Written questions by Dodds.

What progress Active Travel England has made on creating a disabled people's panel to help inform its work.

Active Travel England (ATE) does not have any current plans to create a disabled people’s panel and does not set policy. ATE routinely works with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and disabled representative organisations to improve its output, such as guidance products. ATE is setting up a technical advisory group to help improve its products and processes so they better address the barriers people face to active travel, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

Whether her Department has provided guidance to local authorities on (a) legacy shared space schemes and (b) how streets covered by those schemes can be altered to be made more accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

Local authorities are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty and it is for them to ensure any schemes they take forward are delivered in a way that allows them to comply with this duty. The Department provides guidance in Inclusive Mobility on designing accessible public realm, and the need for streets to be accessible to all is highlighted in other guidance documents as a matter of course. In 2018 local authorities were asked to pause any new shared space schemes that incorporated a level surface and were at the design stage. Existing schemes or ones that were contractually committed or under construction were not in scope to avoid incurring financial penalties. This is still the position, and it is for local authorities to determine what changes may be required to existing schemes, taking into account their obligations under equalities legislation.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the powers of councils to improve street accessibility.

Local authorities are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty and it is for them to ensure any schemes they take forward are delivered in a way that allows them to comply with this duty. The Department provides guidance in Inclusive Mobility on designing accessible public realm, and the need for streets to be accessible to all is highlighted in other guidance documents as a matter of course. In 2018 local authorities were asked to pause any new shared space schemes that incorporated a level surface and were at the design stage. Existing schemes or ones that were contractually committed or under construction were not in scope to avoid incurring financial penalties. This is still the position, and it is for local authorities to determine what changes may be required to existing schemes, taking into account their obligations under equalities legislation.

What steps her Department is taking to work with (a) schools, (b) employers and (c) community groups to encourage cycling by women and girls.

The Department and Active Travel England (ATE) work with local authorities and other delivery partners to support active travel outreach programmes for underrepresented groups, including women and girls.Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women. ATE is working with local authorities to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure including as part of multi-modal schemes. This includes providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of cycling on women’s safety. Annual reported road casualty statistics published by the Department provide a breakdown of reported casualties by sex.

What steps her Department is taking to improve reporting mechanisms for women cyclists who experience (a) abuse and (b) intimidation.

Everyone should have the right to travel in safety, and abuse or intimidation of any kind is entirely unacceptable. In respect of women, including those who cycle, the Department for Transport is working with the Home Office on their plans for a cross-government strategy to reduce violence against women and girls. This is due to be published later this year.

What discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on reports of (a) abuse and (b) harassment of women cyclists.

The Government aims to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, and agrees that any abuse or harassment of women cyclists is entirely inappropriate. Enforcement of any offences of this sort is a matter for the police. The Department for Transport is working very closely with the Home Office on their plans for a cross-government VAWG strategy, which is due to be published later this year.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure safe and accessible cycling routes to (a) schools, (b) workplaces and (c) local services for (i) women and girls and (ii) people who trip-chain during peak travel times.

The Department and Active Travel England (ATE) work with local authorities and other delivery partners to support active travel outreach programmes for underrepresented groups, including women and girls.Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women. ATE is working with local authorities to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure including as part of multi-modal schemes. This includes providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of cycling on women’s safety. Annual reported road casualty statistics published by the Department provide a breakdown of reported casualties by sex.

What (a) support and (b) funding is available from her Department for cycle training schemes that (i) are specifically tailored for girls and (ii) have a minimum threshold for the number of girls participating.

Active Travel England provides funding to The Bikeability Trust to deliver Bikeability cycle training to children in England (outside London). In addition, active travel revenue funding can be used by local authorities to deliver cycle training and engagement programmes outside of Bikeability. It is for local authorities to decide on targeted engagement programmes for underrepresented groups, such as women and girls.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of cycling on women's safety.

The Department and Active Travel England (ATE) work with local authorities and other delivery partners to support active travel outreach programmes for underrepresented groups, including women and girls.Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women. ATE is working with local authorities to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure including as part of multi-modal schemes. This includes providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of cycling on women’s safety. Annual reported road casualty statistics published by the Department provide a breakdown of reported casualties by sex.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Under 17 Car Club on the geographical scope of the Pathfinder Initiative; and whether she has plans to hold such discussions.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any discussions with the Under 17 Car Club but the Government welcomes initiatives to help young people drive safely.

If she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all cars should include an emergency glass hammer.

The carriage by motorists of emergency equipment such as first aid kits, warning triangles, high visibility jackets and escape tools is not generally prescribed in law. The Highway Code recommends the carriage of many items of emergency equipment and my officials are currently working on proposals to clarify the Highway Code recommendations including adding the carriage of an appropriate escape tool.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 28 January 2025 in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers, Official Report, Column 49-51WH, which (a) channels, (b) content providers and (c) mechanisms other than LADBible her Department is using to increase awareness of the THINK! campaign among young drivers.

The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. THINK! plays an important role in raising awareness of risky driving behaviours amongst young people. This has recently included campaigns on drink-driving and speeding on rural roads, two of the leading factors in fatal collisions and areas where young male drivers are overrepresented in the casualty data. THINK! campaigns target digital channels and platforms that are frequently used by young people. This includes paid advertising on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and being amongst the first campaigns to trial advertising on TikTok as part of a Government pilot), digital audio (including podcasts, digital radio and music streaming apps such as Spotify), online video (for example on Youtube, Twitch and via digital display advertising), and working with popular online influencers in collaboration with LADbible. THINK! also uses traditional channels, such as broadcast radio, cinema and out-of-home advertising, to target environments and situations that are contextually relevant to young drivers (i.e. around or during an actual car journey). THINK! frequently uses interactive and innovative approaches to drive up ad engagement with young men. Recent examples include an interactive Snapchat lens for a drink drive campaign, a ‘perception test’ game to illustrate the dangers of speeding, and a gamified quiz to highlight the facts on seatbelt usage. The THINK! campaign partnered with alcohol brands, including Heineken and Eisberg, to launch the THINK! 0% platform in December 2024, reaching young drivers at the point-of-sale in pubs and bars and encouraging them to choose a non-alcoholic alternative if driving. Throughout the year, the THINK! campaign engages with local stakeholders and partners, including road safety officers, local councils and police forces to promote road safety and support further education on the subject of dangerous driving.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Future of Roads in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers on 28 January 2025, Official Report, column 49WH, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of international evidence on (a) lower or zero alcohol limits and (b) minimum learning periods for young drivers.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 28 January 2025 in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers, Official Report, Column 49-51WH, what steps she is taking to support local-level interventions to make roads safer.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Future of Roads in the debate on Road Safety: Young Drivers on 28 January 2025, Official Report, column 49WH, which interventions examined by the Driver2020 research project will be taken forward.

As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are considering measures, including those in the Driver2020 project, and assessing their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of young driver collisions without unfairly penalising young drivers.