Written questions by Franklin.

Whether she plans to extend free bus passes for over 60s across England.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. Local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources. The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Surrey County Council has been allocated £12 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available in the local area.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising active transport schemes.

The Government recognises the merits of prioritising investment in active travel schemes to support its economic growth, health and net zero missions. Active travel can help to revitalise high streets, enable people to live longer, healthier lives and reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26 on 12 February.

What steps her Department plans to take to improve (a) service quality and (b) fares for passengers once South Western Railway is under public control.

As operators transition to public ownership, improving rail service quality will remain a crucial priority for this government. The Department holds train operators to account for their performance by regularly measuring and monitoring core quality standards such as cleanliness, information and customer service, and setting challenging targets for delivery.Whilst it is our ambition through public ownership to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Whether she plans to provide support to local businesses potentially impacted by delays to the completion of M25 junction 10 works.

The project has been delayed due to a number of factors. Severe weather, with unexpected heavy rainfall since October 2023 caused poor ground conditions. This postponed planned winter work and required a redesign of embankments and drainage. Additionally, the discovery of unexpected underground utilities along the A3 have further complicated progress, leading to extended relocation and design adjustments. Works on the M25 at junction 10 are expected to complete by late summer 2025, helping to alleviate traffic queues. The scheme is due to complete in Spring 2026. National Highways is working with its supplier to assess the full impact of delays and to minimise costs. Given the project's scale and complexity, the final cost will only be determined upon completion. In terms of the support available for local businesses, National Highways provides compensation as established in legislation across all its projects, ensuring appropriate use of taxpayers’ money. National Highways can only consider compensation in line with legislation, for example where it takes land during scheme delivery, but not for loss of earnings during temporary road works.

For what reason hon. Members representing local constituencies were recently informed of delays to the completion of M25 junction 10 works; and what the cost to the public purse is of those delays.

The project has been delayed due to a number of factors. Severe weather, with unexpected heavy rainfall since October 2023 caused poor ground conditions. This postponed planned winter work and required a redesign of embankments and drainage. Additionally, the discovery of unexpected underground utilities along the A3 have further complicated progress, leading to extended relocation and design adjustments. Works on the M25 at junction 10 are expected to complete by late summer 2025, helping to alleviate traffic queues. The scheme is due to complete in Spring 2026. National Highways is working with its supplier to assess the full impact of delays and to minimise costs. Given the project's scale and complexity, the final cost will only be determined upon completion. In terms of the support available for local businesses, National Highways provides compensation as established in legislation across all its projects, ensuring appropriate use of taxpayers’ money. National Highways can only consider compensation in line with legislation, for example where it takes land during scheme delivery, but not for loss of earnings during temporary road works.