Written questions by Morton.

What guidance her Department plans to issue to Local Transport Authorities on (a) identifying and (b) protecting socially necessary bus services under enhanced partnership provisions in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

The Department has been engaging with local transport authorities and other stakeholders to develop the relevant guidance for this measure. This will include information on identifying socially necessary local services and provide examples of the options local transport authorities can consider when implementing it. The guidance will be published once the Bill receives Royal Assent and as part of a wider update to guidance for Enhanced Partnerships.

What steps she is taking to ensure (a) value for money and (b) public accountability where Local Transport Authorities choose to establish municipally owned bus operators under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

Repealing the ban on establishing new local authority bus companies (LABCos) will give local leaders the freedom and flexibility to establish a bus company that matches the needs of their passengers, their aims and ambitions for the network, and the available funding.The decision to establish a LABCo should be underpinned by a thorough assessment of value for money, and a rigorous approach to financial and resourcing planning. The responsibility for monitoring investments, expenditure, accounting and auditing lies with the parent authority. There should be ongoing assessment of risks relating to the business, supported by processes to ensure that risks are managed as part of the authority’s overall risk management approach, with appropriate escalation and reporting.Local authorities cannot take on any borrowing unless it is affordable. This is a statutory requirement, and any local authority owned company should be self-financing at a minimum.LABCo operations and financial management are underpinned by statutory guidance from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Detailed guidance on local authority company management and auditing is provided in the Local Authority Company Review Guidance, published by Government, and the Local Authority Good Practice Guide published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting.

Whether her Department plans to provide capital or transition funding to Local Transport Authorities to support fleet conversion.

The government is reducing the number of different funding streams paid to Local Trasport Authorities. Major city regions will benefit from the £15.6bn Transport for Cities fund while our smaller cities, towns and rural areas will receive £2.3bn from the Local Transport Grant and over £800m capital funding. Local leaders can use this funding to invest in local prioritises, such as investment in bus priority or investment in new zero emission buses.

What support her Department plans to provide to Local Transport Authorities for the delivery of mandatory bus staff training on (a) disability assistance and (b) the management of anti-social behaviour.

The Department is clear that high-quality staff training is essential to providing bus services that are accessible, inclusive, and safe for all passengers. The new statutory training requirements being introduced through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will place duties on operators and, where relevant terminal managing bodies, so that relevant staff receive training on disability awareness and assistance and on how to recognise and respond appropriately to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour (ASB).Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), working with operators, will have an important role in making sure these requirements are adopted. At the same time, the Department recognises that training needs to meet a consistently high standard and demonstrably improve outcomes for disabled people, women, girls and other passengers.The Department already provides some support through its own REAL (Respect, Empathise, Ask, Listen) disability equality training package, which aims to help make travel inclusive and accessible for everyone using public transport. The training is intended to support staff training within each transport mode, including buses, and remains available.In response to the Transport Select Committee's recent report, Access Denied, the Department committed to reviewing training provision standards. The outcomes of this work will support LTAs and operators to help to establish clear expectations and standards for staff training, so that training translates into real improvements in passenger experience.In relation to ASB, the government will issue statutory guidance setting out what training should cover, for example incidences of violence against women and girls. Such training will have to be undertaken at least every five years.Improvements to staff training and awareness comes on the back of future investment in local services across the country, with confirmation of £712 million for 25/26 allocated to local authorities, including funding to help them implement their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their BSIPs makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive.

What assessment her Department has made of the readiness of combined authorities to exercise new franchising powers under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

We recognise the fundamental importance of building the capacity and capability of local transport authorities to drive improvements to bus services and exercise franchising powers if they wish.The Department is working with Local Transport Authorities who are in the process of or are interested in franchising, to understand how the process could be improved and to provide a tailored programme of support.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59009 on Railways: Midlands, whether the allocated funding is to support the full delivery of the West Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to commence the design of this first phase of the scheme. Once this design work is completed, as with all schemes funded by the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), moving to the delivery phase will then be subject to further investment governance and decision making.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2344 on Railways: West Midlands, what impact her Department’s internal review of its capital spend portfolio had on the decision on Midlands Rail Hub.

As referenced by the Chancellor, this settlement shows the government's commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West, strengthening connections between Birmingham, the South-West and Wales.

What funding she has allocated to the completion of the Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Spending Review 2025 on 11 June 2025, what funding will be provided to progress the next stage of the Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Aldridge railway station on the (a) economy, (b) transport links and (c) social mobility of that area.

The Government is providing a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement of over £1bn for West Midlands Combined Authority to invest in its local transport priorities.The Combined Authority is currently using this funding to develop an Outline Business Case, which will make a detailed assessment of the impacts of the proposed Aldridge railway station.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Midlands Rail Hub on (a) journey times, (b) capacity, (c) frequency of services and (d) reliability of services for West Midlands passengers.

Midlands Rail Hub is designed to kickstart economic growth and breakdown barriers to opportunity. It could speed up journey times, provide capacity for hundreds of additional trains into central Birmingham, improve frequency by 50-100% on many corridors, and reliability on trains through New Street, improving journeys across the Midlands and beyond. We are assessing all our investment plans as part of the ongoing Spending Review.

What steps National Highways is taking to reduce (a) fly-tipping and (b) litter on roads it is responsible for.

National Highways are committed to the effective management of fly tipping and litter on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways pick litter on the SRN every day and its inspectors regularly survey the network, grading it in accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. National Highways consistently work to deliver improved clean-up using innovative methods such as industrial vacuums, as well as undertaking several anti-littering interventions to influence behaviours and attitudes of road users towards litter. These include anti-littering messaging through social media, trialling AI enforcement cameras to capture those throwing litter on the SRN, using geofencing to send targeted anti-littering messages to mobile devices around identified litter hotspots, as well as putting anti-littering posters and signs and installing car and lorry height bins at motorway service areas.

What steps National Highways is taking to coordinate with local authorities on managing (a) fly-tipping and (b) litter in places which overlap between special roads and trunk roads.

National Highways works closely with local authorities to tackle litter on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways has introduced litter partnership agreements to facilitate better coordination of litter clearing operations and has provided health and safety training to key local authority personnel to support their litter-clearing teams.National Highways regularly engage with local authorities to help identify opportunities for local authority teams to access the network and address priority areas of concern for litter-picking and sweeping. Local authorities are able to utilise National Highways’ traffic management to schedule their own litter picks, helping to reduce costs for taxpayers and minimise disruption to road users. Although National Highways does not possess enforcement powers, in the event its CCTV operators notice illegal activity such as littering or fly tipping taking place on the SRN, evidence of that is also passed onto the local authorities responsible for prosecution.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of the proposed West Midlands Rail Hub on rail (a) connectivity and (b) reliability in (i) the West Midlands and (ii) nationally.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. 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.

What assessment she has made of (a) the potential merits of the West Midlands Rail Hub and (b) the potential impact of the West Midlands Rail Hub on (i) economic growth and (ii) connectivity.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. 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.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the West Midlands Rail Hub.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. 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.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 36079 on Bus Services and Railways: Employers' Contributions, how much and what proportion of the £1 billion additional funding for buses will be spent on the increase to employer's National Insurance contributions.

The £1 billion of funding for buses awarded as part of the Budget includes £712 million allocated to local authorities to support and improve bus services. Local authorities can use this funding however they wish to improve bus services for passengers. In addition, over £150 million is being provided to bus operators to deliver the £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London throughout 2025, and £243 million is being made available to bus operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant to support services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 36079 on Bus Services and Railways: Employers' Contributions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned increase in employer's National Insurance contributions on the (a) operating costs of bus operators and (b) viability of bus routes.

The increase to National Insurance employers’ contributions announced at the Budget is expected to increase bus operator costs, but the Department has made no estimate of the specific costs. We are committed to working with the sector to deliver better bus services for passengers. In the Budget, the government confirmed investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services and keep fares affordable. West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated nearly £50 million of this funding for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in Employers National Insurance Contributions on the budgets of train and bus operators transitioning from franchise to public mode of operations management.

Budgets for 2025/26 are in the process of being agreed, as part of the annual business planning process, with train operating companies. These budgets take account of the increase in the cost of changes to employer National Insurance contributions made at Autumn Budget 2024. The increase to National Insurance employers’ contributions announced at the Budget is expected to increase bus operator costs. We are committed to working with the sector to deliver better bus services for passengers, and have confirmed investment of over £1 billion for buses in the financial year 2025 to 2026.

Whether she has plans to include Aldridge station in the proposed Wrexham to London Euston open access line.

Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway, the applicant behind the Wrexham to Euston proposal, is an aspirant open access operator and as such has no direct contractual arrangement or direct financial support from Government. Therefore, although the Department recently supported this application, it has no remit over Wrexham, Shopshire & Midlands Railway and their operations, including proposed station stops, as this would be a commercial decision to be taken directly by the operator.