Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle pavement parking in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.

Whether her Department plans to review the statutory guidance on civil parking enforcement to strengthen protections for (a) disabled people, (b) children and (c) other vulnerable patients.

The Department has no plans to review the statutory guidance on civil parking enforcement. There is already a duty for public authorities to promote equality under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that the needs of people with protected characteristics are met. The Department for Transport encourages local authorities to consult with representatives of various user groups, such as local disability groups, to help inform the design of local streets. Local authorities are not only responsible for providing disabled parking facilities, but for enforcing the parking restrictions which they have put in place using their civil parking enforcement powers.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making number plate cloning a criminal offence.

It is already a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1000, to supply a number plate without checking if the purchaser is entitled to use the registration number. It is also an offence to use a cloned number plate on a vehicle which on conviction, can lead to an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transport infrastructure investment announced in the Spending Review 2025 on Surrey.

We are yet to announce the regional allocations for the majority of the transport funding announced in the Spending Review. This will be announced in due course. We have informed Surrey County Council of their allocation of the Local Transport Grant which is £38.19 million for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.

What steps her Department is taking to modernise public transport technology for buses in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to delivering better bus services for passengers, and has confirmed investment of £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £712 million allocated to local authorities which can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including modernising the technology used to support bus services. Surrey County Council has been allocated £12.1 million of this funding. The Department for Transport is also working with representatives from the bus industry, Midlands Connect and Transport for the West Midlands to develop a national technology solution to facilitate multi-operator ticketing on buses and trams, focusing on contactless bank card payments and enabling fares capping outside of London, which could help to modernise public transport technology in Surrey Heath. The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in buses at the Spending Review by confirming around £900 million of revenue funding each year to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027. The Spending Review also confirmed £2.3 billion through the Local Transport Grant over the Spending Review period for local transport improvements in places outside areas receiving Transport for City Regions settlements, which could include supporting improvements to bus technology and infrastructure. Surrey County Council have been allocated £38.2 million of this funding.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to provide safe walking routes for children to schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

It is for local authorities to decide on where to prioritise investment in their local transport networks. Surrey County Council is in the process of developing Local Cycling and Walking Investment Plans (LCWIPs) across the county, including one for Surrey Heath Borough. LCWIPs help local authorities to make a strong case for future investment in active travel infrastructure. Active Travel England recently announced funding allocations to local authorities through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Surrey County Council’s has been awarded almost £4.4 million in revenue and capital funding to support the delivery of high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure as well as capability building measures and behaviour changes activities.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure South Western Railway services remain efficient during the transition to Great British Railways in the Surrey Heath constituency.

South Western Railway (SWR) services transferred into public ownership on 25 May. This was a watershed moment in our work to return the railways to the service of passengers. The Department will hold the new publicly owned SWR to account through the new services agreement for operations. This will be under the leadership of Lawrence Bowman who as Managing Director will bring infrastructure and SWR operations closer together to ensure that services remain efficient and deliver value for taxpayers.

What funding her Department provides for transport projects in Surrey Heath constituency.

Since the beginning of this parliament, the Department has provided the following transport funding to Surrey County Council: Over £32 million of highways maintenance funding, an increase of 36% increase compared to what they received in 2024/25. £12 million of bus funding for financial year 2025/26, an increase of £8.1 million compared to what they received in 2024/25. £1.7 million to deliver an additional 12 Zero Emission Buses. Almost £2.8m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund, to transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area. Over £4.8 million in Integrated Transport Block funding to support local transport maintenance and enhancements. How these funds are allocated within Surrey is a matter for Surrey County Council.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage people to transition to greener forms of transport in Surrey Heath constituency.

