Written questions by Mayer.

Whether she plans to bring forward regulations under section 141A of the Transport Act 2000 to improve the collection of centrally held data on local coach journeys.

The government is committed to ensuring transparency in Local Transport Authority 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. The Bill will amend powers in section 141A of the Transport Act 2000 to enable the Secretary of State to bring forward regulations relating to the central collection and publishing of data about local bus services – including about registration and performance. Coach journeys may fall within the scope of any regulations made, if they are operating a local service as defined in the Transport Act 1985.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing local transport authorities to compel highways authorities to provide parking provision for shared mobility schemes.

The Department has not made a detailed assessment of this. It is up to local transport authorities to decide what parking provision to make in their areas, including for shared mobility schemes such as car clubs. In doing so they have to take into account, among other things, their statutory duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

What estimate she has made of the number of children who will become eligible for free school meals following the extension to households in receipt of Universal Credit in (a) Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) England in the 2026-27 academic year.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.We have published data on the number of children who could benefit from expanded provision by constituency/region/local authority and this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of rural crime in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) the East of England; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce that level.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. That is why this Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas.Under our Safer Streets Mission reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent theft of farm equipment and fly-tipping.The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, wherever they live. On 10 April, the Prime Minister outlined further details about our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, including that by July, every community, including rural communities, will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing their issues.This financial year we will be providing the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU), as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The funding boost of over £800,000 in total will help the units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.This will allow these specialist units to continue their work in tackling rural and wildlife crime which can pose unique challenges for policing given the scale and isolation of rural areas.The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities NPCC-Wildlife-Rural-Crime-Strategy-2022-2025.pdf (nwcu.police.uk). We are working closely with the NPCC to deliver the next iteration of their strategy, to ensure the government’s Safer Streets Mission benefits every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rail infrastructure schemes in the East of England on regional economic growth.

The Department has not made a combined assessment of regional economic growth of all projects relating to the East of England region. The Department undertakes appraisal of business cases on a project-by-project basis. This appraisal attempts to quantity impacts such as user benefits, environmental impacts, economic impacts and any other wider impacts.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on increasing the provision of land for food-growing allotments.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should enable and support healthy lives, including through the provision of allotments. The NPPF also makes clear that open spaces and recreational buildings and land should not be built on unless there is clear evidence it is no longer required; equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location; or development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.

With reference to her Department's guidance entitled Setting up a bus franchising scheme: December 2024, published in December 2024, whether a local transport authority is permitted to use surplus revenue generated from a micro-franchised area to fund supported bus services outside the boundaries of that micro-franchised area.

A local transport authority can use revenue generated from a franchising scheme to support bus services that are not part of the scheme, including those outside the scheme’s area.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of live lobsters being (a) posted and (b) couriered in 2024.

Defra does not hold data for live lobsters being posted and couriered in 2024.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of glyphosate in menstrual products; and what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) regulate those levels.

Most period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product.Subject to Royal Assent of the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent. As part of this, we are considering further research and testing in this area to complement the consultation.

Whether she plans to publish a roadmap for the (a) uptake and (b) deployment of zero emission heavy goods vehicles.

Government support to increase the uptake of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) includes initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck Grant, reducing the upfront cost of zero emission HGVs, and the up to £200m Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, delivering both zero emission both vehicles and supporting infrastructure. We are considering our regulatory pathway to decarbonising new non-zero emission HGVs and will set out further information in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure improved integration between (a) bus and (b) rail services through the Integrated National Transport Strategy.

The government knows that a modern, integrated public transport network is vital to providing access to services and opportunities for all users of the system and keeping communities connected. Later this year, the Department will publish its Integrated National Transport Strategy and set the long-term vision for transport in England, placing people at the heart of how transport is designed, built and operated. Although the Strategy is still in development, it will aim to create a transport system where people can easily, reliably and safely carry out the journeys they want to make, including those across multiple modes. We are working to improve both bus and rail services to support greater integration between transport modes. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill will place power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders, and the Public Ownership Act and Railways Bill will ensure the railways are delivering once again for passengers across the country.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of stay-at-home mothers in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) the East of England who claimed Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000 and may have missed out on receiving a full State Pension due to missing Home Responsibilities Protection or National Insurance credits.

The Department estimates in total there are around 210,000 people with State Pension underpayments due to missing Home Responsibilities Protection on their National Insurance record DWP annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 (HTML) - GOV.UK. Geographical breakdowns are not available.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15303 on Euston Station: Bus Services, what progress his Department has made on developing plans for the Euston Station Campus redevelopment; and whether those plans include an agreed location for a new bus station.

The Department for Transport is working with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for the Euston Station Campus. The new HS2 station platforms and passenger facilities will be integrated with an expanded Network Rail station concourse and enhancements to the London Underground station, along with improved local transport facilities and a significant level of development. We will set out more details in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of integrated care board reconfigurations on patient access to healthcare services.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, with the expectation of achieving a reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts in a letter on 1 April 2025. This letter is available at the following:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/These changes will form part of a package of measures, including the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan, that positively impact on patient care and safety by driving quality of care, productivity, and innovation in the NHS. ICBs will continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and NHS England’s transformation team will continue to work with ICBs to develop their plans and to ensure implementation of the changes, whilst maintaining a focus on patient safety.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that flexibilities introduced under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate do not enable car manufacturers to borrow more compliance credits from future years than they will be able to repay by 2030.

The caps on borrowing allowances in the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate will limit borrowing to under 10% of the new cars a manufacturer registers from 2026 onwards.As per the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes Order 2023, the Secretary of State can decline borrowing requests, where appropriate. This could include where there is reason to doubt a manufacturer will repay the borrowed allowances by 2030.

How the British Transport Police will be funded (a) during and (b) after the establishment of Great British Railways.

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. We anticipate that the level of funding for the BTP during the transition to and commencement of Great British Railways will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing an expert in animal welfare to the Food Strategy Advisory Board.

Members of the Food Strategy Advisory Board were selected as senior leaders who have a broad range of experience across the food system and reflect the diversity of the sector. Membership has been finalised. We are not looking to expand it at this time. The Board represents just one aspect of our engagement with stakeholders across the food supply system. The food strategy will articulate the outcomes required to deliver food system change.

What estimate her Department has made of the volume of British-produced steel used in the construction of the East West Rail project from Bletchley to Oxford; and what estimate she has made of the volume required for the new build section to Cambridge.

All rail used in the build of Connection Stage 1 (Oxford to Milton Keynes) was British Steel supplied via Network Rail SCO operations, which amounts to just under 4,100 tonnes. There would also have been a small additional amount used in built structures and stations.The section between Bedford and Cambridge is still at the preliminary design phase and a total estimate of the volume of steel required is not yet available. However, current estimates suggest around 12,300 tonnes of new plain line track will be required.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including bikeability training in the National Curriculum.

Schools are best placed and have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs, this includes cycling training programmes such as Bikeability. Physical education (PE) is a foundation subject in the national curriculum and compulsory at all four key stages.The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people, for example through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.In July 2024, the department launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. The Review will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive, and innovative. The Review’s interim report was published in March 2025.  We are now working on the next phase of the review which will consider subject issues, working closely with the sector.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of upgrading to 5G infrastructure across the rail network on the economy.

The Department continues to work closely with Network Rail and industry to explore solutions to improve connectivity on trains, which includes rolling out rail 5G on passenger trains.We are also exploring the feasibility of satellite connectivity to improve passenger mobile connectivity. This will rely on the outcome of the spending review.