Written questions by Mayer.

On what date her department granted consent for the upgrade programme of South Western Railway’s Salisbury depot based 30 Class 158/159 trains; and what is her assessment of the (a) cost, (b) value for money of this overhaul work and (c) the life expiry date of these trains.

South Western Railway (SWR) are currently undertaking scheduled heavy maintenance of their Class 158/159 fleet. This essential programme involves the full strip down, inspection and repair of the units, alongside enhancements to the onboard environment including refreshed interiors, new seat covers, repainting and the installation of at seat power which will improve the customer experience.SWR have not submitted any specific request for Departmental consent for this upgrade programme as they are responsible for planning and delivering their own maintenance and any associated upgrade activity within their existing budgets.SWR’s transfer into public ownership on 25 May 2025 marked an important step in our work to rebuild a railway that consistently delivers for passengers. As a publicly owned operator, SWR is now subject to rigorous and bespoke performance standards, and their dedicated teams work hard to ensure that maintenance and customer focused improvements support safe operation, improved reliability and better outcomes for the communities they serve.The Department typically assumes that rolling stock has an operational life of around 35–40 years, although the precise lifespan is determined by the rolling stock market based on condition, investment and operational needs.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, what her Department's planned timetable is for launching the consultation on dog breeding.

The Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform. Next steps will be announced in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Department for Transport guidance entitled Cycle infrastructure design (LTN 1/20), published on 27 July 2020, whether he plans to revise (a) the National Planning Policy Framework and (b) guidance to require new residential and mixed-use developments to provide high-quality permeability for walking and cycling.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals, using a vision-led approach to identify transport solutions that deliver well-designed, sustainable, and popular places. This should involve identifying and pursuing opportunities to promote walking and cycling. The Framework also outlines that when assessing sites that may be allocated in local development plans, or specific development applications, it should be ensured that sustainable transport modes are prioritised taking account of the vision for the site, the type of development and its location, and that safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users. Within this context, applications for development should give priority first to pedestrian and cycle movements, both within the scheme and with neighbouring areas, and should create places that are safe, secure, and attractive and which minimise scope for conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. We are currently consulting on changes to the Framework, including updated policies on sustainable transport which seek to further embed a vision-led approach to transport planning. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

When she plans to determine the geographical make up of GBR's Business Units will be determined.

Business Units will be the powerhouse of Great British Railways (GBR), bringing together today’s infrastructure management functions provided by Network Rail, and passenger operations currently led by train operating companies, into a single local team with an accountable leader. Integrated railway pilots are introducing a single accountable leader for track and train, supported by an integrated executive team within existing frameworks. This is already in place for South-Eastern and South-Western Railway with plans underway for Anglia. These pilots will inform GBR's future Business Unit model. The detailed design process is underway, including determining the geographic make-up of GBR’s Business Units.

Whether she has had discussions with the Office of Rail and Road on the application of a risk-based approach to the provision of new pedestrian and cycle level crossings on heritage railways in instances where such crossings (a) are necessary to maintain network permeability and (b) have a demonstrable safety record.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) do not support the creation of new level crossings where there is a reasonably practicable alternative such as a bridge or tunnel. These alternatives should be fully explored and delivered where it is reasonably practicable to do so and after ensuring the proposer has the legal right to cross the railway. In all cases where a new crossing is proposed, a risk assessment approach must be followed so that the costs and benefits of alternatives can be considered alongside the costs and benefits of a level crossing.

Which local transport authorities did not provide road condition data for at least one road type from the last 2 years; and what steps are being taken to ensure they can provide full data in future.

Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England in are published annually Road conditions in England to March 2024 - GOV.UK. Where information was not provided the Department for Transport (DfT) this is denoted in the relevant tables. Local authorities were also required to provide information on road condition as part of the local highway's maintenance transparency report published on local authority websites Highway maintenance funding: guidance for local authorities - GOV.UK. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance from 2026/27 to 2029/30. As was the case in the 2025/26 financial year, a portion of this funding will be designated as incentive funding. This funding will be subject to local highway authorities demonstrating that they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, for example by spending all the Department for Transport’s capital grant on highways maintenance and adopting more preventative maintenance. All incentive funding will be withheld if reports are not published. On 11 January, the Department published a new traffic light rating system for every local highway authority. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how effectively they spend their record Government funding, and whether they do so using best practice. The Department also published an interactive map which means residents can see how their authority is performing and allow the Government to target support to those who need extra help.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the phasing out of the use of animals in scientific research and testing.

The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternatives to the use of animals in science and has published the Replacing Animals in Science strategy which lays out the steps we are taking to achieve that end. The strategy states that the Government will continue to support the use of animals in science where it is necessary and appropriate. The Government assesses that Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 will have no direct impact on the phasing out of the use of animals in scientific research and testing.

Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to enforce the ban on snares.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy. Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course. The detail of the enforcement of the ban will depend on the nature of the legislation that is ultimately progressed.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by the Forestry Commission due to the potential impact of felling on ancient woodland remnants within plantations on ancient woodland sites in each of the last ten years.

The Forestry Commission has only refused one felling licence in the past 10 years, in 2020. The reason for refusal was based on the fact that the licence would lead to a loss of woodland containing veteran and future veteran oaks and the felling of these would be against the "interests of good forestry …and the amenities of the district" and would not align with UK Forestry Standard.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of afforestation on hydrology in the Oxford–Cambridge Forest region.

