Written questions by Blake.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the performance of South Western Railway.

The new Managing Director of South Western Railway (SWR), Lawrence Bowman, is responsible for both the infrastructure and operations of the SWR network. The new integrated team is working hard to address the issues inherited from the previous private sector operator. Officials are supporting SWR in the delivery of these improvements. Performance is still below the level that passengers should expect but progress is being made. The number of Arterio trains in service has more than quadrupled under public ownership and SWR has accelerated the recruitment of drivers to address traincrew shortages. Also, over £2 billion of works is being delivered in the current five-year control period to help improve the resilience of railway infrastructure.

What steps she plans to take to support former officers of the British Transport Police who are experiencing psychological trauma linked to their service, in the context of the 20th anniversary of the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks.

I am grateful to all those who stepped into danger to keep Londoners safe and we will all remember the tragic deaths of 52 innocent people. Former British Transport Police officers are entitled to support from the Police Care UK charity who specialise in providing services for retired and serving officers including psychological support and therapy. The families of officers can also access this support.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of applying speed limits for motor vehicles to (a) pedal bicycles and (b) e-bikes.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of applying speed limits for motor vehicles to (a) pedal bicycles and (b) e-bikes.Like all road users, people who cycle have a duty to behave in a safe and responsible manner and follow the rules of the road.While speed limits set under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 only apply to motor vehicles, cyclists can still be charged with careless or dangerous cycling offences depending on the circumstances.E-bikes that do not comply with the Electrically Pedal Assisted Cycles regulations, which include a requirement for power assist to cut off at 15.5 miles per hour, are classed as mechanically propelled vehicles. So, riders are already subject to speed limits while riding these bikes if power assist is being used. Riders may cycle faster than 15.5 miles per hour using pedal power.Cyclists are in practice seldom able to exceed the speed limits that apply to motorised vehicles.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) organisations that represent local authorities on the use of dockless e-bikes.

The department works closely with local authorities and their representative organisations to deliver our shared transport objectives. My officials regularly meet with local authority officials to discuss specific transport challenges and better understand how to identify and tackle problems that arise as well as how to make the most of opportunities. Dockless e-bikes are a good example of this. I also correspond frequently with local leaders on the use of dockless e-bikes in their area and would like to take this opportunity to further encourage such dialogue. The experience and expertise shared by local authorities in correspondence with me and with officials is invaluable as I carefully consider the next steps on policy in this area.

If she will introduce advanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.

The Pedicabs (London) Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024, confers powers onto Transport for London (TfL) to regulate London’s pedicab industry for the first time. TfL is preparing to consult on these prospective regulations, which will include enhanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.

What data her Department holds on the number of road traffic incidents which involved bicycles operated by (a) Lime and (b) Forest in 2023.

The Department does not hold the information requested. The Department collects information on personal injury road collisions reported to police via the STATS19 data collection system. STATS19 data does not require information on whether the vehicle was hired, or who the operator of a hired vehicle was.