Written questions by Akehurst.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of barriers to transport faced by disabled people across the UK on disabled people; and what steps are being taken to deliver transport equity for disabled people.

The Government recognises that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all, and we are committed to delivering change as part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We want to see passenger transport services that are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to address some of the barriers faced by disabled people when using local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops; mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff and requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We also know disabled passengers often face barriers when travelling by rail and we are committed to improving this experience. That is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog to protect the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, setting minimum standards and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme. We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Motability Scheme in supporting the work to meet ZEV mandate targets.

Motability Operations, which delivers the Motability Scheme, has the largest fleet in the country and has an important role in ensuring an equitable transition to zero emission vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) are available through the Motability Scheme, with over 105,000 EVs on the Scheme and over 99,000 charge points installed to date:  https://www.mo.co.uk/our-impact/.

What assessment her Department has made of the risk that electric buses operating in the UK could be remotely rendered inoperable via their internet-connected systems by hostile state actors.

The Government takes national security seriously and recognises the systematic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including vehicles. My Department works closely with the transport sector and other government departments to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities for all transport modes.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on how their Departments' procurement policies can support UK vehicle manufacturers to meet the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

The Government Fleet Commitment states that 100% of the central government car and van fleet will be fully zero emission by 2027. This represents a major opportunity for UK-based manufacturers, and the Department is working with them to ensure they can take advantage.

What (a) insurance requirements and (b) enforcement mechanisms are in place for (a) private hire and (b) delivery drivers.

All drivers must have the correct insurance cover for the purpose they are using their vehicle for, and the police may check this when stopping a vehicle. The Government takes uninsured driving seriously and tackles this through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency collaborate to identify uninsured drivers; police enforcement on the road and through Operation Tutelage.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned East Coast Main Line timetable change in December 2025 on local rail services in (a) County Durham and (b) the North East.

An assessment suggested Chester-le-Street calls on Trans Pennine Express be increased to hourly services, which have now been implemented. As well as the LNER London to Newcastle trains be increased from two trains per hour to three trains per hour, now scheduled to start from December 2025. Darlington should retain its two trains per hour to London by LNER and Durham should retain its one train per hour to London by LNER, both of which have been confirmed. Other benefits to the North-east identified for introduction include more local trains north of Newcastle. Network Rail is modelling the timetable to enable industry to focus on actions to ensure the timetable can be delivered reliably.