Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ellie Chowns this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 34 · Department for Transport
What discussions her Department has had with (a) local authorities, (b) technology providers, and (c) other Government departments about the potential merits of using AI-enabled cameras on (i) bin lorries and (
The Department for Transport has opened the market for road condition monitoring technology to encourage innovation and efficiency in highway maintenance. A new data standard published in September 2024, allows local highway authorities to use a wider ran...
With reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what steps she has taken to implement the Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment pilot trials in new regions.
The Department for Transport has supported all local authorities that have asked for help with Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment (PRIME) trials. The Department remains open to further involvement and will continue to cons...
With reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the proposed rural roads categories.
The Road Safety Strategy sets out the Government’s intention to explore whether the proposed rural road categories are appropriate at a local level and to assess their potential for wider national application. The Department’s forthcoming work on rural ro...
With reference to the Road Safety Strategy, what steps she is making to update guidance on (a) local speed limits and (b) speed camera use.
My Department is planning to hold an initial workshop later this month, which will serve as an opportunity to begin shaping the direction of the programme. During this session, DfT officials will engage with a range of stakeholders and representatives fro...
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential number of commercial flights that could avoid cancellation if private jet flights were banned during the disruption to global oil markets.
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a temporary ban on private jet travel to save available jet fuel for commercial flights.
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations. There has been no evidence of changes in flight schedules or short notice cancellations due to...
What steps she is taking to develop a comprehensive National Bus Stop Standard that prioritises accessibility, safety, comfort and up-to-date information.
The Government recognises the vital role that safe, accessible and high-quality bus stops provision plays in supporting and encouraging people to use local bus services. The Bus Services Act 2025 places a duty on local authorities and National Highways to...
Whether funding to tackle water pollution caused by highways will be included in the budget of Road Investment Strategy 3.
The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) includes funding to enable National Highway to continue delivering on its 2030 Water Quality Plan, and to mitigate pollution from a total of 190 – 250 drainage assets (outfalls and soakaways) that pose the greatest pollution risk.
If she will make an assessment of trends in the levels of risk caused by standing water on rural roads in poor repair.
The effects of standing water on rural roads, including safety risks for road users, are well known. Standing water can obscure defects, reduce skid resistance and contribute to loss of control, particularly on higher‑speed rural routes. It also accelerates the deterioration of road surfaces by weakening underlying structural layers and promoting pothole formation. National guidance on surface‑water management and sustainable drainage, such as the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems and the Department’s Transport Hazard Summaries, highlight the importance of effective runoff control to prevent water accumulating on the highway and causing damage to infrastructure. The Government has recently announced a record £7.3 billion over the next four years to maintain and improve local roads across the country, which will help local highway authorities manage their drainage infrastructure. Herefordshire County Council will be eligible to receive nearly £115 million of this funding over the next four years.
If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding provided to Herefordshire Council to repair damage caused to roads by flooding.
The Department has announced a record £7.3 billion investment into highways maintenance over the next four years which will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys. As part of this investment, Herefordshire Council is eligible to receive over £114.7 million. This financial year, the Department funded the UK Roads Leadership Group to deliver regional workshops for local highway authorities across the UK to share information about the increased risks to their networks from extreme weather. This is alongside the publication of Transport Hazard Summary documents last year, that provide introductory information to support the transport sector to manage natural hazards, including the risk of flooding.
What steps she will take through the Road Safety Strategy to raise awareness among motorists of their responsibilities when passing pedestrians on roads with no footpaths.
My Department is developing our road safety strategy and we will set out more details in due course. The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The advice on safe passing distances in Rule 163 says that motorists should “allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road (for example, where there is no pavement)”. The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK! plays an important role in raising awareness of, and encouraging compliance with road safety legislation, including the changes to The Highway Code. THINK! ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect, and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Over £2.4 million has been spent on media to promote this campaign, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.
When she plans to ratify the International Maritime Organisation 2012 Cape Town Agreement on the safety of fishing vessels.
We have been working to ensure that the UK is in a position to accede to the Cape Town Agreement and I can confirm that, subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession by Spring 2026.
What steps she is taking to help support the (a) development and (b) adoption of vehicle to grid technology.
The Government is committed to supporting the rapid development and adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as it has the potential to reduce the cost of electric vehicle (EV) ownership while supporting the decarbonisation of our energy system. Whilst the technology is still nascent, it is quickly commercialising. The Government is currently providing industry with over £10m innovation funding support through its V2X Innovation Programme (2022-2025). This is in addition to the funding support of over £28m previously provided through its Vehicle-to-Grid innovation programme (2018-2022). The Government and Ofgem outlined collective ambitions and further actions relating to Vehicle-to-Grid technology in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap published in July 2025. These include removing financial barriers, such as the double charging of levies on re-exported electricity, as well as improving grid connection processes and enabling technical interoperability for V2X.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of freezing rail fares.
As we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, we must ensure passengers and taxpayers get a fair deal. Since the pandemic, the amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to almost half of total income in 2023/24. No decisions have been made on next year’s rail fares, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.In addition, it is a number one priority for this Government to get the railways back to a place where people can rely on them, which is why we are putting passengers at the heart of our plans for public ownership and Great British Railways, delivering the services they deserve and driving growth.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a best price guarantee for rail passengers.
We are overhauling the complex fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We are already making positive changes, including through expanding ticketing innovations such as pay as you go which provides a best price promise for most passengers on the day of travel. The move to Great British Railways will also offer passengers a more consistent fares offer across the network.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of capping long-distance rail fares.
Great British Railways (GBR) will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare, including on long-distance journeys. We are also already driving forward improvements in advance of GBR. For example, we are supporting London North Eastern Railway to deliver its ‘Simpler Fares’ trial, which is testing an easier to understand fares structure and demand-based pricing on parts of its long-distance network. The aim is to improve the passenger experience by reducing crowding, making better use of capacity and making travel more comfortable for passengers.
If she will review the default 60mph speed limit for rural roads.
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department for Transport is developing its Road Safety Strategy and measures to address speeding will be considered for inclusion within the strategy. The Government will set more details out in due course.
What steps her Department has taken to merge highway records into a single digital record to simplify conveyancing highways searches.
The Department for Transport (DfT) recognises the value of improving access to highways information for the purposes of conveyancing. For the Strategic Road Network, National Highways has taken significant steps to simplify its own land ownership records. Conveyancing highways searches are received through the National Highways Customer Contact Centre, before being directed to the relevant regional spatial planning team. To further support transparency, National Highways has created a spatial highway boundary dataset, updated weekly using data from HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, and its own asset data. This assured dataset is available to the public through the National Highways Open Data Portal and allows users to easily identify National Highways’ land ownership. For local roads, the records most relevant to conveyancing searches are owned, maintained and published by local highway authorities. At present, DfT has no plans to consolidate this data into a single digital record.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a scheme equivalent to Fuel Finder for the cost of charging electric vehicles.
The Government is committed to improving the transparency of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure costs. Under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, chargepoint operators are required to clearly provide the price of charging at public chargepoints in pence per kilowatt hour (or pound per kilowatt hour). These regulations also require operators to share open data on charging costs free of charge, among other data fields. Both these measures allow drivers to compare public chargepoint costs and choose the best rate.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to help prevent price differentials for different types of users of EV charging points.
The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. The Government are aware of the cost differential between those who can and cannot install a dedicated EV charger at home and continue to work with Ofgem and others on measures to keep the cost of EV charging affordable for consumers.