Written questions by Raja.

Whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the discretionary provision of concessionary bus passes for carers of disabled people.

The Department does not have any plans to provide advice on offering a discretionary concession to carers of disabled people, as offering this is a choice for the individual local authority to make.In the year ending March 2025, 66% of Travel Concession Authorities in England outside London offered a discretionary concession for those travelling with a disabled person. The decision on whether to offer discretionary concessions is for the local authority to make depending on their needs and circumstances.As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, of which Leicester City Council was allocated £9.4 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include funding discretionary concessions.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of additional lorry drivers required after the reduction in volumetric concrete mixers weight limits.

The call for evidence conducted from October to December 2023 was an opportunity for respondents to present evidence, but it did not reveal significant new evidence supporting a change in policy.The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the national bus fare cap on the number of journeys made by bus.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.The published full evaluation of the first 10 months of the £2 fare cap found that the scheme contributed approximately a 5% increase in bus patronage, out of a total 13% patronage increase outside of London from January to October 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year.

What steps her Department is taking to increase (a) automated announcements at railway stations and (b) assistance from platform staff for visually impaired passengers.

Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. Whenever the industry carries out work at stations this must meet current accessibility standards, including for visual and audible announcements. Furthermore, all train and station operators are required to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy which sets out, amongst other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services. We have recently funded the next phase of the Passenger Assist programme, this will build on the existing programme and deliver an improved and more consistent assistance offer for all passengers who require assistance.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of public transport for (a) young people and (b) students.

Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations for the government, especially as we seek to deliver against our key missions, including removing barriers to opportunity and delivering safer streets. The government is committed to making transport safer, more inclusive and accessible to everyone – young and old alike – allowing them to live healthy lives, making the journeys they want and need. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill was introduced on 17 December and includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops more inclusive and sets requirements for training for staff on disability-assistance and disability-awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers. Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services is one of the government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, to help millions access better opportunities and promote greater bus use by passengers. Moving forward, the government will also explore more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it the most – such as young people. There are a range of discounts available to young people and students to help with the cost of rail travel. For example, all children under 16 receive 50% off all adult fares, and the 16-17 Saver extends this to 16 and 17-year-olds. For students aged 18 and above, the 16-25 Railcard offers a third off most rail travel.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of improving transport connections between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham on economic growth in the region.

Economic growth is the number one mission of this Government. The Department for Transport is playing a key role in this, as we recognise the potential for transport investment to have a significant impact on local economic development across the country, including for Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham. My Department is currently developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy, which will set the high-level direction for how transport should be designed, built and operated in England over the next 10 years. It will set out a single national vision that will put people who use transport and their needs at its heart and empower local leaders to deliver integrated transport solutions that meet the needs of their local communities.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of building a rail connection between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham on (a) Leicester East, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England.

In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a zero-based Spending Review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers. We expect the Spending Review, which includes consideration of previously unfunded schemes such as Coventry-Leicester-Nottingham connectivity, to conclude by June 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) frequency and (b) capacity of rail services between Birmingham and Leicester.

The scope for increased frequency on the Birmingham to Leicester route beyond the current two trains per hour is limited by current infrastructure. The infrastructure capacity is being considered as part of the proposed Midlands Rail Hub project. In terms of train capacity, CrossCountry has recently declassified First Class accommodation on services from Birmingham to Cardiff, Nottingham and Stansted Airport to provide a number of additional seats on each train for all ticket holders.

If she will make an estimate of the proportion of journeys between Coventry and Leicester that are made by train.

The rail mode share between Coventry and Leicester is estimated to be approximately 3 per cent.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of building the Midlands Rail Hub on people in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) Leicestershire.

We are working with Network Rail, Midlands Connect, and West Midlands Rail Executive, to maximise the benefits of Midlands Rail Hub for people throughout the region, including in Leicester and Leicestershire. In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a ‘zero-based’ review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers. Midlands Rail Hub will be assessed as part of this review alongside other planned rail infrastructure investment schemes.

Whether she plans to take steps to improve the equitable distribution of practical driving test slots in (a) England and (b) Leicester East constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 Driving Examiners (DEs) and improving rules for booking driving tests. Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK. As part of recent recruitment at Driving Test Centres (DTC) that serve the Leicester East constituency, DVSA has just concluded a campaign at Leicester Cannock Street DTC and has made employment offers to successful candidates. In addition to the recruitment plans at Cannock Street DTC, DVSA has been growing the teams at surrounding sites which will help to balance the demand across the Leicestershire area. At Leicester Wigston DTC, two new DEs were recruited last year, with an additional new entrant due to start later this month. At Loughborough DTC, two new DEs also joined last year, and the DVSA is making offers to two more potential new entrants from the most recent recruitment campaign.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of SEND pupils in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) England impacted by changes to the bus fare cap.

The Department for Education is the lead government department with responsibility for policy on home to school transport, including provision for pupils with special educational needs. With regard to the national bus fare cap, this will be designed to be...

What assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of the Midlands Rail Hub on people in Leicestershire.

We are working closely with Network Rail and Midlands Connect to maximise the benefits of Midlands Rail Hub throughout the region, including in Leicestershire. Midlands Connect are leading on the development of the rationale for the scheme including the d...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a new direct rail link between Leicester and Coventry for Leicester's economy.

The Department is conducting a thorough review of the previous Government's transport plans to ensure that our transport infrastructure portfolio drives economic growth and delivers value for money for taxpayers. Decisions about individual projects will b...

What information her Department holds on the number of rail journeys made between Coventry and Leicester in each of the last five years.

The Department holds information on the estimates of the number of journeys between all pairs of mainline stations in Great Britain by financial year in the Origin and destination matrix (ODM), published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The total num...