Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alex Mayer this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 301–320 of 698 · this parliament
If she will publish a list of locations with enforceable School Keep Clear road markings in each local authority area.
The Government has no plans to publish such a list. Local authorities are responsible for these markings and maintaining their own records.
Whether her Department plans to include the safety of road workers in its Road Safety strategy.
This Government takes the safety of all road users seriously, including those who work on our roads. We are developing a Road Safety Strategy and further details will be shared in due course.
If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the system of recording abuse against roadworkers.
Assaults against a person are already an offence (Common Assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public
Communities and Local Government, what her Department's planned timetable is for reviewing the national wildfire framework.
The Government is taking a joined-up approach to enhancing resilience to wildfires. Prior to the transfer of fire functions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Home Office convened a number of stakeholder workshops with the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), its agencies, and other stakeholders to identify policy options for addressing wildfire risk. This included reviewing existing frameworks and governance. The outcomes of this work are currently being considered.Improvements are being driven in wildfire data collection through the introduction of the new Fire and Rescue Data Platform – a new incident reporting tool used by Fire and Rescue Services. This will introduce a formal definition for ‘wildfire’ for the purpose of fire incident reporting, which will enable Government to collect official data on the number of incidents and publish official statistics. These improvements will allow us to track data trends, the concentration of wildfire events and provide a solid evidence base for future wildfire policy and operational planning.Officials continue to engage actively with key stakeholders including landowners, land managers and wildfire specialists through established forums including the England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF).
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating standardised wildfire (a) definitions and (b) recording protocols.
The Government is taking a joined-up approach to enhancing resilience to wildfires. Prior to the transfer of fire functions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Home Office convened a number of stakeholder workshops with the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), its agencies, and other stakeholders to identify policy options for addressing wildfire risk. This included reviewing existing frameworks and governance. The outcomes of this work are currently being considered.Improvements are being driven in wildfire data collection through the introduction of the new Fire and Rescue Data Platform – a new incident reporting tool used by Fire and Rescue Services. This will introduce a formal definition for ‘wildfire’ for the purpose of fire incident reporting, which will enable Government to collect official data on the number of incidents and publish official statistics. These improvements will allow us to track data trends, the concentration of wildfire events and provide a solid evidence base for future wildfire policy and operational planning.Officials continue to engage actively with key stakeholders including landowners, land managers and wildfire specialists through established forums including the England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF).
With reference to her Department's press notice entitled On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones, published 26 June 2025, if she will publish the location of the rail lines due to get improved coverage with 1,000 of ultra fast fibre optic cable.
New high-count 432 fibre RoutesKMsLondon Kings Cross to Newcastle432Birmingham New Street to Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Deansgate133London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street (via Chilterns)177London Paddington to Bristol Parkway to Cardiff235Other routes - Great Western Route26Total Km1003
What the cost of a practical driving test was in each year since 1995.
The table below shows the cost of a car practical driving test on weekdays (normal hours) and on evenings, weekends and bank holidays (out of hours), from 1 April 1994 to 30 March 2009. The table also shows the cost of an extended car practical driving test for disqualified drivers. Please note that the cost of a car practical driving test has remained the same since 30 March 2009. Car Practical Driving Tests - Cost (£) Driving TestExtended TestDate IntroducedNormal HoursOut of HoursNormal HoursOut of Hours30-Mar-0962.0075.00124.00150.0001-Apr-0856.5067.00113.00134.0001-Apr-0648.5058.0097.00116.0010-Aug-0545.5055.0091.00110.0008-Dec-0442.0051.0084.00102.0014-Nov-0239.0048.0078.0096.0027-Aug-0138.0047.0076.0094.0010-Feb-9936.7546.0073.5092.0001-Apr-9832.7543.0065.5086.0001-Apr-9731.0041.0062.0082.0029-May-9528.5038.5057.0077.5001-Apr-9427.5037.5055.0077.50
With reference to her Department's press release entitled On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones, published on 26 June, if she will list the locations of the 57 tunnels due to receive improved coverage in Project Reach.
The list of tunnels is shown below. Please note the exact timings are subject to commercial discussions with Mobile Network Operators: TunnelRegionRoute MONUMENT LANE TUNNELNorth West & CentralCentral BEECHWOOD TUNNELNorth West & CentralCentral NEW STREET NORTH WESTERN LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralCentral NEW STREET MIDLAND LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralCentral POTTERS BAR EAST TUNNELEasternEast Coast POTTERS BAR WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast WELWYN NORTH TUNNELEasternEast Coast PEASCLIFFE TUNNELEasternEast Coast STOKE TUNNELEasternEast Coast WOOD GREEN CENTRE TUNNELEasternEast Coast WOOD GREEN EAST TUNNELEasternEast Coast WOOD GREEN WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast BARNET WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast BARNET EAST TUNNELEasternEast Coast BARNET CENTRE TUNNELEasternEast Coast COPENHAGEN CENTRE TUNNELEasternEast Coast COPENHAGEN WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast GASWORKS CENTRE TUNNELEasternEast Coast GASWORKS WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast WELWYN SOUTH TUNNELEasternEast Coast HADLEY WOOD SOUTH EAST TUNNELEasternEast Coast HADLEY WOOD SOUTH WEST TUNNELEasternEast Coast CLERKENWELL NO 1EasternThameslink LUDGATE TUNNELSouthernKent ARDSLEY TUNNELEasternNorth East MACCLESFIELD TUNNELNorth West & CentralNorth West FARNWORTH TUNNELNorth West & CentralNorth West FARNWORTH TUNNELNorth West & CentralNorth West PRESTBURY TUNNELNorth West & CentralNorth West NEWPORT NEW TUNNELWales & WesternWales NEWPORT OLD TUNNELWales & WesternWales KILSBY TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast WATFORD TUNNEL SLOW LINESNorth West & CentralWest Coast WATFORD TUNNEL FAST LINESNorth West & CentralWest Coast PRIMROSE HILL SLOW LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast PRIMROSE HILL FAST LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast SHUGBOROUGH TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast STOWE HILL TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast NORTHCHURCH FAST LINE TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast NORTHCHURCH UP SLOW TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast NORTHCHURCH DOWN SLOW TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast KENSAL GREEN FAST LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast KENSAL GREEN SLOW LINES TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast HARECASTLE NEW TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast LINSLADE UP SLOW TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast LINSLADE CENTRE BORE (UP FAST/DN SLOW)North West & CentralWest Coast LINSLADE DOWN FAST TUNNELNorth West & CentralWest Coast SODBURY TUNNELWales & WesternWestern PATCHWAY UP NEW TUNNELWales & WesternWestern WHITEBALL TUNNELWales & WesternWestern MARLEY TUNNELWales & WesternWestern POLPERRO TUNNELWales & WesternWestern TREVERIN TUNNELWales & WesternWestern PARSONS TUNNELWales & WesternWestern ALDERTON TUNNELWales & WesternWestern WIVELISCOMBE TUNNELWales & WesternWestern BUCKSHEAD TUNNELWales & WesternWestern
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle the sources of littering in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) England.
Littering is a crime that blights communities and the environment. Local councils are usually best placed to respond to littering and related problems, in a way tailored to the community in which they occur. They have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal including fixed penalty notices of up to £500 and prosecution action which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2500. We are considering how we can further support local councils. In the meantime, we are targeting some of the more commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these on our streets. The sale of single-use vapes was banned on 1 June and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. The DRS will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be redeemed when the empty container is returned. Litter composition data indicates that 55% of litter by volume is made up of containers in-scope of DRS. The DRS will therefore significantly reduce this form of litter.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on tackling non-exhaust emissions from road transport as a source of particulate pollution.
The Government is committed to meeting legal targets for air quality, including the PM2.5 targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021. My officials have regular discussions across Government about the policies needed to ensure we meet these targets, including officials in the Department for Transport on action to reduce non-exhaust emissions from road transport.
What steps her Department is taking to roll out rail-5g.
The Department continues to work closely with Network Rail and industry to look at solutions to improve connectivity on trains, which includes rolling out rail 5G on the rail network. Following the spending review, funding has been made available to invest in low earth orbit satellite connectivity, to improve passenger mobile connectivity. We also continue to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to develop further interventions on the railway. The department has been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail corridor. Project Reach, which will renew fibre optic cables and address signals in mainline tunnels and stations was signed 26 June 2025 between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave.
What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits for businesses of adopting Single/Double Summer Time.
The Government believes the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK. Therefore, we have no plans to introduce double summertime, permanent summertime, or other such changes which would require considerable planning and action by business. Since the Government does not intend to make changes to the existing system, we will not be conducting an assessment of the impact on businesses at this time.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for people to visit (a) theatres, (b) galleries and (c) museums.
This Government is committed to increasing opportunities for people to visit theatres, galleries, and museums.This year the Government is delivering a £270 million Arts Everywhere package, providing a major boost for arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings to allow people across the nation to benefit from access to the arts and culture on their doorstep. The package includes:A new Creative Foundations Fund to invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations, including theatres, across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates, ensuring they can be enjoyed by visitors for many more years to come.Support for museums through the £20m Museum Renewal Fund, £25m Museum Estate and Development Fund, and £120m Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund, supporting cherished institutions to continue providing valued opportunities for visitors.£3.2 million for four cultural education programmes which will enhance access to the arts for children and young people.
What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the existing regulatory framework for open access rail operators.
The Government believes the existing regulatory framework that governs access to the railway is not fit for purpose. It has failed not only passengers but also freight operators as it is designed for each part of the railway to act in isolation, resulting in fragmented decision making and conflicting accountabilities. Our consultation set out proposals for fundamental reform of the framework, with Great British Railways as a single directing mind, able to strategically plan the best use of the network, implementing an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. Better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability, reduce costs and boost growth.The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a centralised portal for guidance on registering local bus services in areas where (a) the traffic commissioner registers the service and (b) a local transport authority has been delegated to do so.
The government is committed to ensuring transparency in Local Transport Authority (LTA) and operator service delivery. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill was introduced on 17 December as part of the government’s ambitious plan for bus reform. Bill measures aim to enable public access to a new centralised database of information about local services including: those registered with a Traffic Commissioner; those registered with an LTA where registration has been delegated to the LTA, and services operating in a franchised area. The Traffic Commissioners also publish centralised guidance on registering local bus services on GOV.UK, titled “A guide to registering and operating local bus services in England and Wales”. This guidance includes detailed information on the roles of Traffic Commissioners and LTAs, the types of services that require registration, and the procedures that apply in different areas. Where an LTA is responsible for registering local bus services in its area, the guidance provides a link to the relevant information published by that authority.
Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department’s policy is on the transportation of live lobsters through (a) postal and (b) courier services within the UK.
Animal welfare legislation protects all animals from being transported in a way likely to cause injury or suffering. Lobsters and other live decapod crustaceans are protected from injury or unnecessary suffering during transportation by a general duty of care provision in Article 4 of The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO) and equivalent national legislation in Wales. WATEO requires that animals are transported in receptacles or means of transport under conditions (in particular with regard to space, ventilation, temperature and security) and with such supply of liquid and oxygen, as are appropriate for the species concerned.
What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on tackling anti-social car driving.
Ministers and officials meet with their counterparts on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government, and a key part of the Safer Streets Mission.On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.On 28 May, the Government launched a 6-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours.These measures will strengthen the law and send a clear message that antisocial car driving will not be tolerated.
Whether her Department is taking steps to introduce formal tribunal rules for traffic commissioner tribunal functions.
I understand the important role that the Traffic Commissioners perform with regards to the licensing and regulation of the HGV and PSV industries, and road-user safety.My Department are currently considering a range of reform options aiming to ensure that the powers and functions of Traffic Commissioners remain robust and effective. The introduction of formal tribunal rules will form part of these considerations.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of (a) recent trends in the level of drought and (b) the potential impact of drought on his Department's tree‑planting plans.
We continue to monitor and adapt to the impact that drought conditions can have on trees, particularly for young trees which are most susceptible. The Government has introduced extraordinary measures to support trees that have suffered because of drought conditions and works closely with tree planting delivery partners to respond to conditions across England. The Nature for Climate Fund has also invested £1 million into research to understand how trees are responding to extreme weather events, including drought, assessing species robustness and resilience. More broadly, the Water Companies’ Drought Code of Practice includes an exemption during hosepipe bans to allow for the continued watering of trees planted in the last three years.
What steps his Department is taking to (a) update and (b) improve NHS IT systems.
We are investing more than £2 billion in National Health Service technology and digital to run essential services and drive NHS productivity improvements.In June 2023, NHS England agreed a Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which is a strategic agreement between the NHS and Microsoft and underpins the national Microsoft licensing framework for NHS organisations. It delivers significant discounts and standardised licensing across the NHS and enables access to services.Security and compliance are significantly strengthened through national access to Microsoft Defender, Office 365 security tools, and integration with the NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre. These tools standardise threat detection, data protection, and governance across the system, ensuring a consistent and elevated security posture. The MOU also supports a national IT operating model with service desks operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, centralised incident management, and streamlined onboarding.Operationally, the MOU delivers cost savings by eliminating redundant local contracts and enabling licence reconfiguration. It also positions the NHS for future innovation, with early access to artificial intelligence tools like Microsoft Copilot already embedded in the agreement. This ensures NHS organisations can scale digital transformation efforts while maintaining alignment with national strategy and funding models.