Written questions by Jogee.

What steps she is taking to promote active travel in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she has taken to support Staffordshire County Council to maintain roads and highways in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

This Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance for the next four years. Newcastle-Under-Lyme sits within Staffordshire, which is eligible to receive £201,853,000 of this funding. In addition, in January 2026, the Department released a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. Staffordshire was rated amber under this new system, with individual scorecards showing amber for road condition, green for spend, and amber for the adoption of best practice.

If she will work with Avanti to improve internet connectivity on board their trains on the route between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston

The DFT Operator (DFTO), on behalf of the Secretary of State, meet with Avanti West Coast (AWC) regularly to discuss services for passengers, including onboard Wi-Fi connectivity. AWC is upgrading its onboard Wi-Fi system which is intended to improve connectivity speeds and performance. Additionally, AWC previously completed a positive trial using laser window etching technology to improve connectivity and will be undertaking further testing with the view to roll out across its Class 390 fleet. These projects will improve connectivity for passengers across all AWC services but particularly those operated by Class 390 trains, including the London to Manchester route. More generally, services on the West Coast Main Line will benefit from the Spending Review funding to deploy low earth orbit satellite connectivity, to significantly improve the on-train Wi-Fi. The DfTO Telecoms Policy team is currently working through the procurement strategy and business case process and further details will be announced in due course. Also, Project Reach will improve the mobile signal in 57 tunnels on the three mainline routes on the East Coast Mainline, West Coast Mainline and Great Western. Operators are required to achieve challenging customer experience targets across a range of measures, including Wi-Fi connectivity. These standards are regularly and independently inspected via the Service Quality Regime and there are accountability and financial consequences for failure.

What discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.Officials are engaging with international counterparts to monitor the situation and plan accordingly and are keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

What discussions she has had with a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and b) members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing. Officials are engaging regularly with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive and keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

If she plans have discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (b) the Local Government Association and (c) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of potholes on roads on ambulance waiting times.

Ministers regularly engage with colleagues across government, local government partners, and relevant stakeholders on a range of issues relating to the condition, management and performance of the transport network, including its wider social and economic impacts. The Department recognises that maintaining a safe and reliable local road network is important for all road users, including emergency services. Local highway authorities have a statutory duty to maintain their networks and are best placed to manage local issues, including those affecting response times. The Government is providing a record £7.3 billion of funding for local highway maintenance between 2026‑27 and 2029‑30, giving authorities greater funding certainty to enable them to move away from reactive repairs and invest in preventative maintenance to support safer, more dependable journeys.

What steps she is ensuring that the (a) Strategic Road Network and (b) local road network in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire is (A) free of potholes and (B) safe for road users.

The Government’s recently published third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) invests £27 billion in the management and improvement of England’s Strategic Road Network to make journeys safer, smoother and more reliable for the people and businesses that depend on these roads, including road users in Staffordshire. Continuing to improve road safety is a priority and RIS3 sets National Highways a challenging road safety target. National Highways aims to repair the most serious potholes and other defects within 24 hours, and RIS3 sets National Highways a target to ensure that over 95% of the road surfaces it is responsible for remain in good condition. This Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance for the next four years. Newcastle-Under-Lyme sits within Staffordshire, which is eligible to receive £201.9 million of this funding. In addition, in January 2026, the Department released a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance so that potholes do not form in the first place. Staffordshire was rated amber under this new system, with individual scorecards showing amber for road condition, green for spend, and amber for the adoption of best practice.

What steps she is taking to support a) airlines and b) travel agents in ensuring the return of British citizens in the Middle East.

My Department and I have continued to engage with the aviation sector throughout the conflict to understand the impacts on their operations, plans for minimising disruption, and the support they are providing to their customers. This collaboration and engagement included Ministerial attendance at the Third Aviation Council meeting and direct engagement with all major UK airlines, airports and key foreign carriers. My Department and I have worked in tandem with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and airlines, to ensure that any British Nationals who wish to leave the region can, through both commercial routes and repatriation flights supported by the Government.

What powers other than additional funding she has to ensure Staffordshire County Council fills potholes in Newcastle-under-Lyme in a timely and thorough way.

Local highway authorities, such as Staffordshire County Council, have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. To receive their full share of the Government's £500 million funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26, local authorities had to publish transparency reports on their website to set out how they will spend the additional funding. As part of this, local authorities were required to demonstrate how they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, including in relation to preventative maintenance which helps to keep roads in good condition for longer and prevents potholes from forming in the first place. These requirements are designed to drive greater adoption of best practice to ensure that this funding is spent as effectively as possible to improve local road conditions. The transparency report for Staffordshire County Council is available online, at:www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/Managing-the-highway-asset/Local-highways-maintenance-transparency-report.aspx The Department is also currently updating the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highways Infrastructure. The Code provides guidance to local authorities on the delivery of safe, efficient, and sustainable highway services through a risk‑based, evidence‑led approach to asset management. The Code encourages highways authorities to set repair timescales against defined risk levels, ensuring that safety-critical defects are fixed swiftly to reduce the likelihood of incident or liability. This is available online, at:https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to also focus on long-term preventative maintenance to ensure that roads are fixed properly and potholes prevented from forming in the first place. This is also more cost-effective than the repeated and reactive patching of potholes. The current Code of Practice emphasises that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”.

