Written questions by Anderson.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce antisocial behaviour on public transport.

The Department is working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling.This includes proposals in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, such as staff training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour (ASB).  The Bill also enables all Local Transport Authorities to introduce byelaws to tackle ASB on vehicles, as well as within and at bus-related infrastructure (for example bus stations).On the rail network, DfT and the BTP are committed to working closely with Train Operating Companies to ensure our railways are safe, reliable, and efficient for all passengers, staff, and communities. This includes tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) that might annoy, frighten, intimidate, or otherwise upset other people.In addition, in November 2023, the Department provided £2.5 million for five pilot schemes in England, aimed at tackling ASB on public transport, primarily by introducing Transport Safety Officers (TSOs) on the network. The pilots came to an end in March 2025, and a full evaluation of the programme is being carried out. We are also developing a guide for local authorities who are considering using similar schemes to allow them to decide whether these approaches would work on their local networks.

Whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has not run recruitment or internship schemes with the sole focus of increasing the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year. However, we have offered a range of recruitment and internship schemes designed to attract and develop talent.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of road tolls on the cost of living in areas near toll bridges.

The Government has not carried out a formal assessment of the impact of bridge tolls on the cost of living in nearby areas. While tolls are an additional cost, users also enjoy significant benefits from the availability of such bridges, without which journeys would be substantially longer.

What steps she is taking to help improve the reliability of bus services.

The Government knows how important, reliable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services. The Government is committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including in rural areas across England. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 and keep fares affordable. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. The East Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £40.5 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

What steps she is taking to help improve the (a) frequency and (b) and latest timed of bus services in rural areas.

The Government knows how important, reliable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services. The Government is committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including in rural areas across England. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 and keep fares affordable. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. The East Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £40.5 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the safety of women and girls in taxis.

The primary purpose of the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime is public safety. Since coming into Government, we have been actively looking at ways to improve the existing licensing regime. We have committed to legislate to address the issues raised in Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing. We want to achieve two outcomes; the first is ensuring we have consistently high safeguarding standards and the second is that there is no unintended reduction in the availability of licensed taxi and private hire vehicle services, which could disproportionately impact women and girls and disabled people, who rely on these services the most. We are considering all options – including out-of-area working, national standards, enforcement and transferring licensing to local transport authorities - seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. All licensing authorities have reported that they require the highest level of criminal background checks for taxi and private hire vehicle driver licence applicants – an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check with a check of the children’s and adults’ barred lists. Where safety recommendations from the guidance are not being followed, licensing authorities will be held to account.

For what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.

As part of its delivery of the Transport AI Action Plan, the Department has established an internal AI programme to identify opportunities and roll out appropriate AI tools and processes to ensure the Department is delivering best value for the public. As well as ensuring access to Microsoft’s Co-Pilot tools to support everyday activities, targeted pilots are being run using AI for correspondence, consultation analysis, information retrieval and fraud detection, with plans for continuing expansion.

What steps her Department is taking to support regional airports.

Regional airports are vital in addressing transport inequity by connecting all regions of the UK to national and international opportunities. They serve our local communities by supporting thousands of jobs while maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations. Government supports connectivity across the union through our joint funding of three Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes into London from Newquay, Dundee and Derry/Londonderry. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes. Ministers and officials at the Department meet regularly with regional airports to discuss issues such as regional air connectivity.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of traffic congestion on the economy.

The Department for Transport publishes transport analysis guidance to help assess the economic cost of congestion associated with different policy interventions. It also regularly publishes statistics on speeds, delay and reliability on different types of roads. However, it does not routinely assess the economic cost of congestion on the road network as a whole.

If her Department will consider the potential merits of extending the validity period for driving theory tests to three years.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time. Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mixed-mode integrated public transport ticketing across the UK.

The government recognises the value of greater integration between public transport modes, including in relation to ticketing, and will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and passengers to improve the fares and ticketing offer for passengers across England. Programmes currently under development in England recognise the aspiration for smart, multi-modal ticketing. This includes the Department for Transport working with representatives from the bus industry, Transport for West Midlands and Midlands Connect to develop a national technology solution to facilitate multi-operator ticketing on buses and trams, focusing on contactless bank card payments and enabling fares capping outside of London. In addition, the Fares, Ticketing, and Retail Programme is delivering two new Pay As You Go schemes for the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, and expanding an existing one in the South East. Transport is a devolved matter, and the UK government has policy responsibility for public transport ticketing in England only.

