Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 89642 on High Speed 2 Line, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the deferral of works on the Handsacre link on (a) journey times from the North West of England to London and (b) the economy during the four year deferral period.

As set out in my response of 20 November 2025 to question 89642, the deferral of work at Handsacre is not expected to have any impact on journey times for services from the North West of England to London once the delivery of HS2 is complete. The Department and HS2 Ltd are currently undertaking a full reset of the programme. As part of this reset the department will provide an update on the economic impact of the programme in a revised business case.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of air traffic controller recruitment and training capacity; and what steps she is taking to ensure adequate air traffic controller staffing for regional airports.

Air Traffic Control services in the UK operate in the private sector and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) who provide these services must ensure that they have adequate resources in place to safely operate. The pipeline for training new Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) is robust, with UK training centres currently operating at capacity. However, my department has just introduced secondary legislation giving the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) powers to recognise the previous training of third country and military ATCO’s towards meeting the requirements needed to achieve a UK civil ATCO licence. This will reduce the time it takes these individuals to become a civil ATCO in the UK and increase resilience across the sector.

Pursuant to the Answer to WPQ 94294, what is the (a) number (b) proportion of fares per week that will not be the same price or cheaper than the former super off-peak fare on the routes covered.

Although London North Eastern Railway voluntarily publish the proportion of Semi flexible fares sold that track against the adjusted price for the former super off-peak fare, as that fare no longer formally exists, the passenger assurances that are being tested in place of fares regulation are instead based upon a percentage of the price of the fully flexible ticket which remains available. The assurances are: There is a maximum price: prices cannot rise above the fully flexible price. A large selection of cheap seats: at least 2/3 of all fixed tickets sold are priced at 50 per cent or less than the price of the fully flexible ticket. A maximum of 10 per cent of all fixed tickets can be sold at 80 per cent or more of the fully flexible price. London North Eastern Railway has reported that only 10.1 per cent of standard advance fares were sold at over half the price of the fully flexible ticket as of July 2025.

Pursuant to WPQ 93460, which roads are covered by the four departures from standards that were granted; and when those decisions were made.

The following four schemes were granted departures from standard:- The A1(M) J37-38. The departure was granted on the 2nd of December 2024- The M5 J23-24. The departure was granted on the 24th of April 2024- The M6 J37-38. The departure was granted on the 12th of May 2025- The M4 J13-14. The departure was granted on the 20th of August 2025

How many new publicly available electric vehicle charge points were (a) installed and (b) brought into operation in each month since July 2024 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The Department publishes statistics on the number of public electric vehicle charging devices available across the UK each month: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69135a271fcc92b3f34963ca/electric-vehicle-public-charging-devices-november-2025.ods.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 93455, whether it ceased to be her department's policy that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030 when the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy ended in March 2025.

Decisions on future active travel targets will be confirmed in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy when it is published next year.

Pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93855, if she will break down those (a) nominal and (b) real terms rises by year.

The Office of Rail and Road publish annual statistics measuring the change in prices charged by train operating companies to rail passengers, normally introduced in March of each year. Table 7180 provides the average change in fares by regulated and unregulated tickets, for Great Britain, from 1995 to 2025. The data set also includes the Retail Prices Index from which real fare changes can be calculated. This can be found at the following link: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/rail-fares/

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90814, what are the names of the third party organisations or agents, acting on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council, that have been provided with vehicle keeper data.

This information relates to a commercial arrangement between Oxfordshire County Council and the third party and it would not be appropriate to disclose that information.

What estimates National Highways has made of a) the average daily number of HGV movements to and from Immingham Port, b) expected daily HGV movements over the next five years, and c) whether current road capacity and maintenance plans are sufficient to support that growth.

National Highways’ select link analysis using regional traffic models, identified an average annual daily flow of 1,851 HGV movements between Immingham Port and the A180.While the current Route Strategies (published May 2023) do not provide specific HGV forecasts for Immingham, they note that freight-related HGVs account for over 30% of traffic on key routes including the A160 and M180. Stakeholder engagement indicates HGV volumes are expected to rise, particularly with Freeport developments.National Highways’ investment and maintenance plans, set out in the Route Strategies and underpinning the Road Investment Strategy, aim to maintain network reliability and resilience to support this growth. Traffic trends will continue to be monitored to help inform whether capacity needs are being met.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to WPQ 91458, how much revenue local authorities made from (a) traffic junction enforcement, (b) clean air zones and (c) congestion charging in 2024-25.

The Department does not hold this information centrally.

In respect of train operating companies for which the Department is the operator, how many services were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed by (i) 30 minutes or more and (ii) 60 minutes or more in each month since July 2024 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publish statistics on punctuality and reliability of trains operating on the mainline network on a periodic basis on their data portal: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/.CancellationsInformation on train cancellations in Great Britain by operator is available in Table 3128: Pre-cancellations and adjusted cancellations score by operator, Great Britain (periodic data): https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/p-coded-cancellations/The table showsNumber of trains planned – confirmed between the operator and Network Rail at 22:00 on the previous evening.Number of part-cancelled trains – trains that ran at least half, but not all, of its planned journeys length or if it completed its whole journey length but failed to stop at one or more of its planned stations.Number of fully cancelled trains – trains that failed to run at least half of their planned journey length (including those that did not run at all).DelaysInformation on train punctuality in Great Britain by operator is available in Table 3138: Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator (periodic): https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/A recorded station stop refers to any location that has both a scheduled date and time in the Great Britain timetable and an actual recorded arrival date and time.The table shows:The proportion of trains arriving at recorded station stops within 59 seconds of their scheduled arrival time.Trains arriving within 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes of schedule.The proportion of services arriving more than 15, 20, and 30 minutes late.