What support is available to people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire owed money by HS2.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone entitled to compensation, whether in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire or anywhere along the HS2 route, should receive it as soon as possible once it falls due. We will continue to impress upon HS2 Ltd the necessity of working closely with claimants and their agents to ensure that claims are properly evidenced and then paid promptly. Any individual who believes that HS2 Ltd owes them money should contact HS2 Ltd directly where they will receive support from the helpdesk and case officer.

How many children in Newcastle-under-Lyme have used the bikeability scheme in each of the last 5 years.

The Bikeability Trust, the national charity that manages the Bikeability programme in England on behalf of Government, provides targeted funding and support to local authorities to address barriers to engagement. Uptake of Bikeability can be limited by a variety of factors including low levels of access to cycles and parents choosing to opt out. In 2024/5 Staffordshire County Council (SCC) were allocated up to £575,990 funding for Bikeability. Of this available funding, SCC claimed £266,987. We do not hold information for funding allocations to Newcastle-under-Lyme as local training delivery allocations are managed by Staffordshire County Council.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire using the bikeability scheme.

The Bikeability Trust, the national charity that manages the Bikeability programme in England on behalf of Government, provides targeted funding and support to local authorities to address barriers to engagement. Uptake of Bikeability can be limited by a variety of factors including low levels of access to cycles and parents choosing to opt out. In 2024/5 Staffordshire County Council (SCC) were allocated up to £575,990 funding for Bikeability. Of this available funding, SCC claimed £266,987. We do not hold information for funding allocations to Newcastle-under-Lyme as local training delivery allocations are managed by Staffordshire County Council.

What steps she has taken to increase the number of available driving tests in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire since September 2025.

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. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change. On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times. In the coming months, DVSA will:Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their testsIntroduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.Make use of MOD driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times. DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.DVSA currently has a recruitment campaign underway and has advertised DE vacancies for these areas.

How many people are owed money by HS2 Ltd.

Individual land and property claimants can have multiple active claims at any given time so data in the form requested is not available. HS2 Ltd is strongly committed to paying compensation as quickly as possible, although some compensation claims can be complex and take time to settle in full. Where a property has been acquired under compulsory purchase, a claimant can request an advance payment, and HS2 Ltd is required to pay all valid advance payment claims within three months.

If she will meet the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to discuss the potential merits of a direct train connection between Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station and Manchester Airport.

West Midland Trains is working with the industry and stakeholders on a proposal to amend its Stafford to Crewe service including a potential extension to Manchester Airport. The introduction of new services will require a business case that demonstrates value for money, as well as minimising any risk to the performance of existing services.

What steps she is taking to mitigate the impact of increases in rail fares on residents in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

We have announced that regulated rail fares will be frozen, for a year from March 2026, for the first time in 30 years putting money back in the pockets of hardworking people. Passengers will benefit from savings on over a billion journeys with season tickets, peak return tickets on commuter routes, and off-peak return tickets on longer-distance routes all protected.

What the cost of an off peak return ticket between Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station and London Euston Railway Station was in each of the last 15 years.

The cost of an off-peak return ticket in each of the last 15 years between Stoke-on-Trent and London Euston was:2010£54.502011£57.702012£61.202013£63.802014£65.802015£67.402016£68.002017£69.202018£71.602019£73.802020£75.902021£77.902022£80.902023£85.702024£89.902025£94.00

What the cost of an off peak return ticket between Crewe Railway Station and London Euston Railway Station was in each of the last 15 years.

The cost of an off-peak return ticket in each of the last 15 years between Crewe and London Euston was: 2010£60.102011£63.602012£67.402013£70.202014£72.402015£74.202016£74.902017£76.302018£79.002019£81.502020£83.802021£86.002022£89.302023£94.602024£99.202025£103.80

What the cost of an off peak return ticket between Stafford Railway Station and London Euston Railway Station was in each of the last 15 years.

The cost of an off-peak return ticket in each of the last 15 years between Stafford and London Euston was: 2010£49.902011£52.802012£56.002013£58.402014£60.202015£61.702016£62.302017£63.402018£65.602019£67.602020£69.502021£71.302022£74.002023£78.402024£82.202025£86.00

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of airports charging cars to drop off travelling passengers on blue badge holders.

The Secretary of State for Transport has made no assessment of the potential impact of airports charging cars to drop of travelling passengers on blue badge holders. Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws. The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify.