Written questions by Glover.

What progress the car insurance taskforce has made on its work; and when he expects it to report.

The Government is committed to tackling the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October 2024, has been comprised of ministers from relevant government departments, the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. It has been supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sectors.This taskforce had the strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums.The taskforce’s final report is intended to be published shortly.

Whether Great British Railways Retail will be required to comply with the statutory Code of Practice on retail market conduct managed by the Office of Rail and Road.

The retail industry code of practice announced in the Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation will incorporate clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) should interact with all market participants. The code of practice will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). GBR’s licence will require it to comply, with the ORR able to demand corrective action if it considers that GBR has not done so.

What information her Department holds on the number of (a) buses and (b) batteries manufactured by Yutong that are supplied to bus companies operating in the UK.

The information on the number of Yutong electric buses operating in the UK is already published as part of the vehicle licensing statistics.The Department does not hold data on whether batteries manufactured by Yutong are supplied separately to bus companies operating in the UK.

Whether she has had meetings with Yutong on the supply of (a) buses and (b) batteries to the UK.

To date the Secretary of State has not had any meetings with Yutong on the supply of buses and batteries to the UK.

Pu if she will list all reports and documents that train operators have (a) submitted to and (b) discussed with her Department on the reliability of battery (i) bi-mode, (ii) tri-mode, (iii) battery/electric hybrid and (iv) fully electric trains.

Department officials are working closely with train operators and Network Rail to build a full understanding of the different traction opportunities as we work towards Net Zero in rail by 2050. The rail industry has developed a range of evidence supporting the known case for the reliability and performance benefits of electric traction over diesel traction in rail. This includes work by the Rail Safety & Standards Board, the Railway Industry Association, and Network Rail, examples of which are provided below. https://www.rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue/CatalogueItem/T1145https://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/RIA/Newsroom/Publications%20Folder/Why_Rail_Electrification_Report.aspxhttps://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/RIA/Newsroom/Publications%20Folder/A_lower_cost__higher_performing_net-zero_railway.aspxhttps://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Traction-Decarbonisation-Network-Strategy-Interim-Programme-Business-Case.pdf It is also important to note that these technologies, particularly battery, are rapidly developing and our understanding is constantly growing with the support of Network Rail and our train operators.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51730 on Railways: Electrification, if she will list all reports and documents that train operators have (a) submitted to and (b) discussed with her Department on the acceleration capability of trains powered by (i) batteries, (ii) overhead catenary systems and (iii) contact rail systems for operating speeds of up to 125 miles per hour.

Department officials are working closely with train operators and Network Rail to build a full understanding of the different traction opportunities as we work towards Net Zero in rail by 2050. The Rail Industry has developed a range of evidence supporting the known case for the reliability and performance benefits of electric traction over diesel traction in rail. This includes work by the Rail Safety & Standards Board, the Railway Industry Association, and Network Rail, examples of which are provided below. https://www.rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue/CatalogueItem/T1145https://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/RIA/Newsroom/Publications%20Folder/Why_Rail_Electrification_Report.aspxhttps://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/RIA/Newsroom/Publications%20Folder/A_lower_cost__higher_performing_net-zero_railway.aspxhttps://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Traction-Decarbonisation-Network-Strategy-Interim-Programme-Business-Case.pdf It is also important to note that these technologies, particularly battery, are rapidly developing and our understanding is constantly growing with the support of Network Rail and our train operators.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51729 on Railways: Electrification, when she plans to publish the whole-life costs for (a) full and (b) partial electrification for all rolling stock traction types.

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Long-term Planning for Rail Decarbonisation' strategy, this strategy will include an examination of the whole life costs of each option to upgrade traction to set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway. We expect Network Rail to engage with industry as part of the development of this strategy and we expect to see a draft of this strategy before the end of this year.

For what reason 3-year Network Railcards have been discontinued.

The Network Railcard was introduced by British Rail in 1986 on a one-year basis, which continues to exist. There has been no withdrawal of a three-year Network Railcard, which has never existed.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential risks of the use of (a) illegal or (b) modified e-bikes being used by food delivery riders.

E-bikes must fully comply the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 in order to be legally used on the roads. This is irrespective of whether they have been modified, or whether they are being ridden by a delivery rider or anyone else. While enforcement is a matter for the police, I have written to the Chief Executives of food delivery companies, making clear that riders should be fully aware of the relevant legal requirements and that they should only be using safe and road legal e-bikes.

What steps her Department is taking to improve data collection on e-bike (a) collisions and (b) journey purpose.

E-bikes (both privately owned and as part of bike share schemes) are currently included within the pedal cycle category within the STATS19 system used by police forces to record data on personal injury collisions and overseen by the Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision statistics. The Committee have agreed to explore whether the guidance on reporting of vehicle types, including e-bikes, can be improved. At a population level, we understand there to be a low rate of usage of e-bikes. As and when usage grows, there is the potential for further insight via the National Travel Survey.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact Avanti West Coast’s non-tilting 110mph (a) Class 805 and (b) Class 807 trains on the capacity of the West Coast Main Line.

The new Avanti trains of classes 805 and 807 will make a material improvement to journeys formerly made on the Voyager trains, and will not reduce the capacity of the West Coast main line.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of shipping biofuel for use in bus fleets from Saudi Arabia on carbon emissions.

The UK’s main scheme for supporting the use of low carbon fuels (LCF), such as biofuels, in surface transport is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO delivers greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings by mandating the supply of renewable and LCF for use in UK transport, including relevant public transport modes such as buses and diesel trains. The market for LCF is global and allows suppliers to meet their obligation with LCF from countries such as Saudi Arabia, providing it meets strict sustainability criteria. LCFs must deliver GHG savings relative to fossil fuels of at least 55 to 65%, depending on when the production installation started operating, to be eligible. Suppliers must provide independent third-party verification that the biofuel meets these criteria.

What steps she is taking to promote UK-sourced renewable fuels in public transport.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) supports the use of low carbon alternatives to petrol and diesel in surface transport and covers relevant public transport modes such as buses and diesel trains. The market for renewable fuels is competitive and global. The RTFO scheme allows suppliers to fully embrace the global market by supporting renewable fuels produced from UK feedstocks and also those from outside the UK to minimise the costs passed on to end users of fuel.

Whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of importing biofuels for public transport from Saudi Arabia on the environment.

The UK’s main scheme for supporting the use of low carbon fuels (LCF), such as biofuels, in surface transport is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO delivers greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings by mandating the supply of renewable and LCF for use in UK transport, including relevant public transport modes such as buses and diesel trains. The market for LCF is global and allows suppliers to meet their obligation with LCF from countries such as Saudi Arabia, providing it meets strict sustainability criteria. LCFs must deliver GHG savings relative to fossil fuels of at least 55 to 65%, depending on when the production installation started operating, to be eligible. Suppliers must provide independent third-party verification that the biofuel meets these criteria.

Whether she has made a comparative assessment of the acceleration capability of trains powered by (a) batteries, (b) overhead catenary systems and (c) contact rail systems for operating speeds of up to 125 miles per hour.

The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the acceleration of different types of traction for operating at speeds up to 125mph. It is a matter for operators, when procuring rolling stock, to ensure that the characteristics of their fleet can meet their timetable requirements and best use of the infrastructure.

Whether she has made a comparative assessment of the whole-life costs of (a) full and (b) partial railway electrification taking into account (i) infrastructure and (ii) rolling stock including (A) fully electric (B) battery, (C) battery/electric, (D) bi-mode and (E) tri-mode trains.

The department is working closely with Network Rail to develop updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway, that considers both track and train, as well as the recent development of battery technology on the railway. As part of this process, the Department is assessing whole-life costs of both full and partial electrification with regard toall rolling stock traction types in order to decarbonise in the most cost-effective way.

What comparative assessment her Department has made of the reliability of battery (a) bi-mode, (b) tri-mode and (c) battery/electric hybrid trains and fully electric trains; and if she will publish the data underpinning this assessment.

The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the merits of different types of traction as this is a matter for operators when procuring rolling stock to deliver passenger services. The Rail Delivery Group collects common reliability data from operators and a range of industry systems as part of their role in improving performance across the industry. This data is shared with operators and other industry partners to help with reliability improvements.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) discontinuous electrification and (b) battery locomotives on (i) the decarbonisation of rail freight and (ii) increasing the use of rail freight.

The department will consider all options, including battery locomotives and discontinuous electrification, when deciding on the best solution for decarbonising freight. Currently, it is unclear what role batteries will play in freight in the short term due to range and weight considerations; however, the technology is constantly improving. The department will continue to monitor developments in battery technology, although it is expected that most decarbonisation in rail freight will come from full electrification and fuel changes. Discontinuous electrification could also play a role decarbonising freight on lines which have lower volumes of freight traffic. Additionally, electric traction has advantages of more pulling power and speed compared to diesel traction and therefore could aid rail freight growth as well as contributing to decarbonisation.

Which railways are planned for (a) full and (b) partial electrification; whether these proposals are funded; what the target delivery dates are; and whether this information is published in tabular format.

The railway is already a green form of transport and the Department want to develop an integrated strategy that joins up infrastructure investment and rolling stock plans to decarbonise rail travel effectively and efficiently for as many people as possible, which is likely to include a combination of full and partial electrification, and use of new, more efficient, technologies such as battery trains. The Department is assessing all investment plans as part of the ongoing Spending Review and will continue to announce details of schemes as decisions are taken, as was done for the major investments in East West Rail and Transpennine Route Upgrade following the Budget.

What discussions her Department has had with Network Rail on the December 2025 East Coast Main Line timetable.

The Department has been in regular discussion with Network Rail since 2018 on the new East Coast Main Line (ECML) timetable including through industry planning forums. Last year, the Department commissioned an industry taskforce, including Network Rail, to oversee the readiness for this change and make a recommendation to implement. On their advice, I approved this timetable for implementation in December 2025 to enable the full benefits of a £4 billion investment in the route.