Written questions by Snowden.

Whether reductions in Vehicle Excise Duty for heavy goods vehicles are passed on to consumers through lower (a) transport and (b) retail costs.

Awaiting answer.

What comparative assessment has been made of the potential impact of consolidation of operations under Great British Railways compared with the previous franchising model on (a) operational competition and (b) innovation.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of provisions in the Railways Bill on existing and future open access rail services; and what steps are being taken to ensure that such services are supported under the new framework.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department plans to take to (a) measure and (b) publish changes in (i) punctuality and (ii) cancellation rates following the transfer of services into public ownership.

Awaiting answer.

How will she assess the effectiveness of measures introduced in the Bus Services Act.

Awaiting answer.

What independent economic assessment has been made of the cost to the Exchequer of transferring the operations of Govia Thameslink Railways into public ownership compared with retaining the existing contractual model; and whether such an assessment will be published.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the level of benefit to rail freight operators arising from the reduction in red diesel duty.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the resilience of transport infrastructure to flooding and coastal erosion.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Government has considered extending support to coach operators and other commercial transport sectors affected by higher fuel costs.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of higher electricity prices on the affordability of electric vehicle ownership.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she has taken to help reduce road deaths of (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians.

Government is committed to making our roads safer for all users and as a consequence reducing risks to cyclists and pedestrians. The new Road Safety Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences.

How many bus routes have been cancelled in (a) Fylde constituency, (b) North West England and (c) England since 27 October 2025.

Awaiting answer.

What transport infrastructure projects in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto have been (a) completed, (b) commenced, (c) delayed or (d) cancelled.

Awaiting answer.

What recent formal consultation his Department has undertaken with Approved Driving Instructors and their representative bodies regarding the standards check system.

When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The current process is designed in a way that any and all approved driving instructors (ADI) could be called for a standards check at any time by DVSA. When called for a standards check ADIs must demonstrate their ability to teach pupils as set out in the national standard for driver and rider training.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers through an (a) exclusive and (b) centralised contracting model on independent community optometry practices.

The consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers closed on 11 May. The Department for Transport is currently analysing the responses, and the government response will be published once that is complete. The logistical arrangements for carrying out any potential new eyesight tests formed part of the consultation. No decisions will be made until the responses to the consultation have been carefully considered.

What assessment his Department has made of the fairness and accuracy of the current standards check system for Approved Driving Instructors.

When the current standards checks system was implemented in 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducted a full consultation. The system has not changed and, therefore, there has been no formal consultation since those changes. The current process is designed in a way that any and all approved driving instructors (ADI) could be called for a standards check at any time by DVSA. When called for a standards check ADIs must demonstrate their ability to teach pupils as set out in the national standard for driver and rider training.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safety regulations governing dockless e-bike hire schemes operating in urban areas.

Shared cycle schemes can have huge benefits but for them to be a success across the country we must minimise negative impacts such as obstructive parking or antisocial behaviour. I know that these negative impacts are not just an inconvenience for many people, but rather a real safety issue. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable our local leaders to license these schemes and why all licences will include minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State, with safety being a core consideration.

Whether her Department plans to introduce a licensing regime for e-bike hire operators operating in public spaces.

Yes. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently at Report Stage in the House of Lords, will empower our local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. Licences will also include minimum standard conditions to ensure a consistent national baseline of safety and operability. We will implement licensing through a combination of regulations and guidance following detailed public consultation.

Pursuant to the written answer 907855 of 12 February 2026, if he will provide the data on (a) punctuality and (b) cancellations for (i) publicly owned and (ii) privately owned operators in each of the last five years.

Data on passenger rail performance, including both quarterly accredited official statistics and periodic management information on cancellations and punctuality for all Train Operating Companies (TOCs), is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on the ORR Data Portal. The Railways (Public Ownership) Act only came into effect in November 2024. Prior to this, operators run by the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (DfT OLR) were not recognised as being in “public ownership”, now referred to as the DfT Operator (DFTO). The profile of TOCs within DOLR and subsequently DFTO has changed over time and a five-year time series comparing “publicly owned” and “privately owned” operators would not provide a meaningful comparison. Table 1 shows the most recent comparative figures for the DFTO and DfT ‑ contracted operators for the 12 months to 3 Jan 2026 (Rail Period 10, 2025/26). Table 1. Performance of the DFT Operator1 and DfT-contracted2 operators in the 12 months to 3 Jan 2026 (Rail Period 10, 2025/26)GroupingsCancellationsTrains arriving within 3 minutes (percentage)DfT Operator (DFTO)13.1%83.0%DfT contracted Operators (private sector)2‑contracted4.5%81.9%Notes 1. During this period, seven TOCs were under the DfT Operator (DFTO) and seven were privately operated under DfT contracts. (West Midlands Trains did not transfer to DFTO until 1 February and is therefore included in the privately operated group for this period.)2. The following operators are outside the scope of this comparison, as they are contracted by devolved authorities: Transport for Wales Rail, Scotrail, Caledonian Sleeper, Merseyrail, Elizabeth line and London Overground. Open access operators are also excluded from this comparison.Source: DfT analysis of Table 3124 - Trains planned and cancellations by operator (periodic); Table 3138 - Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator (periodic)

How much transport infrastructure funding per capita has been allocated to (a) mayoral combined authorities and (b) non-mayoral areas in the North West of England in the latest funding round.

As part of the Government’s Spending Review in June last year, the following capital funding totals have been allocated for transport infrastructure to local transport authorities, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities and non–mayoral authorities in the North West: Mayoral Strategic AuthoritiesGreater Manchester - £1.42 billion Integrated Settlement.Liverpool City Region - £0.9 billion Integrated Settlement. Non-Mayoral Strategic AuthorityLancashire - £571.5 million consolidated local transport funding. Devolution Priority Programme areasCheshire and Warrington - £385.3 million consolidated local transport funding.Cumbria - £383.3 million consolidated local transport funding. The funding allocated covers the period up to 31st March 2030 and has been allocated on a range of factors beyond population, including deprivation and road mileage.