continues to work and meet regularly with industry, including representatives of the cold chain industry, to understand the pressures and options to mitigate any risks.
If she will provide an update on the progress of the consultation into the Safety at Street Works and Road; Works Code of Practice, which was last updated in July 2013.
The Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice is currently being revised. Work on the updated Code of Practice is at an advanced stage and is undergoing legal review. Subject to the conclusion of that review, the Department for Transport expects to consult publicly on the draft updated Code later this year. We expect to publish the finalised Code in 2027.
When the updated Safety at Street Works and Road; Works Code of Practice will be published.
The Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice is currently being revised. Work on the updated Code of Practice is at an advanced stage and is undergoing legal review. Subject to the conclusion of that review, the Department for Transport expects to consult publicly on the draft updated Code later this year. We expect to publish the finalised Code in 2027.
What assessment her Department has made of the impact of speeding in Surrey on residents.
The Department for Transport has not made a specific assessment of the impact of speeding in Surrey on residents. Responsibility for assessing local road safety issues, including the impact of speeding, sits primarily with local authorities and police forces, who are best placed to understand local conditions, concerns and collision data.
What steps her Department is taking to increase road safety.
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and this strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.
What support her Department is giving to local authorities to tackle speeding.
Local authorities are responsible for decisions on the roads they manage, including setting local speed limits and introducing traffic‑calming measures, based on local conditions. The Government supports this through national guidance to ensure limits are consistent and appropriate. The Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026 committed to update current guidance on local speed limits and speed‑camera use. Local authorities receive direct and indirect funding that can be used to address speeding: Local Transport Plan and Highway Maintenance funding from the Department for Transport which can support speed‑management measures such as traffic calming, safer road layouts, signage and speed‑limit schemes.
If her Department will implement a successor scheme to the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant upon its expiry.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on the availability of cleaner mobility.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.
What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of pollution levels of L-Category vehicles in the context of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.
What information her Department holds on the average time taken by Surrey County Council to repair a reported pothole in each month since July 2024.
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the average time taken by Surrey County Council to repair reported potholes. Operational decisions on the management and repair of local roads rest with the local highway authority, which has a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. To receive their full share of the Governments £500m funding uplift for local highways maintenance this financial year, all local highway authorities had to publish transparency reports setting out how they comply with best practice. This included a requirement to set out how many potholes they have filled in the last five years and their plans for adopting preventative maintenance, which keeps roads in good condition for longer and stops potholes from forming in the first place.
What steps her Department is taking to help increase pothole repairs.
The Government has provided a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years. This new four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government’s investment of £1.6 billion this financial year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. By confirming funding allocations for the next four-year period, authorities have certainty to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term pothole repairs and to instead invest in preventative road surface treatments so that roads can be fixed properly and kept in good condition for longer so that fewer potholes form in the first place. In addition, in January 2026 the Department released a new traffic light rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. The ratings enable the Department to identify where councils need to improve and to support them. As part of this, the Department is providing development support to help councils adopt best practice and to improve their rating and the condition of their roads.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing a public awareness campaign to promote the new Highway Code rules.
Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course. As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
What assessment her Department has made of whether the current motorcycle licensing framework provides sufficient incentives for riders to progress from learner status to a full motorcycle licence.
Currently, to gain a full motorcycle licence, individuals’ must pass a theory test and both parts of the practical test. Both Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) and theory certificates have a two-year validity, and if an individual has not passed their test within 2 years of taking the CBT & theory tests, they will have to start the process again.As part of the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Strategy, on 7 January the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) launched a consultation on motorcycle training, testing and licencing in Great Britain. The consultation will help inform a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing regime for motorcyclists with the aim of making changes to improve safety, modernise and simplify people’s access to motorcycling.As set out in the consultation, it is understood that a proportion of riders take CBT and don’t go on to take their theory and practical tests to gain a full motorcycle licence. Between March 2023 and March 2025 77,000 learner riders repeated their CBT course.One aim of the consultation is to determine if riders should be prevented from continually riding on a provisional licence. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 31 March 2026.