Since the beginning of this parliament, the Department has provided the following transport funding to Surrey County Council: Over £32 million of highways maintenance funding, an increase of 36% increase compared to what they received in 2024/25. £12 million of bus funding for financial year 2025/26, an increase of £8.1 million compared to what they received in 2024/25. £1.7 million to deliver an additional 12 Zero Emission Buses. Almost £2.8m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund, to transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area. Over £4.8 million in Integrated Transport Block funding to support local transport maintenance and enhancements. How these funds are allocated within Surrey is a matter for Surrey County Council.

What data her Department holds on modes of transport used by commuters in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department holds information on the usual method of travel to work from the Travel to work, England and Wales: Census 2021 publication by the Office for National Statistics. According to this data, 46% of people in employment in the Surrey Heath constituency in 2021 usually travelled to work by driving a car or van. This was followed by 40% working mainly at or from home, and 5% on foot. Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of unparalleled and rapid change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the travel to work topic.

What steps her Department is taking to improve bus connectivity in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across England. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England. In addition, 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. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to services and infrastructure to help improve connectivity. Surrey County Council has been allocated £12 million of this funding for this financial year.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of bus service provision in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to seeing better, more reliable bus services delivered right across England. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England. In addition, 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. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to services and infrastructure to help improve connectivity. Surrey County Council has been allocated £12 million of this funding for this financial year.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in managing the increasing volume of utility roadworks in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department supports local authorities in several ways, including via updates to statutory guidance, supporting the roll-out of lane rental schemes and improving our Street Manager digital service which all authorities and utility companies use to plan, co-ordinate and manage works. The Government has also announced that we are cracking down on utility companies, doubling fines and applying charges for works that overrun at weekends.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing late-night train services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department and operators are in regular discussion regarding service provision, which aims to balance the needs of both passenger and taxpayer. There are no current plans to increase late night services to Surrey Heath.

Whether she plans to publish the DVSA's findings from the call for evidence on the experience of booking and managing car driving tests.

On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency have been analysing the responses to this and have been working to develop proposals to improve the rules to make sure learner drivers can book their driving test easily and efficiently. This will lead to public consultation on the proposed improved rules, with potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked and will launch in May 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce private vehicle dependency in Surrey Heath constituency.

Since the beginning of this parliament the department has provided increased funding to Surrey County Council to deliver better bus services and active routes. Surrey County Council were awarded £12 million of bus funding in financial year 2025/26, an increase of £7 million from last year. At the Budget, the Government announced an additional £100m for active travel in England 2025/26, enabling local authorities to install cycling infrastructure and upgrade pavements and paths. Surrey County Council received just over £4.3m for active travel investment in 2025/26. How these funds are allocated within Surrey is a matter for Surrey County Council.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve road safety for vulnerable road users in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.

If she will provide an update on the progress of implementing the DVSA’s seven-point plan aimed at reducing driving test waiting times.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work on implementing its 7-point plan to reduce waiting times and to encourage learner drivers to only book their driving test when they are ready.DVSA’s progress so far against the measures has seen: 154 new driving examiners complete their training and carrying out driving teststhe introduction of tougher terms and conditions for driving instructors who can book tests for their pupils (6 January).a call for evidence concluded on booking driving tests, which received almost 27,000 responses. DVSA expects to launch the consultation in spring 2025.on 8 April 2025 DVSA implemented changes to the short notice cancellation period, increasing the notice required from 3 to 10 days for learner drivers to cancel their driving test and receive a refund. On the 23 April the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further action to help reduce driving test waiting times.Further information on these actions and progress on the 7-point plan can be found on GOV.UK.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure hospital road infrastructure is sufficient to meet growing population demand in Surrey Heath constituency.

Surrey County Council are the local transport authority for Surrey Heath and also have responsibility for the local highway network. It is up to the respective local authority to invest in its local transport network based on local needs and priorities.

If Ministers in her Department will meet with the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss railway infrastructure improvements aimed at enabling more direct services to London.

Future rail infrastructure investment is being considered as part of the Spending Review, which will conclude in June 2025. The Rail Minister would therefore be happy to meet the MP for Surrey Heath once this process has concluded.