Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jerome Mayhew this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 221–240 of 350 · this parliament
Whether Great British Railways will be required to publish an annual environmental performance report.
We expect that GBR will include detail in their annual report and accounts as Network Rail do today, and for GBR to comply with all legal requirements. We remain committed to addressing the environmental challenges faced not only by rail – which is already a comparatively low-emission way to travel – but across all transport modes.
What targets Great British Railways will be set for increasing the volume of freight transported by rail.
The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to the target of at least a 75% increase in freight moved by rail by 2050, alongside other targets that will be announced prior to the stand up of Great British Railways. The recently published Railways Bill requires the Secretary of State to set a rail freight growth target and for GBR to have regard for it.
What targets for emissions reduction will apply to Great British Railways.
We remain committed to addressing the environmental challenges faced not only by rail – which is already a comparatively low-emission way to travel – but across transport. We will set out long term environmental expectations for GBR through the Long-Term Rail Strategy and these will also be outlined in GBR’s business plan.
What steps she plans to take to ensure continuity of existing safety management systems during the transition from Network Rail to Great British Railways.
The safety of the railways will always be our first priority. Network Rail, train operators, Department for Transport Operator and the ORR have been working together to agree and implement the safety management systems that will need to be in place for day one of Great British Railways. Where appropriate, existing arrangements will continue.
What plans she has to ensure open access operators continue to have opportunities to expand services under Great British Railways.
The Bill contains clear legislative safeguards to ensure non-GBR operators, including open access operators, have fair access to the GBR-managed network. Open access operators can bring benefits to the rail network and passengers and will continue to play a role in delivering services where it represents best use of the network.
What fiscal provision has been made to cover the costs of relocating key Network Rail and DfT Operator Limited personnel to Derby, as part of establishing the new headquarters of Great British Railways.
The work to establish GBR Headquarters in Derby is continuing. It is not, at this time, confirmed which key roles will be based in Derby. Should any key roles be relocated, the costs associated with this will be defined as part of formal consultation.
What functions of Great British Railways will be located at the new Derby headquarters.
Derby will be the heart of our new rail network as the home of GBR, and work to establish the GBR Headquarters in Derby, including which functions will be located there, is continuing. The national headquarters will bring high-skilled jobs to a city already brimming with rail industry talent.
What recent estimate her Department has made of the savings arising from the establishment of Great British Railways; and what (a) data and (b) calculations her Department used to make this estimate.
The Railways Bill Impact Assessment provides an assessment of the potential impacts of the rail reform policies within the Railways Bill, including the establishment of Great British Railways.
What mechanisms will her Department establish to resolve disputes between Great British Railways and devolved administrations over service provision.
The Railways Bill has been introduced to end the outdated model of franchising and structural fragmentation that inhibits how the railway is run. The vision for the future relationship between GBR and devolved operators is one of collaboration between public sector providers, delivering for passengers, freight and taxpayers. The Bill requires the preparation and publication of two separate Memoranda of Understanding between the Secretary of State for Transport and Welsh Ministers and Scottish Ministers respectively. These will set out how UK and Devolved Ministers will cooperate with each other and how they expect GBR and devolved operators to work together. The Bill requires GBR to consult Scottish and Welsh Ministers on its Access and Use Policy, which will set out the processes that GBR will follow when making decisions on access to its network and the criteria it intends to use to make those decisions. GBR will also be required to consult Scottish and Welsh Ministers on significant changes to GBR services to or from Scotland or Wales, respectively.
What assessment she has made of potential conflicts of interest arising from Great British Railways acting as both infrastructure manager and passenger service operator.
Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways, which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. Beyond the specific requirements of the Railways Bill, GBR will be subject to legal obligations such as public law requirements to act transparently and fairly, and competition and subsidy control legislation, all of which helps ensure that GBR will act fairly, transparently and in the public interest.
What mechanisms will her Department put in place to ensure operational decisions taken by Great British Railways are accountable to passengers.
