Written questions by Shastri-Hurst.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of bus service provision per capita in (a) Solihull Metropolitan Borough, (b) Warwickshire, (c) Worcestershire and (d) Birmingham City Council areas; and how that compares to the national average.

The Department for Transport publishes statistics on vehicle distance travelled on local bus services, which can be used as a proxy for bus service provision. These figures have been combined with Office for National Statistics population estimates to assess trends in provision per capita. The year ending March 2024 figures have been calculated using mid-year 2023 population estimates, as these are the latest available figures. Data for Solihull and Birmingham is not available, so figures for West Midlands Combined Authority have been provided instead. Table: Vehicle distance travelled (kilometres) per capita on local bus services from year ending March 2015. 2015201620172018201920202021202220232024Warwickshire25.622.125.624.524.124.116.819.920.818.1Worcestershire19.517.819.116.617.717.113.413.78.99.0West Midlands Combined Authority42.942.041.239.839.639.034.635.332.033.5England outside London34.032.832.130.529.928.923.225.823.924.0

What estimate her Department has made of the number of road traffic fatalities related to potholes in (a) Solihull Borough, (b) the city of Birmingham, (c) Warwickshire, (d) Oxfordshire and (e) Worcestershire in each of the last four years.

Statistics on reported road injury collisions in Great Britain are published based on data reported by police via the data collection known as STATS19. Within STATS19, reporting police officers can assign up to 6 factors which they believe may have contributed to the collision, including ‘poor or defective road surface’. Contributory factors are assigned based on the opinions of the reporting officer at the scene or within a short time of the collision, rather than a detailed investigation. The number of road fatalities where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” in Solihull Borough, the city of Birmingham, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire for the last 4 years for which data are available totalled 1 fatality. This fatality occurred in Warwickshire in 2020.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing bus fares on customers.

The previous bus fare cap was unfunded beyond 2024. The Government is stepping in and investing over £150 million to ensure single bus fares in England outside London remain capped at £3 throughout 2025. The cap ensures that millions can continue to travel for less and access better opportunities with potential savings of up to 80% on some routes.

If she will take steps to increase capacity on Chiltern Railways.

We continue to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support delivery of its train fleet renewal programme to improve passenger experience and drive sustainable growth across the region. Chiltern is exploring options to procure additional trains, while following robust assurance steps to ensure it has a strong business case that delivers value for money for the taxpayer.

What steps she is taking to promote safety on international maritime trade routes.

The UK is an active and committed member of IMO, the international body with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping. As a contracting Government to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), and other safety related instruments, the UK has implemented regulations that require UK-flagged merchant ships to comply with internationally agreed safety standards when operating on any international route. The UK shares information and guidance with Red Ensign flagged vessels to support them in implementing adequate and proportionate measures to support safe operations in challenging environments.