Written questions by Ballinger.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing train leasing companies into public ownership, including to achieve a fair price for leasing rolling stock.

Rolling stock companies own and lease trains and carriages worth billions of pounds. It would not be responsible for the Government to take on the cost of renationalising all the rolling stock at the present time, as there are other urgent pressures on the public purse and we need to focus on wider rail reform. We recognise the value that the private sector can bring, including funding improved trains and infrastructure. But we must secure much better value from the rolling stock market in future – which is why for the first time in over 30 years, the Government is developing a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy. We expect to publish this strategy later in 2026.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of nationalising the M6 Toll road.

There are currently no discussions underway about nationalising the M6 Toll. The M6 Toll sits outside of the Strategic Road Network managed by National Highways and is owned and operated by private entity Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL).

Whether she is taking steps to improve grace periods for parking fines and transparency for the appeal and enforcement process.

A 10-minute grace period became mandatory for all councils in England on 6 April 2015. It applies at local authority owned or operated car parks and at the end of paid-for and free on-street parking in England. The grace period only applies at the end of permitted paid-for or free parking to allow for accidental overstays beyond a driver's control. It does not apply at the start of a period of parking, nor in circumstances where the driver was not permitted to park (i.e. outside the hours of permitted operation of on-street parking). A requirement for transparency on matters relating to civil parking enforcement is enshrined in the Secretary of State's statutory guidance for local authorities in England on civil enforcement of parking contraventions.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure more children are able to cycle safely to school.

Active Travel England provides funding to The Bikeability Trust to deliver Bikeability cycle training to children in England (outside London). In addition, active travel revenue funding can be used by local authorities to deliver cycle training and engagement programmes outside of Bikeability. On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. School Streets can improve the experiences of a school’s pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak school arrival and departure times.In the joint statement (issued 2 July 2025) on walking, wheeling and cycling, the Mayors of England’s Combined Authorities committed to transforming the school run by delivering high-quality, safer routes in neighbourhoods nationwide.

If she will make it her policy to publish a consultation on the adequacy of fail to stop provisions in the Road Traffic Act 1988.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences, such as reporting and failure to stop and report road traffic collisions.More details will be published in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to penalise offenders who fail to remain at the scene of a serious road traffic collision.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences, such as reporting and failure to stop and report road traffic collisions.More details will be published in due course.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the number of young drivers killed in road traffic collisions.

We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign. We are considering measures to address this problem and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing the 24-hour time period allowed to report road traffic collisions.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences, such as reporting and failure to stop and report road traffic collisions.More details will be published in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to suspend driving licences immediately for people arrested on suspicion of driving offences carrying mandatory disqualification.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.The Government is listening closely to the concerns of those affected by tragic cases of death or serious injury on our roads.We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences.More details will be published in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of inaccessible (a) public transport and (b) streets on disabled people seeking employment.

The Government recognises the importance of accessible streets and public transport to enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including ensuring they can access and sustain employment opportunities. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all. The Government welcomed the findings of the Transport Select Committee’s report on improving accessibility across the transport network, and we are committed to driving change. Local authorities are responsible for the design, management and maintenance of their streets. It is for them to ensure they carry out these functions in a way which takes account of the needs of everyone, and complies with the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Department has published good practice guidance on this in ‘Inclusive Mobility: A Guide to Best Practice on Access to Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure, available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mobility-making-transport-accessible-for-passengers-and-pedestrians. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. We have also confirmed over £1 billion for 25/26 to support and improve bus services and keep fares affordable, including £712 million for local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including improving the accessibility of bus infrastructure. The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways. We will shortly publish an Accessibility Roadmap for rail that sets out the actions we are taking to deliver a more accessible railway. We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will aim to set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys and what to do when standards aren’t met, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers. All of these measures and many more projects and policies within the Department are aimed at making the journeys of disabled people more accessible and allowing them to travel as they need.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the transition to electric vehicles on small businesses that provide repairs to diesel vehicles.

The Government's Industrial Strategy sets out our plans to upskill the nation with an extra £1.2 billion each year by 2028-29 and to deliver more opportunities for people at all stages of life to learn and earn in our high-growth sectors. The newly created agency Skills England will work with partners to assess skills needs at national, regional and local levels, and the Department for Education has committed to a new skills and growth offer to support meeting these needs. We are evolving apprenticeships into a new Growth and Skills Offer to provide greater flexibility for employers and learners, in line with the Industrial Strategy. The offer will boost skills in the sector through initiatives like the Electrification Skills Network, which supports the development of a nationally consistent approach to electrification skills in parallel to technology; and the Electric Revolution Skills Hub, which connects the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives community through a digital platform that gives access to training, development and jobs across the nation.

If she will respond to her Department's consultation entitled Managing Pavement Parking, which closed on 22 November 2020, by 31 December 2025.

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.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of amending the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to include measures to prevent pavement parking.

The Department held a consultation in 2020 and is working through the policy options to tackle pavement parking and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government is satisfied that an optimal solution to this complex issue has been identified, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response.

Whether she has considered including measures to combat uninsured driving in the Road Safety Strategy.

The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.All drivers must be insured to drive or ride the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for. The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. Police forces work closely with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) to tackle this. This is achieved through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where MIB and DVLA collaborate to identify uninsured drivers and police enforcement on the road.There is also a national policing initiative known as Operation Tutelage to reduce the level of uninsured driving on our roads. The police send advisory letters to the registered keepers of vehicles seen on the road in circumstances where the current insurance status of the vehicle is unclear. The letter encourages the registered keeper to identify if there is a problem with the insurance for the vehicle, and to put things right.

Whether she has made a comparative assessment of penalty levels for uninsured driving in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries.

The Department has not made a comparative assessment of penalty levels for uninsured driving in the UK and other European countries.

When the Road Safety Strategy will be published.

The Government treats road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy with plans to publish it this year. We will set out more details in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of penalty levels for uninsured driving.

My department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course. All drivers must be insured to drive or ride the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for. The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. My department is currently considering a range of policies relating to the motoring offences and their penalties.

Whether her Department plans to introduce further legislative measures to enhance road and pedestrian safety in relation to (a) electrically assisted pedal cycles and (b) electric scooters.

This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. There are already strict laws in place for e-cyclists and e-scooter users, and police have the power to prosecute if these laws are broken. The Department is working with the Home Office on new offences intended to tackle those rare instances where a user’s behaviour is dangerous or careless, and results in the death or serious injury of another road user.This is in addition to the new powers for the police to seize any vehicle, including e-cycles and e-scooters, being used in an anti-social manner and without first being required to give a warning.

If she will take legislative steps to ensure that car insurance renewal quotes are equitable for existing and new customers.

The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. This is achieved through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency collaborate to identify uninsured drivers and police enforcement on the road. All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for. As with all drivers, they are subject to roadside enforcement by the police. Motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer, and it is for them to decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. They use a range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses, including the age of the applicant, the type of vehicle being insured, the postal area where the applicant lives and the driving experience and record of the applicant. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. The Equality Act 2010 provides general protection against age discrimination for people of all ages. However, the Act also includes an exemption for those conducting an assessment of risk for the purposes of providing a financial service to another person. This means that motor insurance companies are still able to take age into account when considering the premium to be paid or indeed whether to insure people of any particular age group.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban car insurance companies from using age to determine insurance premiums for older drivers.

The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. This is achieved through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency collaborate to identify uninsured drivers and police enforcement on the road. All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for. As with all drivers, they are subject to roadside enforcement by the police. Motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer, and it is for them to decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. They use a range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses, including the age of the applicant, the type of vehicle being insured, the postal area where the applicant lives and the driving experience and record of the applicant. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. The Equality Act 2010 provides general protection against age discrimination for people of all ages. However, the Act also includes an exemption for those conducting an assessment of risk for the purposes of providing a financial service to another person. This means that motor insurance companies are still able to take age into account when considering the premium to be paid or indeed whether to insure people of any particular age group.