Written questions by Barker.

With reference to the Third Report of the Transport Select Committee of Session 2024-2 on Buses connecting communities, HC 494, published on 13 August 2025, if her Department will consider the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for under-22s.

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been allocated £20.9 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for driving tests.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.Further information on these actions and progress on the plan can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-acts-to-make-thousands-of-extra-driving-tests-available-each-month.

Whether her Department has engaged with London Northwestern Railway on improving rail connectivity between Liverpool and the mid Cheshire town of Winsford.

No specific discussions have been held with London Northwestern on the subject of the adequacy of train services between Liverpool and Winsford. West Midlands Trains, who operate London Northwestern, keep train loadings under review and is expected to propose adjustments to train lengths and timetables where possible if required.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of rail connectivity between Liverpool and the mid Cheshire town of Winsford.

No specific assessment has recently been made of the adequacy of train services between Liverpool and Winsford. West Midlands Trains, who operate London North-Western Railway, keeps train loadings under review and is expected to adjust train lengths where possible if required.

What steps her Department is taking to help (a) prevent (i) serious delays and (ii) cancellations and (b) provide adequate alternate travel provisions when weather conditions cause severe disruptions in the North West.

The Department requires train operating companies and Network Rail to put in place measures to avoid, where possible, the potential impact of disruption including as a result of weather. Network Rail owns and is responsible for maintaining railway infrastructure to ensure passenger and freight services operate safely. Officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on punctuality and reliability. Network Rail Routes liaise closely with train operators to ensure comprehensive checklists are in place and to align customer messaging. Extreme Weather Action Telecons (EWATs) are stood up in anticipation of adverse or extreme weather conditions likely to impact upon rail networks, attended by Network Rail, British Transport Police, the Rail Delivery Group, train operators and the Department. EWATs coordinate the response to severe weather, for example by prepositioning people, equipment, assets to at-risk areas and implementing speed restrictions and emergency timetables where appropriate. Where services need to be cancelled, train operators will seek to provide alternative transport where possible, although there may be instances where this is not viable.

What assessment has she made on the number of points failures on the rail network in the last 12 months.

Between the start of this financial year and 9 November, there have been 1,772 points failures compared with 1,715 points failures in the same period last year.

What assessment has she made on the adequacy of of passenger facilities at Crewe railway station as a connection point for service between the North West and (a) the West Midlands and (b) the South East.

Avanti West Coast and Network Rail are working together to address issues with the lifts and canopies at Crewe. Options to improve passenger facilities are also under consideration as part of the renewal works expected to complete by 2029.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of London Northwestern Railway.

The Department constantly scrutinise performance and challenge West Midlands Trains, who manage the performance of London Northwestern Railway. The Rail Minister has met with WMT to reiterate that improving performance is a key priority for DfT and we hold WMT to account for delivering it.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of Northern Rail.

The Secretary of State has made clear to Northern’s management that its current performance is unacceptable. That is why we issued the company with a breach of contract notice and required it to develop a recovery plan. Ministers and officials regularly meet Northern's management to drive performance improvements across its network.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of short notice changes to the timetable on the rail network.

The department is aware that short notice changes have been occurring due to factors such as incidences of infrastructure issues and traincrew shortages – with a shortage of traincrew causing a high proportion of these short notice changes. The department is working with train operators and Network Rail to address these issues.

What assessment has she made of overcrowding on Transport for Wales trains.

The specification, management and performance of Transport for Wales train services are devolved matters for Welsh Ministers.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of rail operators over weekend periods in the last six months.

The Department is aware that short notice weekend changes have been occurring, with a shortage of traincrew causing a high proportion of these short notice changes. The Department is working with train operators urgently on this issue, as the level of service in some parts of the country on weekends is unacceptable.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Network Rail on (a) congestion in major railway stations and (b) dangerous passenger transitions towards platforms in busy periods.

Network Rail is responsible for the safe operation and management of twenty major railway stations and is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road. Ministers and officials routinely engage with Network Rail to hold it to account for matters within its control and drive improvements for passengers.

Whether her Department collects data on driving theory test pass rates for those with (a) ADHD and (b) other neurodiverse conditions.

If candidates with ADHD or neurodiverse conditions (or any condition that requires the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to make special accommodations at the test centre) ask for support with taking a theory test, they need to provide evidence of the condition they have at the time of booking the test. But DVSA does not record or retain this evidence, so does not collect data on the pass rates of those who have such conditions.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing rail discounts for schools purchasing tickets for excursions.

All Department for Transport contracted operators offer some form of group discount, with some offering substantial savings for groups of 10 or more people. In addition, many train operators participate in the GroupSave offer which offers 1/3 off Off-Peak tickets for a group of three to nine people travelling together. More detail can be found on the National Rail and local train operator websites.