Which driving test centres were at 24 weeks wait times in i.) July 2024 ii.) July 2025 and iii.) the latest month for which figures are available.

The attached Excel document shows which driving test centres had a waiting time of 24 weeks in i) July 2024, ii) July 2025 and iii) November 2025.

What proportion of vehicles used by Government departments are electric; and what recent progress she has made in increasing the use of electric vehicles within the Government fleet.

The Government publishes data on its progress in decarbonising the central Government fleet, as part of wider reporting on the Greening Government Commitments. The most recent published data can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greening-government-commitments-april-2021-to-march-2024-report/greening-government-commitments-april-2021-to-march-2024-report.

Whether she expects unregulated rail fares to move in line with regulated rail fares this year and over the next five years.

Changes to unregulated fares have typically followed a similar trend to regulated fares in recent years – so we expect the majority of passengers to benefit from savings. We are also continuing to reform the complex fares system that we know creates significant confusion and does not work for passengers, including through introducing more tap in, tap out pay as you go across the country, and delivering long-distance fares reforms, such as through the trial with London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

What is the estimated net cost to the public purse of freezing certain regulated rail fares in March 2026 for this and the subsequent five financial years.

The estimated net cost to the public purse of freezing certain regulated rail fares in March 2026 is set out in the table below. This is putting money back in the pockets of hardworking people when they need it most. With savings set to be available on over a billion journeys, the freeze will also make rail more affordable, encouraging more people to use the railway. (£m)2025-262026-272027-282028-292029-302030-31Rail Fares: Freeze rail fares in England for one year from 1 March 2026+0m-145m-150m-155m-160m-165m

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of remote monitoring equipment used to detect landslips on the rail network; and what steps she is taking to improve detection rates.

Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager of Britain’s railways, is responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail network to ensure passenger and freight services can operate reliably. Following the tragic derailment at Carmont in August 2020, Network Rail commissioned two task forces looking at earthworks management and extreme weather response. In response to these, Network Rail have taken forward a number of actions including commissioning an active nationwide monitoring regime using remote sensors, modelling and geotechnical assessments to monitor slope stability across the network. In its 24/25 Annual Assessment, the independent safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, indicated that Network Rail is making good progress in its delivery of weather resilience and climate adaptation plans.

What assessment the Government has made of a) annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports, b) the consistency of fee structures across different regions, and c) the cumulative impact of these charges on port operators and logistics businesses.

a) ‎ The assessment annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports is undertaken by the ports who collect the fees. Ports are required to review their port waste management plan and get it re-approved every five years. The waste management plan amongst other specifications sets out the fee, and how this is calculated. Any major changes will require the port to review and change their port waste management plan before the five-year period. MCA surveyors' review, inspect and approve port waste management to ensure compliance with the regulations. b) Ports are required to calculate their fees as mandated by the regulations, which means the ports can recover their cost and the ‘polluter’ pays. These fees will vary due to regional variances in the cost of waste management in the different regions. c) A post implementation review of the regulations was also undertaken and published in 2023. The review found that the regulations were fit for purpose and were achieving the policy objectives and indicated that although industry had the opportunity to communicate any impacts of the requirements to the MCA, no significant concerns have been raised.

What estimate the Government has made of a) the annual cost to UK port operators of dredging and disposing of dredged material required to maintain navigational access, b) the proportion of those costs arising from disposal levies and monitoring fees, and c) how those costs compare with equivalent charges in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

a) Information relating to the annual cost to UK port operators of dredging and disposing of dredged material required to maintain navigational access is not held centrally.b) The costs arising from the disposal levies and monitoring fees for last three years are shown in the table below: Calendar YearTotal Tonnes DisposedChargeable TonnageFees (1p per tonne, £15k cap)202417,564,23912,363,054£114,025202325,410,85917,679,722£89,322202232,147,78725,476,658£89,332 c) The equivalent information for France, Belgium and the Netherlands is not held centrally.

What recent assessment her Department has made of a) the structural condition of the A180 between the M180 and Immingham Port, b) the adequacy of current life-extending works to support projected increases in HGV traffic, c) the number of delays to freight movements arising from ongoing National Highways works on the A180 and adjacent links, and d) the expected timetable for completing those works.

There are no current Life Extension Works (LEW) underway on the A180. A LEW scheme was completed in 2024/25 on this section to provide an operational life extension of 5+ years and intended to ensure the section remained safe and operational, until a planned reconstruction scheme in Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), planned to be undertaken in 2030/31. As part of the design activity related to the planned RIS3 reconstruction scheme, traffic management options and journey time impact studies will be undertaken to ensure impacts to road users are minimised.

What estimate her Department has made of the cost of upgrading and expanding monitoring and stabilisation works on Victorian railway embankments; and whether she plans to publish a timetable for funding for this infrastructure.

Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager of Britain’s railways, is responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail network to ensure passenger and freight services can operate reliably. Network Rail manages Victorian-era embankments—some over 150 years old—as part of a comprehensive, risk-based earthworks strategy. Its approach comprises policies, monitoring, maintenance, and engineering interventions. It is spending over £1bn on drainage and earthworks in 2024-2029 to ensure the integrity of the rail network, which includes embankment stabilisation.