GBR will be held to account for railway performance and customer experience.There will be a powerful voice for passengers, the Passenger Watchdog, which will independently monitor passenger experience, advocate for passengers and monitor GBR and other operators. Minimum consumer standards will be set and monitored by the Passenger Watchdog and independently enforced by ORR. ORR will also have powers to independently monitor GBR's business performance and advise the Transport Secretary.When developing its Integrated Business Plan, GBR will be required to consult with the Passenger Watchdog and will have a continuing general duty to consider the interests of passengers and the needs of passengers with disabilities.
Whether her Department plans to set statutory response times for complaints made under the Great British Railways passenger complaints system.
We expect that the establishment of GBR will mean that there will be a single complaint process for passengers for the majority of rail services.GBR will have to follow the minimum standards set by the passenger watchdog on complaint handling when setting up its complaint handling system. ORR currently sets this standard and guides licenced operators to provide a full response to at least 95% of all complaints within 20 working days. It will be up to the watchdog to determine if this guidance is updated once it takes over this function from ORR.The passenger watchdog will also ensure all passengers have access to a fair and independent alternative dispute resolution service (the Rail Ombudsman) to resolve disputes with operators where passengers have been let down.
What mechanisms her Department will establish to safeguard commercially sensitive route proposals made by open access rail operators.
The Railways Bill will reform the existing rules for access and use of the railway by enabling GBR to take decisions on best use of the network. GBR will make these decisions against duties clearly defined in the bill, public law principles including to act fair and transparently, its own policies (which legislation requires GBR must consult on and publish), and wider legal obligations, including competition law. GBR's processes and behaviours will need to ensure that any third party commercial sensitive information provided to GBR as part of this assessment is appropriately handled, in manner that enables all parties to comply with their legal obligations.
What guidance she plans to issue on Great British Railways’ responsibilities for (a) national ticketing, (b) fare setting and (c) the administration of discount schemes for (i) young, (ii) elderly and (iii) disabled passengers.
The Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation has confirmed plans for the future of the rail retail market once Great British Railways (GBR) is established. It also set out GBR's and the Secretary of State's roles in relation to fares setting, and the continued safeguarding in legislation of discount schemes for young people, older people and disabled people. This is an important step in providing further clarity on how ticketing and fare setting will operate under GBR, and the Government looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders on the delivery of its reforms.
Whether Great British Railways will be required to ensure interoperability between its ticketing systems and those operated by (a) devolved and (b) regional authorities.
Once GBR is established, it will deliver a high-quality website and app to customers, gradually replacing the 14 different DfT train operator websites that currently retail tickets. GBR will compete on a fair and open basis with independent retailers — as well as with open access operators and devolved operators, who will also be able to retail to passengers, just as they do today. The government looks forward to working with all stakeholders on the delivery of its reforms.
Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 73726 on Passenger Standards Authority, what is her expected timetable for the delivery of the Passenger Watchdog.
The passenger watchdog will be stood up as soon as practicably possible following Royal Assent for the Railways Bill.
What assessment she has made of the cost implications of transferring research and advisory functions from Network Rail to Great British Railways.
Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up. It is therefore unlikely that there will be significant costs in transferring functions currently within Network Rail into GBR. However, detailed design and implementation work is currently underway and no assessment has yet been made of the specific cost implications of transferring research and advisory functions from Network Rail to GBR.
How many prisoners have been released in error from HMP Bure since July 2024.
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025.The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77641 on Railways: Facilities Agreements, if she will publish (a) the terms of reference, (b) the memorandum of understanding and (c) associated documents which set out the role of DfT Operator Limited in operation of the railways, (i) prior to and (ii) subsequent to renationalisation.
The Framework Document is being reviewed and updated following the change of role from the DfT Operator of Last Resort to the Operator of First Choice. The Framework Document will be published on the Government website in due course. As the rail public sector owning group, the DFTO is a co-signatory to Services Agreements alongside the Department and public sector operators. Services Agreements set out the Secretary of State’s requirements and will also be made available on the Government’s website in due course.
Whether Wealden District Council have raised legal objections to the use of Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers.
We do not comment on legal matters, however all sites progressed for asylum accommodation will comply with safety, security, health and wellbeing standards. This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities across the country.