What information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

The Department for Transport does not record this data centrally. In the core department, a management tool is used to record the number of days a member of staff attends an official workplace. This figure excludes business travel, site visits and absences (e.g. special leave, flexible leave and TOIL), and it is not possible to state exactly how many of the days not spent in the workplace were due to remote working. In the calendar year of 2024, 321,561 working days were recorded in DfT workplaces. From 1st January 2025 to 31st July 2025, 168,066 working days were recorded in DfT workplaces. This data is for the core department, excluding the executive agencies.

What discussions her Department has had with local transport authorities on the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of bus drivers.

The Department for Transport regularly meets with stakeholders, including local transport authorities, to discuss bus policy issues. Bus services in England are predominantly run on a commercial basis by private operators who are ultimately responsible for effectively managing their workforce and the recruitment of bus drivers. However, the government will continue to work with the bus sector to support them in being able to meet both their current and future labour requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58049 on Kirkby-in-Ashfield Station: Access, when she next plans to select stations for accessibility upgrades; and whether Kirkby-in-Ashfield station will be considered.

In May 2024, the previous government identified 50 stations for initial feasibility work to assess their potential for future upgrades under the Access for All programme. This did not include Kirkby-in-Ashfield station.

What steps she is taking to improve East-West connectivity (a) in the Midlands and (b) nationwide.

The first phase of Midlands Rail Hub (‘Western’ scope) would enable additional trains each hour between Birmingham and South Wales and the South West, and on Birmingham’s Cross City Line. This includes extending Chiltern services from Moor Street to Snow Hill station by improving connectivity across the region.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of a direct train service between stations on the Robin Hood Line and London.

There has been no consideration to East Midlands Railway providing a direct service between London and stations on the Robin Hood Line. However, the Department is happy to work with operators as they develop demand-led timetables that can adapt to passengers’ evolving needs, whilst also making the running of the railways financially sustainable, to ensure that taxpayers’ money is used in the most efficient way amid the current financial constraints.

How much their Department has spent on translating documents into languages other than (a) English and (b) other native UK languages in each year since 2023; and what these languages were.

The Department has spent £212,027.69 on translation services since 2023 (this covers the period from 1st January 2023 to 18 July 2025). The table below outlines the split of costs by calendar year.It should be noted that information is not held at the level requested. Translation ServicesAmountCalendar Year 2023£73,719.18Calendar Year 2024£79,893.56Calendar Year 2025£58,414.95Total£212,027.69

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60906 on Robin Hood Line: Standards, what proportion of trains on the Robin Hood Line were cancelled in each of the last six periods.

The table below shows that proportion of trains cancelled in the last six rail reporting periods: Rail PeriodAll Robin Hood line services that were Cancelled2024/25 - P103.78%2024/25 - P111.40%2024/25 - P121.92%2024/25 - P131.55%2025/26 - P012.34%2025/26 - P021.31%

What proportion of trains were cancelled in the last six periods.

Information on train cancellations is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and can be found on their data portal.Table 1 presents the proportion of planned services that were either partially or fully cancelled in Great Britain, for each of the last six rail periods and the same periods the previous year. Please note that partial cancellations as counted as 1 service, whilst partial cancellations are counted as 0.5.Table 1. Periodic Cancellations score (Great Britain, Rail Periods1 11 – 3 in 2025 and 2024)Rail period1Proportion of planned trains cancelled in 2025 (%)Proportion of planned trains cancelled in 2024 (%)pp change compared to last year5 Jan - 1 Feb 2025 (period 11)4.13.3+0.82 Feb - 1 Mar 2025 (period 12)3.13.2-0.12 Mar - 31 Mar 2025 (period 13)2.92.90.01 Apr - 26 Apr 2025 (period 01)2.93.2-0.327 Apr - 24 May 2025 (period 02)3.03.2-0.325 May - 21 Jun 2025 (period 03)3.43.8-0.4Source: ORR Table 3124 https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause-periodic/Notes: 1. The rail period dates in this table are for 2025. Dates for rail periods in 2024 differ by a maximum of 2 days but continue to broadly represent the same 4-week periods. More information on rail periods can be seen on the ORR data portal (https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/).

What steps she is taking to help tackle train fare dodging.

Train Operating Companies are responsible for reducing fare evasion and are measured on this as part of their contractual obligations. We work closely with each operator to ensure they have robust plans in place. Through the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), we’re bringing operators together to establish oversight and better standardise practices, putting an end to inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly. We’re working at pace to simplify ticketing and developing plans for GBR to sell tickets online, to alleviate confusion and make it easier for people to buy the right fare.