Written questions by Smith.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that rural local authorities, such as North Yorkshire, are able to access the Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund on equal terms with urban areas.

The £165 million Growth and Housing Acceleration Fund (GHAF) in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will bridge funding gaps for critical transport works on or near the Strategic Road Network to unblock stalled housing and employment sites across England. National Highways launched the GHAF on the 21 April 2026, inviting eligible authorities to register potential developments for consideration.The fund is open to applications from across England, including in rural areas such as North Yorkshire. To ensure rural authorities can access the fund on equal terms, National Highways has published eligibility and assessment criteria and will operate a fair and equitable process, applying those criteria consistently to all proposals.The fund website can be found here:- Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund - National Highways

How the Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund will support stalled housing developments in rural areas such as North Yorkshire; and what criteria National Highways will use to ensure that rural communities receive equitable levels of that funding.

The £165 million Growth and Housing Acceleration Fund (GHAF) in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will bridge funding gaps for critical transport works on or near the Strategic Road Network to unblock stalled housing and employment sites across England. National Highways launched the GHAF on the 21 April 2026, inviting eligible authorities to register potential developments for consideration. A continuous rolling programme of delivery will be published from the end of 2026/27.The fund is open to applications from across England, including in rural areas such as North Yorkshire. National Highways published the eligibility and assessment criteria at launch and will apply them consistently, with a focus on proposals where a specific transport constraint is preventing development and where there is evidence of a genuine viability gap, strong deliverability, and value for money.The GHAF will support targeted, smaller-scale interventions and complements, rather than replaces, wider strategic investment programmes. As such, National Highways expects the GHAF to support both rural and urban communities, with the pipeline developed through developments submitted by eligible authorities and assessed against the published criteria.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2026 to Question 110371 on Driving under Influence: Rural Areas, whether the impact assessment will consider rural (a) hospitality businesses and (b) pubs.

The Government is consulting on proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences, as part of the recently published Road Safety Strategy. As part of this, the Government is consulting on the general principle of lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe. Current evidence does not suggest a widespread or sustained adverse impact on the hospitality sector overall. However, the Government will consider potential impacts on rural hospitality businesses, including pubs, as part of its analysis of consultation responses. The Government will conduct an impact assessment following consultation responses and an evidence-led options analysis, and will publish it in line with usual practice where required.

What steps she is taking to ensure that data held by her Department on the condition of roads in England is a) consistent and b) of high quality.

Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England are published annually Road conditions in England to March 2025 - GOV.UK. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Local Highway Authorities are required to provide consistent Road Condition data in line with MHCLG single data list requirements 130-01 and 130-02. In September 2024, DfT released a new standard for road condition monitoring. This new standard transforms the use of data in highway maintenance by introducing innovative new methods for monitoring the condition of local roads in England, while ensuring the quality and comparability of road condition data across the country. Local authorities must procure a survey that has demonstrated that they can deliver data against PAS 2161 in the approval process defined by DfT. Regular approval exercises will be conducted to assess whether technologies can produce comparable and standardised road condition data. Only those technologies that meet the defined criteria and performance thresholds will be approved for use in national reporting.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of using artificial intelligence to assist with mapping the condition of roads in England.

In September 2024, DfT introduced a new standard (PAS 2161) for monitoring road conditions in England. The list of the approved technologies against PAS2161 includes AI‑based technologies. Going forward, the Department will encourage a wide range of technologies to seek compliance, driving technical innovation in road condition monitoring.

If she will take steps to establish the age of any passengers that may have been on board flights allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein into and out of Stansted Airport.

Airports and airlines must operate in full compliance with all UK laws and regulatory standards to ensure safety, security, and accountability.If those laws are broken it is our expectation that any and all information useful to inquiries by the relevant authorities is swiftly obtained and passed on.The Home Office is the lead department for these matters. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations.

Whether she will take steps to investigate the nature of flights into and out of UK airports allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Airports and airlines must operate in full compliance with all UK laws and regulatory standards to ensure safety, security, and accountability.If those laws are broken it is our expectation that any and all information useful to inquiries by the relevant authorities is swiftly obtained and passed on.The Home Office is the lead department for these matters. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations.

If she will take steps to ensure that conversations take place with contemporary handlers, ground staff or airport executives regarding flights into and out of Stansted Airport allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Airports and airlines must operate in full compliance with all UK laws and regulatory standards to ensure safety, security, and accountability.If those laws are broken it is our expectation that any and all information useful to inquiries by the relevant authorities is swiftly obtained and passed on.The Home Office is the lead department for these matters. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations.

If she will make an estimate of the number of flights into and out of Stansted Airport allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein; and if she will take steps to establish the nature of those flights, including the passengers on board.

Airports and airlines must operate in full compliance with all UK laws and regulatory standards to ensure safety, security, and accountability.If those laws are broken it is our expectation that any and all information useful to inquiries by the relevant authorities is swiftly obtained and passed on.The Home Office is the lead department for these matters. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations.

If she will hold discussions with the (a) the Chairman and (b) Chief Executive of Manchester Airport Group on (i) the use of Stansted Airport by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and (ii) flights commissioned by Jeffrey Epstein.

Airports and airlines must operate in full compliance with all UK laws and regulatory standards to ensure safety, security, and accountability.If those laws are broken it is our expectation that any and all information useful to inquiries by the relevant authorities is swiftly obtained and passed on.The Home Office is the lead department for these matters. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential economic and social impact on rural pubs and hospitality businesses of reducing the drink driving limit; and whether alternative measures have been considered.

The Government is consulting on proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences, as part of the recently published Road Safety Strategy. As part of this, the Government is consulting on the general principle of lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe. Current evidence does not suggest a widespread or sustained adverse impact on the hospitality sector overall, but the Government will conduct an impact assessment following consultation responses and an evidenceled options analysis. The consultation is seeking views on a range of measures to reduce drink-driving, including options such as alcohol ignition interlocks (“alcolocks”) for offenders and powers to suspend licences for suspected drink or drug drivers.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that electric bike rental firms ensure that all riders of rented electric bikes wear helmets.

The Government agrees that cyclists should wear helmets whenever possible to help reduce the risk of sustaining a head injury. We are implementing licensing for shared cycle schemes and will consult in depth on this. Consultation will include consideration of how helmet use can be encouraged for users of shared cycles.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May to Question 50489, what recent discussions she has had with Eurostar and SNCF1 Gare Connexions on a) the expansion of the number of border control points and e-gates, and b) longer term plans to expand the terminal.

Departmental officials engage regularly with French counterparts and industry partners to discuss plans to support the growth of international rail services and to enable competition in the coming years. Officials from my Department, Home Office and Border Force have had several discussions this year with SNCF Gare et Connexions representatives to discuss in detail their plans to expand the Gare du Nord cross-Channel terminal which will effectively double throughput capacity by 2030. We have also committed to work with SNCF to ensure appropriate provision is made for UK and French border controls in the newly expanded terminal and these conversations are continuing. SNCF’s plans were also presented to the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), the bi-national body which oversees the operation of the Channel Tunnel and is attended by UK and French Government officials, at its most recent meeting in Paris in December.

What estimate she has made of the number of injuries to pedestrians caused by rented electric bikes in each of the last five years.

The Department does not currently collect specific data on incidents involving rental e-bikes. The Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision Statistics, which oversees the collection of road collision and casualty statistics known as STATS19, is currently reviewing the recording of vehicle and propulsion types within STATS19 with a view to providing better guidance to reporting police officers on the classification of e-bikes.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of availability of rural transport links on (a) economic growth, (b) tourism and (c) social inclusion; and what steps she is taking to improve rural transport links.

The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected as well as in supporting economic growth, tourism and social inclusion. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in North Yorkshire and rural areas right across England. 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 to local authorities across the country, of which York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been allocated £12.6 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming around £900 million each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

Whether she plans to allocate additional funding to support rural bus franchising pilots in North Yorkshire; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) the Yorkshire Dales and (b) other areas receive equitable levels of funding compared to urban regions.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed continued funding of around £900 million per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots in York and North Yorkshire. Allocations for individual LTAs for 26/27 onwards will be confirmed in due course. The government has committed to reforming bus funding. Giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding will allow them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The formula used in 25/26 is an interim process and is only the first step towards a reformed allocation system. By adopting a fairer method of allocating the bus grant going forward, we expect the current disparities to level out, putting all LTAs on a more equal footing. We ultimately want to create a fairer and simpler system for bus funding that takes into account local needs.

What steps her Department is taking to support councils in improving the frequency and reliability of rural bus services in North Yorkshire.

The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected as well as in supporting economic growth, tourism and social inclusion. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in North Yorkshire and rural areas right across England. 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 to local authorities across the country, of which York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been allocated £12.6 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities, including in rural areas. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming around £900 million each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

Whether she has had discussions with Eurostar on the time taken for UK-bound passengers to board trains at Gare du Nord Station.

The Government recognises the importance of smooth passenger flows at Paris Gare du Nord, given this is a key terminal for cross-Channel passenger services. Eurostar and SNCF1 Gare Connexions, the station operator, are delivering a project to expand the number of border control points and eGates within the current terminal footprint, which will increase border capacity. There are also longer-term plans to significantly expand the cross-Channel terminal in the station to accommodate expected growth in passenger numbers. My officials regularly engage with key European and industry partners, including Eurostar and the French authorities, including holding recent discussions to understand long-term expansion plans for the station.