Written questions by Mayhew.

What recent assessment she has made of the value for money of Government funding provided to franchised bus networks.

The government has not provided funding to local authorities specifically to franchise bus networks. However, we have confirmed investment of over £1 billion in 25/26 to support and improve bus services and to keep fares affordable, this includes £712 million for local authorities. Under the Transport Act 2000, franchising authorities must carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that any proposed franchising scheme is feasible, affordable, and deliverable. This robust planning process helps minimise the need for central government intervention. The Department has worked closely with Greater Manchester throughout their franchising process, and we will continue to do so to learn lessons to support other areas who decide to undertake franchising. There are a range of different franchising models that can be used, and the Greater Manchester model is just one.  We want to understand more about how different models of franchising can work for different local areas. Alternative models have been set out in our revised statutory guidance to franchising authorities, and our pilot programmes will further develop practical tools and case studies to help LTAs choose and implement the approach that best fits their local needs. The Government is committed to reducing the cost and complexity of bus franchising. Following the introduction of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, the Department will refresh franchising guidance to give authorities access to new powers that streamline the process.

How much and what proportion of the Bee Network’s 2025-26 operating budget is funded by (a) the national grant, (b) local contributions, and (c) passenger revenues.

We are supporting Greater Manchester to maintain and improve bus services in the Bee Network with £66.4m of Local Authority Bus Grant funding in 2025-26. The overall operating budget for the Bee Network, including the breakdown between national grant, local contributions, and passenger revenues, is a matter for Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Whether her Department has requested financial reporting from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the Bee Network since the 2019 assessment.

The Department for Transport works closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to support the development and delivery of the Bee Network. Since the 2019 assessment, the Department has not formally requested financial reporting specific to the Bee Network as a whole. However, GMCA is required to provide financial and performance reporting in relation to specific funding streams that support the Bee Network, including their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, the Local Authority Bus Grant, and one-off additional funding in 2023/24.The Department continues to monitor the use of public funds through these mechanisms, but the overall financial management of the Bee Network remains a matter for Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of pausing the Midland Mainline upgrade on (a) future East Midlands Railway regional fleet requirements and (b) planned Control Period 7 work.

I recognise the importance to the UK’s rolling stock manufacturing sector, and its supply chains, of having a strategy for rolling stock and supporting infrastructure. The Government is committed to developing this strategy in advance of Great British Railways. It will include consideration of the likely long-term future rolling stock needs across the network, including East Midlands Railway’s regional fleet requirements. Since the decision to pause further electrification of the Midland Main Line was confirmed, Network Rail have been making plans for their current activities in a way that enables work to be subsequently utilised, as and when electrification on the route is re-started. As part of this they are also establishing the potential impact of the pause on other planned works.

What the cost to the public purse was for the development of the planning application by Network Rail for the redevelopment of London Liverpool Street station; and what estimate she has made of the potential cost of the (a) planning and (b) redevelopment of London Liverpool Streest station in each of the next five financial years.

The planning application, for a fully intermodal transport solution for Liverpool Street Station, was prepared through a Network Rail and Transport for London partnership at a cost of £8.7m. These costs will be re-imbursed as part of securing a development and investment partner, which will also provide private investment in the order of hundreds of millions of pounds. This is a detailed application and subject to timely consents, the planning process will incur no further costs.

What discussions her Department has had with Network Rail on the proposed redevelopment of (a) London Euston and (b) London Liverpool Street stations.

The Department has regular discussions with Network Rail, as part of our engagement with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for the Euston Station campus. This will comprise the new HS2 station, an upgraded Network Rail station and enhancements to the London Underground station and local transport facilities, along with a significant level of development. As part of this process, Network Rail is developing a scheme for the redevelopment of the existing Euston Station that will accommodate current and future passenger demand on the West Coast Main Line, while replacing life expired station assets in a cost-effective manner.Officials in my Department are engaged with Network Rail Property and Planning teams around the redevelopment proposals for Liverpool Street station. These plans are at an early stage and will be subject to planning consents. Both my Department and Network Rail will continue to review these plans as they develop.

What representations she has received from Historic England on Network Rail’s redevelopment of London Liverpool Street.

The Department for Transport has not received any representations from Historic England around the redevelopment proposals for Liverpool Street station. However, I understand that Network Rail have closely consulted with Historic England in the development of their updated proposals. Whilst Historic England had significant concerns about the original plans, I am now reassured that the revised proposals have substantially addressed those concerns. Plans are at an early stage and will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders as the project develops.

How many FTE staff work for Great British Rail transition team.

The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) was set up as a temporary organisation under the previous government to design and transition towards Great British Railways, including building cross-industry capability. GBRTT no longer directly employs any staff. The Department working in close collaboration with Network Rail, DfTO and wider industry partners is taking forward work on the design and transition to GBR.

What discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on plans for the redevelopment of London Liverpool Street station.

Officials in my Department are engaged with Network Rail Property and Planning teams around the redevelopment proposals for Liverpool Street station. These plans are at an early stage and will be subject to planning consents. Both my Department and Network Rail will continue to review these plans as they develop.

How much money has been spent on the Great British Rail Transition Team.

The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) was set up as a temporary organisation under the previous government to design and transition towards Great British Railways, including building cross-industry capability. Total funding provided to GBRTT was: £12.9m in the financial year 2021-22; £52.7m in the financial year 2022-23, £41.3m in the financial year 2023-24; and £27.6m in the financial year 2024-25.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of conclusion one of the Public Account Committee's report entitled HS2: Update following the Northern leg cancellation, HC 357, published 28 February 2025, on the governance of Great British Railways.

Work is underway on the design of Great British Railways, including its governance. We will take learnings from elsewhere, including the Public Account Committee’s recent report on High Speed Two (HS2), to ensure GBR is set up to deliver better services for passengers and freight customers, and better value for money for taxpayers.

If she will make an estimate of the amount of funding spent on reforming the train ticketing system in the (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 financial years.

The Fares Ticketing and Retail (FTR) Programme to modernise ticketing and retail systems started at Spending Review 2021. The first year of the programme was 22/23. The Department spend £55.7 million in 22/23 and £66 million in 23/24 on the FTR programme.

How much of the funding allocated to reform the train ticketing system has been spent.

The department is committed to reforming the train ticketing system and improving passenger experience. There has been substantial progress in extending Pay As You Go (PAYG) ticketing in the South East and progressing PAYG trials in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. We will establish Great British Railways, ensuring fares and ticketing are managed in the interests of passengers and taxpayers.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of conclusion one of the Public Account Committee's report entitled HS2: Update following the Northern leg cancellation, HC 357, published 28 February 2025 on the governance of HS2.

In light of the Public Account Committee’s recent report on High Speed Two (HS2), this government’s priority is to deliver HS2 Phase 1 safely and to the lowest reasonable cost. We have set out urgent measures to get the programme back on track and have tasked Mark Wild, the new CEO of HS2 Ltd, with conducting a reset of the HS2 programme to provide a realistic budget and schedule and to deliver the remaining works. As part of this reset, the government reinstated ministerial oversight of the project to ensure greater accountability and commissioned an independent review of the oversight of major transport infrastructure projects, which is investigating the effectiveness of forecasting and reporting of cost, schedule and benefits, as well as actions to deliver cost efficiencies. The Department will update Parliament on the programme reset as it progresses.

Whether the new Great British Railways ticketing system will automatically identify the cheapest combination of fares for each journey.

Once Great British Railways is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. It will work alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail. The Railways Bill consultation, which launched on 18 February, will help us develop more detailed plans for GBR’s retail offer. We are consulting closely with industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders.

What steps she is taking to plant trees alongside roads.

The Department is not currently taking any specific steps with regards to tree planting as this a matter for National Highways and local highway authorities (for the strategic road network and local roads respectively). The Department does, however, encourage local highway authorities to recognise the contribution that trees make to the economic, social and environmental well-being of communities, while National Highways is, as part of its efforts to deliver on environmental goals and achieve Net Zero Targets, aiming to plant at least 3 million trees by 2030 (in addition to the trees planted as ‘essential mitigation’ for projects) to provide landscape and biodiversity benefits and help lock up carbon.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending the Highways Act 1980 to increase roadside trees planting.

The Department does not have plans to amend the Highways Act 1980 on this particular topic. The Department does, however, encourage local highway authorities to recognise the contribution that trees make to the economic, social and environmental well-being of communities, while National Highways is, as part of its efforts to deliver on environmental goals and achieve Net Zero Targets, aiming to plant at least 3 million trees by 2030 (in addition to the trees planted as ‘essential mitigation’ for projects), to provide landscape and biodiversity benefits and help lock up carbon.

What steps she is taking to prevent cost overruns during the transition to Great British Railways.

The Rail Sector Transformation Programme, which includes the establishment of Great British Railways, is part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio, with Departmental governance overseeing delivery.

Whether she has conducted a study of the (a) financial and (b) operational impact of rail nationalisation in Scotland.

Decisions regarding ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper services are a devolved matter for the Scottish Government. My officials engage closely with devolved counterparts on their experiences of nationalisation.

How many full-time equivalent staff are working on the transfer of South Western Railways into a directly operated railway.

A new Public Ownership Programme Directorate has been established in the Department to deliver the programme to transition passenger services into public ownership over the next three years. The Directorate currently has 34 full-time equivalent (FTE) empl...