Written questions by Kohler.

What progress she has made on providing full-step free access at Haydons Road station.

Following a recent nomination for step free upgrades at Haydons Road station, the Department and rail industry unfortunately identified limited passenger benefits. As such, limited funding is being prioritised to progress other stations which will deliver greater passenger benefits. Wimbledon station is already fully accessible and less than a mile from Haydons Road station and the TfL bus network in the local area is also fully accessible for wheelchair users.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of train overcrowding on access to railway stations for wheelchair users.

We know that overcrowding can have an additional impact on those requiring assistance to complete their journeys. The Department for Transport publishes statistics on passenger numbers and overcrowding. The latest release was in September 2024. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for making sure passengers are protected by train and station operators from any health and safety risks, such as crowding, and operators are responsible for managing the numbers and flow of passengers using their services. They must also ensure passengers are informed about potential overcrowding.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of pre-booked passenger assists.

There was an increase of 22 per cent in the number of bookings for passenger assistance in 2023/2024. We want to see further increases in the number of people who are able to pre-book assistance by making improvements to the assistance that is offered as we know it can still too often fall short of expectations. In November 2024, the Government announced over £10 million in funding to improve the Passenger Assist scheme – the service that enables disabled passengers, or other people who may require help, to book and receive assistance to enable them to make a journey by rail. The improvements, to be delivered over the next two years, will see a step-change in how assistance is provided. For example, the ability for customers to communicate directly with staff on arrival and as they travel, as well as a help function to connect customers to staff in the event of feeling stranded or unsafe.

What proportion of railway stations have level boarding for passengers.

The Government is strongly committed to making the oldest railway in the world accessible. We will continue to take the Access for All programme forward as fast as funds allow. The Government programme of rail reform will end years of fragmentation – bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers with more reliable, better-quality services and improved accessibility. Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) will start to provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that improve performance for the benefit of all passengers and taxpayers with accessibility of stations and trains always in mind.

How many and what proportion of train platforms have tactile platforms.

Using £75m of government funding, Network Rail have recently completed a programme to install platform edge tactiles at all mainline stations that did not have them in place or where they were planned to be installed as part of another enhancement or renewal project. This leaves 20 stations across Britain without tactiles out of a total of 2585 stations, with the majority of these to be installed this year or early in 2026.

Whether she plans to publish her Department's review of the Access for All Scheme.

Various reviews of the Access for All programme have been undertake by the Department for Transport, the Government Internal Audit Agency and Network Rail. A number of changes to the programme have been implemented around Network Rail resourcing, governance and supply chain engagement. We are starting to see the benefits of these changes with the programme due to complete 27 projects in financial year 24/25.The review has been completed in full. However, any decision regarding its publication will be a matter for the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The report has found that the governance structures are generally strong, with only minor recommendations for improvement.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport on future trends in respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential causes of the underspend of the Access of All Scheme.

After Network Rail’s failure to deliver a large number of Access for All projects between 2014 and 2019, various reviews of the Access for All programme have been undertake by the Department for Transport and Network Rail. A number of changes to the programme have been implemented around Network Rail resourcing, governance and supply chain engagement. We are starting to see the benefits of these changes with the programme due to complete 27 projects in financial year 24/25.

What progress she has made on the feasibility study for installing lifts at Raynes Park station under the Access for All programme; and what her planned timetable is for the completion of those lifts.

Feasibility work for step free access at Raynes Park station is underway. We expect all 50 of the feasibility studies announced last year to be complete in April. We expect to be able to confirm which stations will move forward over the summer.

Whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential impact of expanding (a) Heathrow and Gatwick airports and (b) regional airports on (i) the economy, (ii) connectivity, (iii) the environment, (iv) health and (v) inequalities.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution. On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.

Whether the car insurance taskforce has been formally established; and whether its remit has been defined.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. The taskforce has a 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, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of use of electric vehicles on emissions in the next 15 years.

The main driver of electric vehicle uptake in the UK is expected to be the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate for cars and vans. This has legislated zero emission vehicle targets for sales of new cars, rising from 22% of new car sales in 2024 to 80% in 2030, and for sales of new vans, rising from 10% in 2024 to 70% in 2030. A cost benefit analysis was published alongside the regulation that estimates that this uptake of zero emission vehicles will deliver greenhouse gas savings of 29 Mt CO2e across carbon budget 5 (2028-2032), 79 Mt CO2e across carbon budget 6 (2033-2037), and a total of 420 Mt CO2e savings from 2024-2050.

If she will publish the (a) objectives, (b) timeline and (c) interim findings of the car insurance taskforce.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce was launched in October. It is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. The taskforce has a 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, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Heathrow expansion on road traffic composition.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.

What plans she has to mitigate potential health inequalities from air pollution as a result of Heathrow expansion; and whether her Department has developed modelling on the health impact of Heathrow expansion on Heathrow staff by salary band.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.

What steps she is taking to help reduce occupational exposure to (a) ultrafine particles and (b) toxic emissions for (i) baggage handlers, (ii) ground staff (iii) and freight workers at Heathrow airport.

The UK has a robust and well-established occupational safety and health regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) (as amended) Regulations 2002, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), require employers in GB to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances including chemicals. Under COSHH, employers have a duty to assess the risk and ensure that the exposure of their employees to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled. HSE has not visited Heathrow Airport to look at this issue specifically. HSE expect all employers to ensure they follow the requirements of COSHH and act accordingly to meet their statutory duties. The Department for Transport (DfT) seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health and wellbeing, including those who work at airports, in the context of other government priorities. It is in regular contact on issues of air quality with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care. While there are currently no legal limits for ultra fine particulate concentrations, air quality at Heathrow Airport is closely monitored and is reported in its Sustainability Reports. Emissions from aircraft are strictly regulated by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). ICAO sets global standards to limit emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulates and some other air pollutants from aircraft engines. The UK has played a leading role in developing these standards and supports the aviation industry's actions to cut airport-related emissions. This includes operating aircraft more efficiently, introducing new lower emission technologies and practices, reducing vehicle emissions within the airport boundary, and improving public transport links to airports.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion of (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick Airport on the level of nitrogen dioxide emissions in (i) Greater London and (ii) the South East.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution. On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.

What independent modelling her Department has used to conduct cost-benefit analysis of Heathrow expansion; and whether this analysis included consideration of (a) air pollution-related illnesses and premature deaths and (b) NHS expenditure.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Heathrow airport expansion on trends in the level of particulate matter.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution. On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the levels of air pollution on (a) economic productivity and (b) workforce participation.

The Government assesses the impact on labour productivity and workforce participation of changes in air pollution from new policies. The Defra's damage cost guidance is used for these assessments and is publicly available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assess-the-impact-of-air-quality/air-quality-appraisal-damage-cost-guidance. We estimate that achieving the Environment Act targets for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) will result in an increase in economic productivity valued at £710 million over the period from 2023 to 2040. [Source: The Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) (England) Regulations 2022].