As part of our approach to the New National Forest in the OxCam region -spatial data will be used to prioritise sites for woodland creation that will deliver public benefits such as flood management and mitigation as well as other water management functions. Afforestation projects above 0.5 hectares will also likely require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which will include a detailed assessment of potential impacts on the water environment. Further details on this new national forest will be announced in the coming months.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) licensing shoots and (b) making the penalty for using snares the loss of such a licence.

Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver its commitment to ban the use of snares in England and will be setting out next steps in due course. The use of snares is commonly associated with gamebird shooting. Defra has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of licensing gamebird shooting in England or whether to make the penalty for illegally using snares the loss of such a licence.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the EIP25 targets for improving plantations on ancient woodland soils align with Forestry England’s 2044 target on PAWS restoration.

The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP25) target and Forestry England’s Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration target are compatible. The EIP25 target for improving PAWS is strategic, setting a national ambition to enhance biodiversity and resilience across these irreplaceable habitats. Forestry England’s 2044 PAWS restoration target is more granular, requiring measurable improvement in Semi-Natural Scores. These objectives are entirely aligned: both aim to restore ecological integrity and native woodland character. Early soil eDNA investigations by Forestry England indicate that PAWS restoration works to restore soil health.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Tree Action Plan will support the restoration of ancient woodland, particularly on smaller plantations on ancient woodland sites and harder to restore sites.

The Government will continue to support the restoration of ancient woodland. Woodlands as small as 0.5ha are now eligible for the Countryside Stewardship supplements “Manage and restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWs)” and “Manage native woodland including Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands”, ensuring support is available to landowners and managers of smaller ancient woodlands. In 2025, we also updated our Countryside Stewardship offer by simplifying our baseline Woodland Improvement grant. These steps will help to bring more of our smaller ancient woodlands into restoration and management.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by the Forestry Commission in each of the last ten years.

Felling licences refused 2016 to 2025: 20162017201820192020202120222023202420250000100000

Food and Rural Affairs, how many felling licences were granted by the Forestry Commission in England in each of the last 10 years.

Felling licences issued 2016 to 2025: 20162017201820192020202120222023202420253621389423253002290131873190332634373499

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Tree Planting Taskforce's progress; and what involvement that Taskforce has had in the development of the Tree Action Plan.

The UK-wide Tree Planting Taskforce brings together the relevant ministers from across the four UK nations. It has made good progress, enabling cross-UK collaboration and furthered understanding of shared challenges and opportunities. Given the UK-wide nature of the Taskforce, it is not directly involved in the development of the Trees Action Plan for England, although Defra is engaging with relevant delivery partners and arm’s-length bodies on the Action Plan. We will continue to engage with the Taskforce to identify opportunities for cross-UK working.

What (a) assessment and (b) estimate she has made of the differential in her Department’s Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget in the (i) Spending Review and (ii) Autumn Budget 2025 in each year between 2024-25 and 2029-30.

The Spending Review 2025 established allocations of Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) up to financial year 2028-29, with further spending announcements made during Autumn Budget 2025. A profile of these spending limits is enclosed in the table below. RDEL £m2025/262026/272027/282028/29Control Total8,291.08,118.77,671.57,509.5Changes at AB25Net changes at AB25-131.5138.6109.5New Control Total8,291.08,250.2007,810.1007,618.953 Spending limits for 2029-30, as well as how Resource Spending Limits are allocated are subject to business planning processes. Furthermore, the department will provide more detail on future spending plans at the appropriate Supply Estimate.

Whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of eCall on (a) response times and (b) the (i) number and (ii) severity of road traffic (A) casualties and (B) fatalities in each of the last five years.

A pre-legislation appraisal of eCall was conducted in 2013. The report is available on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ecall-uk-cost-benefit-analysis

What (a) assessment and (b) estimate she has made of the differential in her Department’s Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit budget in the (i) Spending Review and (ii) Autumn Budget 2025 in each year between 2024-25 and 2029-30.

The Spending Review 2025 established allocations of Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) up to financial year 2029-30, with further spending announcements made during Autumn Budget 2025. A profile of these spending limits is enclosed in the table below. CDEL £m2025/262026/272027/282028/292029/30SR25 Control Total21,56522,90423,17622,74123,940AB25Net Changes at AB25501001646-10420New Control Total21,61523,00424,82222,73124,360*CDEL is adjusted for TfL Business Rates Retention (£1.2bn p.a. from 2026-27). Capital spending limits in future years and how they are allocated are subject to departmental business planning processes. Furthermore, the department will provide more detail on future spending plans at the appropriate Supply Estimate.

What assessment she has made of the likely effectiveness of Network Rail’s asset renewal programme in Control Period 7 between 2024 and 2029; and what estimate she has made of the level of depreciation of Network Rail’s assets between 2024 and 2029.

Network Rail updates its Delivery Plan each year of the Control Period. As forecast at the start of CP7 we expect to see an increase in the average age of railway assets by the end of the Control Period. The impact of this, measured using the Composite Sustainability Index, was estimated in the year 2 update to Network Rail’s Delivery Plan to be a 2.6% reduction in asset sustainability. Depreciation of the value of the railway network up to 2029 is forecast to remain broadly consistent with about 1.8% annually, as set out in the Department for Transport’s 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts.