Written questions by McMurdock.

What plans she has to commission a review into the impact of waiting times at level crossings on a) road congestion, b) emergency vehicle access and c) safety in East Tilbury.

Network Rail are well aware of the current issues with waiting times and congestion at East Tilbury Level Crossing, and understand these concerns. As the infrastructure manager for Britain’s railways with statutory safety duties to the public, Network Rail continue to monitor and keep the protective arrangements at East Tilbury Level Crossing under review, so that these safety risks can be managed, and any impacts mitigated accordingly.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of community safety events at level crossings in reducing incidents of misuse a) in East Tilbury and b) nationally.

Network Rail are responsible for determining the measures required at level crossings to create a safe environment. They regularly engage with local communities to provide information and briefing on the safety risks associated with misuse and undertake research to understand public and passenger safety attitudes and behaviour towards the railway, which helps to refine their messaging. Network Rail will continue to engage with the community in East Tilbury to ensure safety levels at the crossing are maintained.

What recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on delays experienced by a) motorists and b) pedestrians at East Tilbury level crossing due to freight movement.

Network Rail is responsible for managing safety at East Tilbury Level Crossing as the infrastructure manager for Britain’s railways and has a statutory duty to ensure all users can use the crossing safely. Network Rail will continue to engage the local community to understand these concerns and consider how they can be mitigated, whilst ensuring the safety of all users is upheld, as this is a priority.

What steps she is taking to ensure that local communities affected by waiting times at level crossings, including East Tilbury, are consulted when freight timetables and volumes are expanded.

Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager for Britain’s railways, are responsible for ensuring the safety of the public at level crossings across the network, including East Tilbury Level Crossing. This is in accordance with their statutory safety duties to manage risks on the railways. As part of this process, Network Rail will engage local communities to inform them of any potential changes to timetabling that could affect the operation of level crossings in their area, particularly those that could have an impact on safety.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal protections available to British freight drivers who travel into the Schengen Area in respect of the 90/180 rule.

The Schengen 90- days in any 180-day period (“90/180”) immigration rule has been in place since 2021 and applies to all UK nationals (including British freight drivers) undertaking short stays for leisure and work in the Schengen area. The Schengen 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory. Any amendments or exemptions to the Schengen rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. It is not UK Government policy. The Department continues to encourage road haulage and coach operators to take the necessary steps to ensure their UK national drivers who work internationally remain within the 90/180 limit. Freight drivers should also ensure that they are aware of the penalty and enforcement approach for exceeding the limit in any individual EU Member States they plan to travel to or through. This is important to avoid the risk of drivers and their vehicles being turned around at the UK-EU border or being fined or suspended from re-entry. Freight drivers generally do not benefit from specific legal exemptions for border crossing under the Schengen Borders Code, unlike certain other transport-related personnel such as ship or aircraft crew. The Government will continue to listen to concerns raised by sectors affected by these rules and will advocate for British citizens abroad.

What plans she has to make funding available for infrastructure upgrades at (a) railway crossings and (b) (i) road and (ii) pedestrian bridges in (A) areas experiencing significant increases in freight traffic and (B) East Tilbury.

The Government recognises the benefits that infrastructure upgrades in East Tilbury could bring to the local community. However, we must target our investments to maximise growth and deliver value for taxpayers. The Spending Review 2025 settlement highlights the Government’s continued commitment to investing in rail and supporting schemes that drive maximum growth. The settlement represents an increase in funding compared with what has been spent on rail enhancements in recent years.

What steps she is taking to discourage pedestrians and motorists from attempting to cross when barriers or lights are active at level crossings in East Tilbury.

Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager for Britain’s railways, is responsible for the safety of users at East Tilbury level crossing. It is aware of the risks posed to pedestrians and motorists at the crossing, which are reflected in the measures in place to manage these risks, including manually operated barriers and CCTV. To support further improvements in safety, Network Rail plans to hold a safety event with the local community to raise awareness of the risks associated with East Tilbury level crossing and to discuss how misuse can be reduced.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) train scheduling and (b) barrier down-time on the number of unsafe crossing attempts by (i) pedestrians and (ii) drivers.

It is for Network Rail, as the operator of Britain’s rail network, to manage the risks at level crossings and to implement protective measures to manage those risks accordingly, consistent with its statutory obligations. Network Rail will consider numerous factors to inform its approach and ensure the safety of the public, from the frequency of services and pedestrian and road traffic volume at the crossing, to user behaviour and historical incident data, among other things. As it is the safety duty holder, it is best placed to make judgments on how best to mitigate risks at level crossings to ensure users are kept safe.

What discussions she has had with equestrian safety organisations on trends in the number of road incidents involving horses over the past five years.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders, including discussions with the British Horse Society, to help us achieve our aim. In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders.

What steps she is taking to raise awareness among motorists of their responsibilities when passing horses on public roads.

The Government’s flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, is currently running a Sharing the Road Safely radio advert via the Fillers service, which enables broadcasters to air public service messages at no cost. The advert promotes safe driving speeds and passing distances, reminding drivers to leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists and to give adequate space to horse riders. In 2022, the Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which places greater responsibility on those who can cause the most harm, and strengthened guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders. THINK! ran targeted campaigns to alert road users to these changes and broader behavioural campaigns to encourage understanding and compliance. We will continue to promote the Highway Code changes through THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as via partner organisations. The Government takes the safety of horse riders and other vulnerable road users very seriously and remains committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s roads. My Department is currently developing our Road Safety Strategy, and further details will be set out in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the withdrawal of discounts for off-peak travel on (a) passenger numbers on and (b) the commercial viability of the C2C line.

There are no plans to remove off-peak tickets on c2c services. The whole of the c2c network is part of the Pay As You Go (PAYG) network in the South East. So, peak and off-peak timings are now aligned with Transport for London (TfL). While PAYG with contactless does not currently include the ability to link railcards to contactless bankcard, I would like to assure you that we are working with TfL on the functionality to use Railcard discounts on PAYG with contactless. In the meantime, passengers will continue to be able to use Railcard discounts on the equivalent barcode, smartcard, and magstripe tickets. From 1 October 2025, the Online Advance was removed and replaced with 1/3 Off Saver only available Fridays to Sundays. The changes made were designed to realign the offer with the target leisure travel market by limiting eligible journeys Fridays to Sundays, avoiding revenue abstraction from commuters and to reduce the available discount to a point that is more standard within the industry (for example, for Railcards and Groupsave) to simplify the messaging. These changes are not expected to impact passenger numbers or the commercial viability of the c2c line.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that nationalised rail operators (a) remain commercially viable and (b) ensure that lower-income passengers are able to commute.

Public sector train operators deliver passenger services under Services Agreements with the Secretary of State. Services Agreements are customer-focused, performance-focused and will support the financial sustainability of the railways for taxpayers. This Government is overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal. Track and train will be brought together so that decisions can be made on a whole-industry basis, with a single view across railway costs and revenue, rather than being driven by what is best for individual organisations. A proposed new funding process, to be established in legislation, will facilitate integrated decisions and enable Great British Railways to deliver its agreed business plans and the strategies of railway funders.

Whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that nationalised rail operators retain discounts for off-peak travel.

This Government is overhauling the complex fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticketing and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal. On longer-distance routes, we need to move away from the inefficient and unacceptable situation where some ‘peak’ trains run nearly empty while some ‘off-peak’ trains are overcrowded. To address this, we are trialling more flexible, demand-based pricing on some London North Eastern Railway routes.

What steps she is taking to integrate (a) modern road safety technology, (b) smart signage and (c) AI-based monitoring systems into transport planning for new housing developments in Essex.

The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course. More broadly, we are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to continue to actively explore innovations in the housing and planning sector, such as the recent PropTech Innovation Challenge that is funding innovative and scalable PropTech solutions to help deliver homes.

What steps she is taking to ensure that road safety improvements do not adversely impact (a) the reduction of emissions, (b) the use of sustainable transport and (c) other environmental objectives.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. However, it is vital that we do not inadvertently impact the environment when implementing measures to improve safety. To ensure this, and in line with the Environment Act 2021, Ministers will comply with their legal duty to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement when making policy decisions.

What steps she is taking to ensure that road infrastructure accommodates (a) bicycles and (b) e-scooters.

As announced at the Spending Review, we are allocating £616 million in capital funding over the next four years to help local authorities deliver high-quality infrastructure for both cyclists and pedestrians. In the case of e-scooters, those that are private owned remain illegal to use on the road. In our e-scooter rental trials, we have allowed e-scooters to use the same road space as bikes. This means e-scooters are allowed on the road, except motorways, and in cycle lanes and tracks, where possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 81178, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of volumetric concrete mixers which operate over the incoming 32 tonne limit.

The Department does not hold specific data on the proportion of volumetric concrete mixers that operate above the forthcoming 32-tonne weight limit. In the concrete delivery sector, the Department estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation. Existing vehicles can continue to operate beyond the end of the temporary arrangement provided they are loaded to the lower weight limits (for example, up to 32 tonnes for 4 or more axle rigid vehicles).

Whether she has plans to introduce measures which aim to minimise the time taken for emergency services to be able to attend to accidents as part of the upcoming Road Safety Strategy.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 59664 on Large Goods Vehicles: Concrete, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing weight limits for volumetric concrete mixers on levels of frequently of repairs to (a) roads and (b) bridges; and what estimate she has made of levels of associated cost reductions for (i) local authorities and (ii) National Highways.

The National Highways’ report found that the load effects from heavier VCMs to be up to 17% higher than the load effects from the model for vehicles complying with the current weight limits. In addition to the impact on bridges, heavier vehicles also put more stress on roads, which impacts maintenance costs and safety. The department has not made a specific assessment on the impact on the frequency of repairs and cost reductions.

What plans he has to improve road safety for young drivers in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign. We are considering measures to address this problem and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.