Written questions by Vickers.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the British Transport Police’s screening policy, including any value or time-window criteria on (a) cycle-theft reporting rates at railway stations and (b) public confidence in the policing of station environments; and whether she has discussions with British Transport Police on ensuring pedal-cycle thefts with available CCTV evidence are investigated.

The British Transport Police (BTP) are operationally independent and how they deploy their resources across the network is for the Chief Constable to decide. Criminal activity, including cycle theft, is not tolerated on the network and BTP are committed to keeping the railway safe for passengers and rail staff. The BTP crime screening policy, introduced in August 2024, does not automatically rule out crimes for investigation and the full circumstances of an incident are considered on an individual basis.It is essential that members of the public and rail staff continue to report incidents to the BTP by texting 61016, or calling 999 in an emergency so that they can build their policing intelligence picture and refine their data led patrol plans across the entire rail network for officer deployments and identifies hotspots for targeted intervention.

With reference to the British Transport Police's crime-screening policy introduced in August 2024, if she will publish the formal guidance for pedal-cycle theft (J13) and the operational factors used to determine when an offence is progressed to investigation; and if she will publish quarterly data showing the number of (a) pedal-cycle thefts reported, (b) investigated, and (c) closed without investigation, broken down by (i) cycle value and the (ii) availability of (A) CCTV and (B) witness evidence.

The British Transport Police (BTP), like their Home Office force counterparts, are operationally independent and decisions on whether to release guidance are for the Chief Constable to make. Crime figures for the BTP are collated by the Home Office and published on the Office for National Statistics website.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the British Transport Police works with (a) her Department, (b) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies to reduce pedal-cycle theft at railway stations, including through collaboration on prevention measures such as secure cycle parking, lighting and CCTV coverage.

The Department is committed to working with the rail industry and the British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure that the railway remains a safe environment for passengers and rail staff. BTP works in partnership with rail operators to make stations hostile environments for potential bike thieves with measures focused on cycle storage. The force frequently works with rail operators, local partners and Home Office police forces, to run public events that raise awareness of preventative measures passengers can take to deter criminals, and offer services such as offering free bike marking.

What assessment has been made of public satisfaction with recent timetable changes across rail services.

The new continuous rail customer experience survey started in July to provide improved, robust and reliable customer insight to the rail industry, including measuring customer satisfaction of different aspects of rail service. Metrics within the survey include satisfaction with punctuality and frequency of services, as well as overall satisfaction.

What steps are being taken to improve transport accessibility for people with disabilities in smaller stations.

Whenever the rail industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure, this needs to comply with current accessibility standards. We have also continued to fund the Access for All programme, which has delivered more than 270 accessible routes at stations and smaller improvements at around 1500 stations, including many smaller and rural stations. We have also installed platform edge tactile paving at all stations across Britain, to aid visually impaired passengers.

What discussions have taken place with local leaders on improving bus services in areas affected by recent operator withdrawals.

Buses in England outside London were deregulated by the Transport Act 1985 and are largely run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision. However, the Department for Transport regularly engages with local authority representatives to discuss local bus services, including in instances where operators withdraw services. Where operators take decisions to withdraw services, we expect them to work with local authorities to minimise disruption to passengers. We are taking action to give local leaders the powers they need to deliver better bus services for passengers, including through the Bus Services Act 2025, and through investing over £1 billion in 2025/26 to support and improve bus services in England outside London, of which £7.2 million has been allocated to the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, this could include expanding services and improving reliability, which are currently significant obstacles for too many people. Local authorities can also choose to subsidise certain services where commercial provision is not sufficient to meet the needs of local communities and where it represents value for money.

What plans she has to expand EV charging infrastructure in underserved regions.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 November 2025, Government and industry have supported the installation of 86,798 publicly available charging devices, up 22% on this time last year. In 2024, the number of publicly available charging devices in rural areas of England increased by 45%.Government’s £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund allocated capital and resource funding across England. Funding allocations were determined through an assessment of local authority need, including deprivation levels and rurality. The North East region was allocated over £25m LEVI funding to leverage significant private investment and expand the number of local public chargepoints across the region.The £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant is also available, which is intended to empower local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging solutions. The North East was allocated over £1.6m to support the installation of pavement channels alongside public chargepoints.

What plans there are to improve safety measures on rural A-roads with higher-than-average collision rates.

The Government recognises that the majority of road fatalities (according to the latest statistics) occurred on rural roads (60%) with fewer fatalities on urban roads (35%) and motorways (5%). Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government is working hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies which will have national reach. More details will be set out in due course.

What steps she is taking to help increase driver numbers in the logistics sector.

The Government is committed to supporting the logistics sector in developing the skilled workforces it needs. The Government has confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps in 2025-26 to support more than 40,000 learners. Skills Bootcamps will remain an important part of skills provision and are now funded through Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local areas directly, empowering local leaders with greater control over skills development. Local leaders are considering what occupations, including HGV driving, to prioritise. The Government also continues to support the sector with skills training through the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver apprenticeships, and through Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) via Jobcentre Plus.

What assessment has been made of progress on introducing simpler and more integrated fares across rail and bus networks.

The Government recognises the value of greater integration between rail and bus networks, including in relation to ticketing and fares, and will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and passengers to improve the fares and ticketing offer for passengers across England. PlusBus is a well-established integrated ticketing product, allowing passengers to add unlimited local bus and tram travel to their rail ticket where available. A digital version is now available in many regions across England, making combined journeys simpler and more convenient. Programmes currently under development in England also recognise the aspiration for smart, multi-modal ticketing. This includes the Department 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 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.

What recent assessment has been made of the reliability of regional rail services serving the North East.

Rail North Partnership, through which the Department and Transport for the North jointly manage Northern Trains’ and TransPennine Express’ contracts, works closely with these operators, as the Department does with intercity operators, and Mayor McGuiness to deliver the reliable services passengers in the North East want and deserve, taking account of operational and financial constraints on operators and the network.

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of active-travel funding allocations to local authorities.

Active travel funding allocations are based on capability level as assessed through Active Travel England’s annual capability ratings process. The ratings are used to allocate funding and to provide the right support to authorities to help them develop capability to deliver high quality schemes. This process has resulted in an increase in the number of active travel schemes completed on schedule from 58% in 2023/4 to 69% in 2024/5. Since being established in 2022, Active Travel England (ATE) has provided over £560 million of funding to authorities. ATE have overseen the creation of over 400 miles of new walking and cycling routes (and hundreds of safer crossing and junctions) that the above funding has provided. There has also been a 9% improvement in the (published) assessment by Active Travel England on local councils’ ability to deliver schemes overall (from 2022/23 to 2023/24).

What steps are being taken to help reduce flight delays at regional airports.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. UK airports and airlines are therefore responsible for ensuring appropriate contingency plans are in place to minimise potential disruption. The Department regularly engages with the UK aviation sector around resilience issues and to gain assurance of their preparedness plans, particularly ahead of peak travel periods. In the UK there is a robust legislative framework in place to protect consumers in the event of cancellation, long delays, and denied boarding. Airlines are responsible for ensuring they provide passengers with the required support, and this is enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

What steps she is taking to support local authorities with highway maintenance costs.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our roads and has pledged to support local authorities. By 2029/30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed allocations for four years of funding, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. This is in addition to the Government’s investment of £1.6 billion in 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to 2024/25. Local authorities should prioritise preventative treatments, such as surface dressing and other measures, to stop potholes forming in the first place. This focus on best practice is why a portion of funding is designated as incentive funding. This incentive funding will be subject to local authorities demonstrating that they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, for example by spending all DfT’s capital grant on highways maintenance and adopting more preventative maintenance.

What the average waiting time was for a practical driving test at driving test centres in (a) Darlington, (b) Middlesbrough (c) Hartlepool,(d) Northallerton and (e) England in the latest period for which data is available.

The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, for driving test centres in (a) Darlington, (b) Middlesbrough (c) Hartlepool (d) Northallerton and (e) England, can be found in the table below. LocationAverage Waiting Times Oct 25Darlington23.0 WeeksMiddlesbrough24.0 WeeksHartlepool24.0 WeeksNorthallerton22.5 WeeksEngland22.4 Weeks

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Local Transport Fund on journey times in the North East.

The Local Transport Fund was an unfunded commitment made by the previous government. As the Secretary of State has said publicly, her department will not be pursuing this scheme. The North East receives local transport funding from the department, including from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and the Transport for City Region settlements (TCR). Mayors are responsible for identifying and delivering schemes that meet local priorities and align to the objectives of funding, including the benefits of these schemes.

What steps she is taking to ensure that rail stations in the North East meet accessibility standards.

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.In the North East, five Access for All projects have been undertaken, four of which are now complete, with one currently under construction. Nominations for future rounds of funding will benefit from strong industry support and a proportion of third party match funding.

What assessment she has made of the level of effectiveness of e-scooter trials in reducing urban congestion.

E-scooters can offer an alternative means of transport to those who would usually drive a car, which could have a positive impact on reducing congestion. Many of the benefits of e-scooters depend on mode shift. The first national evaluation of the e-scooter trials assessed various impacts, including mode shift, however this concluded in 2021. That is why we have commissioned a second national evaluation of the e-scooter trials, due to conclude in May 2026. This evaluation will explore what journeys e-scooters are replacing; how they integrate with public transport; their safety for users and for others; and the accessibility impacts of e-scooters.

If she will estimate the number of potholes repaired in the North East since 2020.

The Government’s road condition statistics consider a broader definition of road condition than numbers of potholes, and so official data on this aspect of road condition is not available for the years requested. However, as announced in March, local highway authorities must publish transparency reports about their maintenance activities to unlock their full share of the Government’s £500m uplift for local highways maintenance this year. This includes publishing an estimate of the number of potholes they have filled in each of the last five years. Reports are available on local highway authorities’ websites and officials are in the process of reviewing these.

What steps she is taking to ensure major infrastructure projects in the North East are delivered on time and on budget.

This government is investing significantly in the North East to improve transport connectivity and grow the economy. Following the recent Spending Review, we announced funding for Nexus to develop an upgrade to the signalling system on the Tyne and Wear Metro and confirmed our continued support for the Tyne Bridge and Central Motorway scheme. These major schemes will be for local delivery, with the North East Mayor and local authorities responsible for ensuring they are delivered on time and to budget. My Department maintains close contact with local partners responsible for delivering these schemes. In addition, the North East and Tees Valley mayoral combined authorities receive funding to deliver local transport projects through various funds, including the City Region Sustainable Transport and Transport for City Regions settlements (CRSTS and TCR). The respective Mayors for these areas are responsible for ensuring delivery of these projects and report regularly into the Department on progress. Furthermore, the North East will benefit from the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, which we recently confirmed we will be progressing. We will develop the delivery timetable as part of the process of setting the next Road Investment Strategy.