Committee publication · Correspondence · 11 December 2025 · HC 346

Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the Work of the Secretary of State for Transport, dated 3 December 2025

Inquiry: Work of the Secretary of State for Transport

Summary

Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander provides follow-up detail to the Transport Committee on four areas discussed at a 12 November session: the Department's Outcome Delivery Plan aligned to government missions; coordination of street works for housing developments; investigation into Yutong electric buses from Norway; and clarification on bus service transparency recommendations, confirming enhanced guidance rather than mandates for local transport authorities.

Key findings

Department's three Priority Outcomes are: Kickstart Growth in the economy; Create Greener, Safer and Healthier Transport; and Improve Transport for People, aligned with the Government's five Missions.
On street works coordination, the Department will write to stakeholders reminding them of responsibilities and will work with Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee in 2026 to review whether the 2023 Coordination Code of Practice should be updated.
Officials are investigating reports from Norway on Yutong electric buses, with conclusions expected and an update promised for January.
In response to bus service transparency recommendation, the Department will publish updated Enhanced Partnership guidance setting out factors for assessing socially necessary services, but will not mandate a centrally prescribed standardised approach, citing cost and implementation delay concerns.
The Department committed to continuing engagement with Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on encouraging earlier sharing of utility connection information for new housing developments.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

transport-infrastructurepublic-transportsustainable-transporturban-planning

Key actors

Heidi Alexander (Secretary of State for Transport), Ruth Cadbury (Chair, Transport Select Committee), Department for Transport, Great British Railways, Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee

Notable line

“A centrally prescribed and standardised approach for establishing socially necessary services would have its challenges.”

Key Quotes

“Our Priority Outcomes and associated metrics are set out in the 2024-25 Annual Report and Accounts. In addition, the SR25 settlement sets out the Department's performance against these metrics, as well as how the Department will be funded over the SR25 period.”
— Heidi Alexander · Explaining the Outcome Delivery Plan

“Delivering economic growth is the Government and the Department's primary mission.”
— Heidi Alexander · Primary departmental objective

“A critical step in achieving this outcome is the establishment of Great British Railways, a single directing mind to integrate the management of the national railway infrastructure with passenger services.”
— Heidi Alexander · Transport integration initiative

“… we acknowledge that further action is needed to raise awareness of stakeholder responsibilities.”
— Heidi Alexander · Street works coordination challenges

“The introduction of an entirely new approach would have additional cost implications for LTAs and present possible delays to implementation, so the guidance will recommend the use of pre-existing LTA data to inform assessments.”
— Heidi Alexander · Rationale for not mandating centrally prescribed bus service standards

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