Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89630 on London North Eastern Railway: Fares, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the LNER demand-based pricing trial on ticket prices for LNER passengers from (a) London, (b) Newcastle and (c) Edinburgh.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have made their customer offer easier to understand by removing tickets with complicated validity rules and introducing a more straightforward Semi-Flexible ticket. Some passengers will benefit from getting flexible options at lower prices than before, and the most popular and the cheapest type of ticket, the Advance, remains available.As of July 2025, LNER reported that for travel between 1 August and 12 December 2025 there were:• 1.1 million new Semi-Flexible tickets priced at less than the Super Off-Peak fare.• 1.8 million Standard Advance fares available and priced lower than the Super Off-Peak fare on trains where that fare was previously valid.The results of this trial – including prices and revenue, will be carefully considered before taking any further decisions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90406 on South Western Railway: Rolling Stock, what the the total cost is of the renewed rolling stock leasing contract; how long that contract is for; and if she will make a comparative assessment of the (a) cost and (b) annualised cost of (i) the current contract and (ii) previous leasing arrangements.

As part of the transfer to public ownership of South Western Railway’s operations, the Department undertook modelling to assess whether the costs associated with new rolling stock leases were objective and reasonable. Details of the new leases, including their value and duration, have been published on the Government’s Find a Tender website.  The ORR also publish consolidated details of rolling stock costs for each train operator as part of their annual statistical releases.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 88361 on Railways: Reform, whether either the estimated £200–£400 million set-up and transitional cost range cited in the Impact Assessment or the projected £150 million annual saving from bringing forward state control of rail has been independently validated.

These are internal estimates. The assessments of set-up and transitional costs are based on engagement with industry partners, including Network Rail and DfT Operator Limited. The estimate that public ownership could save taxpayers up to £110 to £150 million annually, once all currently contracted services have transferred, is based on the fixed and performance-based fees currently paid to private sector train operating companies as set out in their National Rail Contracts.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89627 on the Electric Car Grant, whether the eligibility criteria for that scheme could be amended to allow access to manufacturers that do not hold a verified Science Based Target from the Science Based Targets Initiative.

All vehicle grants are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to achieve their objectives and deliver value for taxpayer's money. This includes the eligibility criteria for the Electric Car Grant.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the international frozen food storage standard from –18°C to –15°C, including the potential impact on (a) energy costs for producers and retailers, (b) efficiencies in the food supply chain and (c) consumer prices; and whether the Government plans to support such a change in international standards.

The Government welcomes new and innovative steps taken by any businesses to produce and supply food sustainably, providing they can demonstrate the food they place on the market is safe.There is no legal requirement for frozen food to be stored at -18°C in general, but freezing remains a critical control step in some cases, such as killing parasites in fish intended to be eaten raw, and these requirements continue to apply.We are aware that parts of the food industry are exploring raising frozen food storage temperatures from -18°C to -15°C to reduce energy use and support sustainability goals. While this evidence has not yet been shared with the Food Standards Agency, we are engaging with food businesses to understand potential implications. The Government will continue to monitor industry trials and evidence related to international frozen food storage standards.Raising frozen food storage temperatures could reduce energy use for food business operators, which may help lower operating costs. At present, there is no clear evidence that such changes would lead to lower prices for consumers.Any food business considering changes to frozen food storage temperatures must ensure food safety management systems remain compliant with legal requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87431 on Congenital Abnormalities, what use is made of consanguinity data collected by NHS England through the Maternity Services Data Set in (a) regional public health planning, (b) genetic counselling services and (c) maternal and neonatal clinical risk assessments; and if he will publish any guidance issued to Integrated Care Boards which either references or is a result of that data.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities supports the delivery of national and regional priorities for prevention and health inequalities across the regional system. The NHS Genomic Medicine Service delivers genomic testing, guided by eligibility criteria set out in the National Genomic Test Directory, including in cases where genetic disorders may be linked to consanguinity. In maternity and neonatal services, clinicians carry out individual risk assessments of the women and babies in their care, and this may include discussing risks relating to parental genetic conditions, including consanguinity. These services do not use Maternity Services Dataset (MSDS) data, which is population-level. NHS England has published guidance on how to submit data about consanguinity and pregnancy to the MSDS, but NHS England is not planning to publish further guidance.

Whether his Department plans to review the level of regulation of small quarrying and stone-processing firms.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no current plans to review the level of regulation of small quarrying and stone-processing firms. The Government is committed to reducing regulatory compliance costs for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and announced in March 2025 a commitment to reduce the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of this Parliament - savings equivalent to £5.6 billion. HSE is committed to playing its part in reducing these administrative burdens whilst maintaining our proportionate regulatory approach to protect people and enable innovation and growth.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88882 on Great British Railways, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing and operating the regulatory oversight functions set out in the Railways Bill, including the Office of Rail and Road’s new statutory consultee role and its expanded appeals and enforcement powers over GBR’s access, contracting and pricing decisions.

The Railways Bill gives ORR a statutory power to levy a fee, providing stable and predictable funding to support its independence and effective operation. ORR's own analysis has been reflected in the SR settlement for 2026–27 to 2028–29. Final funding levels will depend on how ORR implements its new role and will remain subject to Spending Review outcomes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88363 on Freight: Fuels Excise Duties, whether her Department holds data on the relative changes in operating costs for (a) rail freight and (b) road freight since fuel duty was first frozen for HGVs in 2011; and whether it has assessed the impact of that freeze on the competitiveness of rail freight.

