Written questions by Perteghella.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of current funding allocations for rural road maintenance in (a) Warwickshire and (b) Oxfordshire to address the effect on rural roads of (i) freeze-thaw conditions and (ii) heavy agricultural traffic.

The Government is investing a record £7.3 billion in local highway maintenance across England between 2026 and 2030. This long-term settlement gives local highway authorities the certainty they need to move away from short-term reactive repairs, including those caused by freeze-thaw conditions and heavy vehicles, and instead invest in preventative maintenance so that roads can be fixed properly and fewer potholes form in the first place.Over the four-year period to 2029–30, Warwickshire County Council is eligible to receive a total of £128.1 million of capital funding for highways maintenance. Oxfordshire County Council is eligible to receive a total of £167.9 million in capital funding for highways maintenance over the same period.Funding is allocated to local highway authorities based on a formula which considers road lengths and classification, and other assets like bridges and lighting columns. It is for local authorities to determine how best to spend this funding.

What mechanisms are in place to hold local highway authorities accountable when roads are left unrepaired for extended periods despite being reported as hazardous.

Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 local highway authorities themselves are responsible for maintaining their network and for the delivery of maintenance works. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. Local authorities are accountable to the public for these decisions, as they are democratically elected bodies.

What the average response time is for repairing Category 1 road defects; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure compliance with (i) statutory and (ii) recommended repair times.

The Department does not collect or hold data on local authority response times for repairing Category 1 defects nor are there any statutory or recommended repair times.Local highway authorities are responsible for maintaining their networks under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. The Act leaves maintenance standards, including when and how quickly to respond Category 1 repairs, to each authority’s judgement. The Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure advocates a risk-based approach and for authorities to take into account local conditions, traffic volumes and safety considerations when making decisions on maintenance programmes and repairs.The Government has confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years, with a portion linked to demonstrating best practice.The Department has also introduced a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on road condition, spending and use of best practice. The system encourages preventative maintenance and helps the Department target support, which is being offered to help councils improve their ratings and road conditions.

What steps she is taking to deliver well designed, well lit and safe cycling infrastructure in Stratford-on-Avon.

Active Travel England (ATE) recognises that high‑quality active travel routes must be well-designed, well-lit and safe to support walking, wheeling and cycling. On 10 December, the Department announced £626 million of multi-year capability funding to support active travel across England. As part of this allocation, Warwickshire County Council, of which Stratford‑on‑Avon is a part, will receive £9,840,039 for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. Local authorities may use this funding to plan and deliver well‑designed route layouts, appropriate and inclusive lighting, and safety improvements such as segregated cycle lanes and safer junction treatments. ATE also provides technical support and guidance to ensure local authorities deliver high‑quality schemes. National guidance, including Local Transport Note 1/20: Cycle Infrastructure Design, Manual for Streets, and Inclusive Mobility, sets clear expectations for the design of safe and accessible cycling infrastructure.

What her planned timetable is for tackling pavement parking.

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the policy options and (b) delivery mechanisms available to enable local authorities to keep pavements (i) clear and (ii) safe for people.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill includes measures to empower local leaders to regulate shared on-street cycle rental schemes, such as Lime bikes, and act decisively to address any issues of poor parking and antisocial behaviour. Rental e-scooters are already tightly controlled. The Department’s guidance specifies that there should be sufficient parking in e-scooter trial areas and local authorities should ensure they do not become obstructive to others. Operators are also using geofencing technology, parking incentives and penalties to improve parking compliance.Once the e-scooter trials end, the future framework is designed to be flexible and allows new vehicles like e-scooters, to be included as they are legalised for use on the road.The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them.

Whether her Department is considering the potential merits of extending concessionary bus fare schemes to people aged 19 to 25 in (a) encouraging public transport use and (b) establishing long-term sustainable travel habits.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding the eligibility criteria to people aged 19-25, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.The government is committed to delivering better bus services and growing patronage, and as part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Warwickshire County Council has been allocated £8.7 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, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for 19-25 years olds.

If she will take steps to help deliver (a) reliable and (b) timetabled bus services for (i) school and (ii) college students in (A) Stratford-on-Avon constituency and (B) Warwickshire.

The Government knows how important reliable and affordable bus services are in enabling people to access education, and is committed to delivering better buses throughout the country, including for school and college students. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our 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. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people.  Warwickshire County Council was allocated £8.7 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Access for All programme.

Since April 2024, 21 Access for All projects have been entered into public service, with a further 7 projects due to complete by the end of March. This will be the most stations completed in a single year since the programme began in 2006.

If she will take steps to help tackle speeding in (a) Stratford-on-Avon constituency and (b) other rural areas.

The traffic authority for this area is Warwickshire County Council, which has the responsibility of making decisions about the roads under its care, based on its knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and considerations. This includes traffic management and road environment measures as well as setting local speed limits. Law enforcement, including enforcement of road traffic offences, is an operational matter for local Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables/Commissioners. It is for the police to enforce road traffic legislation and investigate road traffic incidents using their professional judgement. Any general policy within a force is a matter for the force’s Chief Officer, who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of graduated driving licences on levels of deaths of young drivers.

Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, the Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are considering measures and their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of small training airfields on (a) local rural economies and (b) the availability of aviation training.

We recognise the role small airfields play in General Aviation as a gateway for individuals to develop their career aspirations in the aviation sector. Ministers do not routinely intervene in local planning and any consideration of directions to modify local plans including the closure of airfields will be made by the local planning authority in accordance with relevant legislation. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent aviation safety regulator and as part of their role oversee the approval of training organisations who may operate from small training airfields. In circumstances where a flying training organisation ceases operation, the CAA would work with affected trainees to find new training solutions for each of them where required.

If she will take steps to require local authorities to use the same licensing regulations for (a) private hire vehicles and (b) taxis.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set standards they consider appropriate. The Department for Transport has however issued statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. This should increase consistency in requirements and policies for taxis and private hire vehicles.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing (a) fines and (b) other sanctions on companies that use automated software programs to buy driving test appointments.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests, often at significant profit. The agency encourages all customers to book a test through the official channel on GOV.UK where customers can book, change and cancel tests. The agency does not license any service to resell test slots.DVSA is deploying enhanced bot protection on its public facing booking system to stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing and DVSA continues to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system. DVSA has had a number of external reviews of its bot mitigation methodology and approach. To date, none of the reviews have indicated any improvement was necessary or suggested changes in approach.

What progress her Department has made on preventing automated software programmes from buying driving test appointments.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests, often at significant profit. The agency encourages all customers to book a test through the official channel on GOV.UK where customers can book, change and cancel tests. The agency does not license any service to resell test slots.DVSA is deploying enhanced bot protection on its public facing booking system to stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing and DVSA continues to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system. DVSA has had a number of external reviews of its bot mitigation methodology and approach. To date, none of the reviews have indicated any improvement was necessary or suggested changes in approach.

Whether she is taking steps with Chiltern Railways to reinstate direct rail travel between London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Chiltern’s current timetable offers a service between London and Stratford Upon Avon with one change. Whilst noting that this is not a direct service, timetable decisions are for operators to make, balancing passenger demand, track availability, infrastructure constraints, and operational considerations. With these considerations in place, the operator has no current plans to offer a direct service from London Marylebone.

What steps she plans to take to increase staff retainment in rail services.

We are working with operators to support recruitment and retention and ensure they have the staff they need to robustly deliver their timetables. We will deliver the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation.