Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54450 on Transport: Disability, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that transport operators in Fylde comply with the disability (a) awareness and (b) assistance training requirements proposed in the Bus Services (No.2) Bill.

The Bus Services (No.2) Bill will require relevant bus staff to complete both disability awareness and disability assistance training to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to support every passenger appropriately. The Bill provisions include a power for the Secretary of State to make regulations prescribing how carriers and terminal managing bodies should collate and publish data on the completion of relevant training by their staff. The Traffic Commissioners will be able to use existing powers to issue a financial penalty in the case of non-compliance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54450 on Transport: Disability, whether her Department plans to provide funding to improve accessible transport infrastructure under the measures in the Bus Services (No.2) Bill in Fylde constituency.

The Bus Services (No.2) Bill will require local authorities commissioning the provision of new bus stations and stops or the upgrading of existing ones, to pay regard to new stopping place safety and accessibility guidance, with the aim of helping them to make best use of funds by designing infrastructure inclusively from the outset. The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes capital funding for local authorities which can be used to improve infrastructure such as bus stations and stops. Lancashire County Council has been allocated over £27 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services, including £12.4 million in capital funding. Future funding for buses will be announced following the conclusion of the multi-year spending review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54084 on Roads: Fylde, what the criteria is for successful completion of the incentive measures.

Details about local highway maintenance funding allocations and what authorities must do to receive incentive funding are all available on gov.uk. The first thing authorities must do is to publish a report on their websites by the end of June providing information on various matters including how they are planning to spend the funding, and what the overall condition of their road network is. Lancashire have been allocated an uplift in local highway maintenance funding of up to £12,308,000 for local highway maintenance in 2025/26, subject to them meeting the incentive criteria set out on gov.uk. This represents 2.46% of the total uplift of £500,000,000 across England.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54084 on Roads: Fylde, what proportion of the £500 million funding uplift for local highway maintenance was allocated to Lancashire.

Details about local highway maintenance funding allocations and what authorities must do to receive incentive funding are all available on gov.uk. The first thing authorities must do is to publish a report on their websites by the end of June providing information on various matters including how they are planning to spend the funding, and what the overall condition of their road network is. Lancashire have been allocated an uplift in local highway maintenance funding of up to £12,308,000 for local highway maintenance in 2025/26, subject to them meeting the incentive criteria set out on gov.uk. This represents 2.46% of the total uplift of £500,000,000 across England.

What steps she is taking to help support Lancashire County Council to engage with local communities on the prioritisation of active travel investments in Fylde.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54084 on Roads: Fylde, whether funding has been allocated for new road investment projects in 2025-26 in Fylde constituency.

The previous Answer set out the maximum 2025 to 2026 highway maintenance funding allocation from the government to Lancashire County Council as the local highway authority for the honourable member’s constituency. Grant funds provided by DfT for highways maintenance are not ringfenced, meaning that Lancashire County Council can choose how to spend this, including on road schemes within the Fylde constituency if they wish. In addition, Lancashire Combined County Authority (the non-mayoral combined authority consisting of Lancashire County Council, Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council, and Blackpool Council) has been allocated over £9 million in 2025/26 of Integrated Transport Block (ITB) funding to support local transport maintenance and enhancements. For 2025/26 the government will top up ITB funding through the Local Transport Grant (LTG), a one-year capital grant. Lancashire Combined County Authority has been allocated nearly £35m through the LTG. Beyond that, there are no schemes for investment in the local road network put forward by the local highway authority for support from my Department through relevant road investment funding programmes for 2025/26. National Highways is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the sections of strategic road network in the honourable member’s constituency. The Strategic Road Network: interim settlement 2025 to 2026 published in March set out government’s investment and management of the strategic road network for 2025/26. Following the opening of the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool project last August, there are no new strategic road projects in Fylde in 2025/26.

Pursuant to the answer to question 54450 of 3 May 2025, how many people in the Fylde constituency are currently eligible for free travel under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme due to disability.

The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of people eligible for free travel under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme due to disability at any geographic level.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, if she will provide additional (a) funding and (b) resources to improve walking infrastructure in Fylde.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, whether she plans to increase (a) capital and (b) revenue funding for active travel schemes in Lancashire after the 2025-26 financial year.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, what funding her Department has approved for improving (a) safety and (b) accessibility through the Fylde Coast’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, what measures her Department has put in place to help ensure that the funding allocated to Lancashire County Council for projects in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) other areas is transparently (i) tracked and (ii) reported on.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for Bikeability cycle training for (a) schools and (b) communities in Fylde.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of waiting times for driving licence renewals in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. There are also no delays in straightforward paper driving licence applications which are being processed within normal turnaround times and drivers should receive their driving licence within three weeks.Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer. The length of time taken depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.

Whether her Department has a long-term strategy for improving road safety in Fylde constituency.

There is not a specific DfT road safety strategy for Flyde or Lancashire. It is for local authorities to decide upon the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on its knowledge of an area and taking into account local needs and considerations. However, the Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to assess the quality of road construction in Fylde constituency.

Local authorities are required to provide data to the Department for Transport each year on the condition of their classified roads. The data is available on gov.uk.In September 2024, the Government released a new data standard for road condition monitoring (PAS 2161) that will help the sector to innovate and drive efficiencies. Local highway authorities will be required to gather road condition data using this standard from the 2026/27 financial year.

What plans her Department has to introduce a public awareness campaign on road safety in Fylde constituency.

The Government's longstanding road safety campaign, THINK!, aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. The campaign currently runs across all of England and Wales, including the constituency of Fylde. The campaign uses highly targeted channels to reach 17-24 year old men, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than other drivers, prioritising issues such as speeding and drink driving.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations on the use of illegally modified electric bikes on public highways.

A modified e-cycle is only road-legal where it complies in full with the requirements set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983. Where this is not the case, the e-cycle is classed as a motor vehicle and needs to be approved and registered with the DVLA, as well as being taxed and insured. Enforcement of these requirements is a matter for the police, who already have powers to seize illegally modified e-cycles and to fine individuals who fail to stop when instructed to do so. The Government is also providing the police with more powers to make it easier for them to seize any vehicle, including illegally modified e-cycles, where it is being used in an anti-social manner. Measures contained in the Crime and Policing Bill will allow the police to seize the vehicle without first being required to provide the rider with a warning. This will help get dangerous and unsafe e-bikes off our roads for good.

What initiatives are in place for local communities to help identify road safety issues in Fylde constituency.

There is not a specific DfT road safety strategy for Flyde or Lancashire. It is for local authorities to decide upon the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on its knowledge of an area and taking into account local needs and considerations. However, the Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

What steps she is taking to improve road safety in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

There is not a specific DfT road safety strategy for Flyde or Lancashire. It is for local authorities to decide upon the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on its knowledge of an area and taking into account local needs and considerations. However, the Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

How many settlements do not have a daily bus service in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Department for Transport does not readily hold this information, however local bus timetable data is available to download from the Bus Open Data Service: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-and-use-bus-open-data.The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024 to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of communities that rely on them, including in Fylde and across Lancashire.In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Lancashire County Council has been allocated over £27 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services and infrastructure to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area.