Written questions by Kohler.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lack of clarity on the northern leg of HS2 on the the train manufacturing industry in the UK.

The Department for Transport is developing a Rolling Stock Strategy. This will align with the wider objectives of the industry in ending the current variability in production rates and ensuring a stable pipeline of work for the rolling stock supply chain. Once established, Great British Railways will take the strategy forward providing a long-term approach to future rolling stock needs and helping to secure better value from the private rolling stock market.

Whether plans for the development of Euston Station for HS2 include (a) provisions and (b) reserved space for potential expansion from six platforms.

The Department for Transport is working with key partners to develop affordable plans for the Euston Station. This will include consideration of options to allow future expansion of the HS2 station. We will set out more details in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the proposed number of platforms for HS2 at Euston Station from 11 to 6 on the economic case for HS2.

The decision to reduce the number of platforms at Euston formed part of the overall changes to the HS2 programme made under the Network North announcement. The accounting officer assessment details the impacts of these changes on the value for money case for HS2. The accounting officer assessment is publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-major-projects-portfolio-accounting-officer-assessments/continuing-investment-in-hs2-phase-1-accounting-officer-assessment-october-2023. Further clarification was provided to the Public Accounts Committee, which is publicly available at committees.parliament.uk/publications/42799/documents/212828/default/.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of extending the VAT exemption for adapted motor vehicles for disabled people to include taxis.

The VAT treatment of goods and services is a matter for His Majesty's Treasury. One of the requirements of the Plug-in Taxi Grant, which offers a discount of up to £6,000 to support the uptake of ULEV taxis, is that the vehicle should be wheelchair accessible.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of removing VAT from small-vehicle public transport.

The VAT treatment of goods and services is a matter for His Majesty's Treasury.

What steps she is taking to help increase access to (a) demand-responsive public transport and (b) dial-a-ride services.

The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. This includes introducing Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services where appropriate and desired, as part of the overall bus network. The Department is supporting 16 pilot DRT projects in 16 innovative demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across England through the £20m Rural Mobility Fund (RMF). Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process. This will provide a strong base of evidence and good practice for DRT and a better understanding of both the role it can play and the challenges associated with introducing it. The Government’s funding includes £3.8 million for community transport operators, through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), supporting them to continue delivering inclusive and accessible transport across the country.

With reference to the report entitled £2 bus fare cap evaluation: interim report, published on 17 May 2023, if her Department will publish the final report.

The Department has published two interim reports setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the national bus fare cap scheme, and further updates will be provided in due course. These reports are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap.On Monday 28 October, the Prime Minister confirmed the government will introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares from 1 January 2025 until the end of 2025. The £2 cap on single bus fares had been due to come to an end on 31 December 2024. This will be replaced by the £3 cap to help millions access better opportunities, and promote greater bus use by passengers.

With reference to the report entitled £2 bus fare cap evaluation: interim report, published on 17 May 2023, whether her Department prepared a final report before 24 May 2024.

The Department has published two interim reports setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the national bus fare cap scheme. These reports are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap. On Monday 28 October, the Prime Minister confirmed the government will introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares from 1 January 2025 until the end of 2025. The £2 cap on single bus fares had been due to come to an end on 31 December 2024. This will be replaced by the £3 cap to help millions access opportunities, and promote bus use by passengers.