The Government is committed to supporting rail freight, recognising its economic and environmental benefits and the role it plays in the resilience of the UK’s supply chain. However, both road and rail freight are privately owned and operated, with a wide range of costs and other criteria which could affect competitiveness. The fuel duty decisions referenced – which were taken primarily under the last Government – are only one part of this. The Department does not hold data on relative changes to operating costs between road and rail freight.  As part of continued support for the rail freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme since 2010. Network Rail also offers the Access Charges Discount Policy to stimulate growth, supporting new to rail traffic.

How many driving tests a full-time driving examiner can conduct per year, allowing for annual leave.

A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90060 on Railway Network: Environment Protection, whether she plans to make changes to the size of the rail network under Great British Railways.

This government will continue to deliver high impact projects and enhancements to the railway that improve connectivity and capacity for passengers and freight to support unlocking economic growth. Schemes such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade, East West Rail and Midlands Rail Hub, which are expected to deliver after Great British Railways (GBR) has been established, will expand the capacity of the network and allow more services to be run. The government expects to work with GBR to continue to consider the appropriate size of rail network and deliver plans to support that.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 87859 on Hereditary Diseases, if his Department will publish any estimates or research they have of the annual cost to the public purse for the NHS of treating (a) congenital and (b) genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions.

No, the Department is not planning to publish any estimates or research on the annual cost to the public purse for the National Health Service of treating congenital and genetic disorders arising from consanguineous unions. The Department does not hold this information and has no plans to collect this information.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90058 on Railways: Safety, how the ORR’s railway safety enforcement regime will change following the establishment of Great British Railways.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent railway safety regulator for the UK. Its enforcement powers derive from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and range from giving advice and information through to prosecution in the courts. The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) does not change the legislation that underpins ORRs enforcement powers and therefore its regime will not change following the establishment of GBR.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on including locally manufactured materials such as natural stone in planning conditions and development frameworks.

National design guidance, which supports the National Planning Policy Framework, states that well-designed places should be responsive to local history, culture and heritage. The guidance highlights the role of resources, including the careful selection of materials and construction techniques, to minimise any environmental impacts. A local design code can introduce requirements on the use of materials for new development, if appropriate.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential energy-efficiency benefits derived from using natural stone in public and private construction.

Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings and buildings are set through the Building Regulations, which specify overall performance standards rather than mandating particular materials. This allows designers and developers to select the most practical and cost-effective materials for each project, including the use of natural stone where appropriate.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen supply chain resilience by supporting the use of British natural stone in public building projects.

Government Property Agency Capital projects will use tools such as Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCA) to analyse the cost and carbon impact of materials and products used during construction. This would favour local materials that naturally have a lower carbon footprint. The GPA would also factor in maintenance and replacement considerations on the choice and sourcing of material. The Government Property Agency aims to utilise and support British businesses throughout our supply chain and in line with the principles of the Procurement Act 2023, which aims to support smaller local businesses and embeds social value into our contract delivery model.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89632 on Great British Railways: Finance, if she will publish the assumptions on passenger ridership growth that underpin the Department’s estimate of a £1.2 billion reduction in rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period.

The Department’s Spending Review settlement and additional commentary were set out on gov.uk. As is usual, the Department does not publish further detail. The reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period will be enabled through delivery of the public ownership programme, a relentless focus on improving operational performance and improvements for customers, and by driving passenger revenue growth.

If she will publish (a) copies of all Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports relating to (i) all lane running, (ii) dynamic hard shoulder and (iii) controlled motorway schemes on the Strategic Road Network that have been completed but not yet published and (b) a schedule for every such POPE report completed since 2015, setting out for each report (A) the scheme covered, (B) the date the report was completed, (C) the date it was submitted for assurance, (D) the date that assurance was signed off and (E) the date it was published or, where it has not been published, the reasons for non-publication and the expected publication date.

Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports are complex and detailed and it is right that we take the time to fully assure them before publication. We will provide an update on plans for the publication of further smart motorway POPEs in due course. National Highways has already published 19 smart motorway POPE reports and these can be found online at:https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/post-opening-project-evaluation-pope-of-major-schemes/.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78720 on South West Railway: Nationalisation, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of public ownership of the railways on levels of Government (a) spending, (b) borrowing and (c) debt.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government implemented emergency contractual arrangements which involved taking on all revenue and the vast majority of cost risk from the train operating companies. Therefore, public ownership of these rail services is not expected to change the Government’s financial exposure other than savings in the fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies of an estimated £110 million to £150 million every year once all currently contracted services have transferred.

With reference to paragraph 221 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work, how many answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have (a) declined to provide information on the grounds that it should be sought via the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and (b) withheld information that would ordinarily be disclosable under that Act in this Parliament; what steps he is taking to ensure departmental compliance with that principle; what data his office holds on the (i) number of such (A) answers and (B) subsequent corrections and (ii) departmental performance against (1) timeliness and (2) completeness standards; and if he will place in the Library a list of such answers, including UIN and date, broken down by department.

The information requested is not held by the Government. Data on response times to written parliamentary questions (PQs) is published following the end of every session by the House of Commons Procedure Committee.I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.As the Hon. Member will be aware, the Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and their sessional reporting continues to be an effective tool to hold Departments to account.