Written questions by Dyke.

Whether she has had discussions with the travel agent sector on the processing of refunds where an airline has cancelled a flight and confirmed that passengers are entitled to a refund without a penalty fee.

The Department has had discussions with travel agents and airlines on a range of issues. In the UK, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261”) sets out the rights of passengers in the event of flight cancellations. Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, passengers are entitled to a choice between a full refund or re-routing. Where a flight booking has been made through a travel agent, passengers should, in the first instance, contact the agent in cases such as flight cancellations. The Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide provides passengers with information on their rights and responsibilities when travelling by air, including a dedicated section on cancellations.

Whether her Department has issued guidance on the application of the ‘Act of War’ clause for customers of travel agents and airlines; and whether there are regulatory protections in place to ensure passengers receive appropriate refunds.

In the UK, Regulation 261/2004 sets out the rights of passengers in the event of cancellations, long delays and denied boarding. Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, then passengers would be entitled to a choice between a full refund or to be re-routed. These rights would apply if disruption were linked to war. Information on air passenger rights is already available in the Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently provided specific advice to passengers in response to the Middle East disruption.

What steps National Highways is taking to record the potential impact of historic drainage networks associated with major roads on (a) downstream flooding and (b) river pollution.

National Highways’ (NH) standard practice is to report all flood events on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). This includes flood events within 200 metres of the SRN, or within 500 metres of a NH drainage asset. All such flood events are recorded in NH’s drainage data management system (DDMS). NH also maintain drainage and water quality records on its DDMS.

If she will provide additional funding to help mitigate ongoing soil moisture deficit effects for railway companies.

The Department for Transport funds Network Rail to operate, maintain, and develop the nation's railway infrastructure. As the climate changes, we expect to see hotter, drier summers, and therefore we will expect to encounter more instances of soil moisture deficit. To plan for the changing climate, Network Rail is undertaking a programme of adaptation pathways across the network to develop a long-term strategic adaptation plan and identify priority areas for further adaptation investment. This approach will help identify those parts of the network which may require work to increase resilience to enable safe and reliable services to continue in the future climate. Adaptation pathways consider different climate hazards, including those which affect earthworks, such as soil moisture deficit and heavy rain. This work is already informing discussions for future funding periods.The soil moisture deficit was particularly disruptive for South Western Railway’s West of England line customers this summer, with a reduced timetable having been in place since August.South Western Railway and Network Rail closely monitored the ground conditions, and as soon as it was safe to do so, the track repairs were made. I am pleased to confirm that the usual timetable will be reinstated from Saturday 29 November.

What discussions she has had with South Western Railway on the delivery of new stock.

Department officials meet regularly with South Western Railway (SWR) to hold it accountable for performance, safety, and fleet. The rollout of the new Arterio trains is continuing with great progress being made. Since transferring to public ownership, the number of trains in service has quadrupled with 28 now in service. In addition to the new Arterio fleet, SWR is currently in the process of refurbishing its Class 158 and 159 diesel fleet, which will benefit customers using the West of England line. Collectively, the enhancements will improve comfort, connectivity and productivity for customers travelling on these trains.

What steps she is taking to ensure communities can access local railways.

To ensure communities have access to the local railways, this Government is committed to improving accessibility, customer support, and helping to remove barriers to travel for all users of public transport. Accessibility is an important part of ensuring communities can access local railways, which is why we will soon be publishing an Accessibility Roadmap that sets out how we will deliver a more accessible railway in the lead up to Great British Railways. The Government also looks to connect communities directly with their local train operators through initiatives such as the Customer and Communities Improvement Schemes which aims to fund community-led projects that deliver a positive social impact in local communities across the country. The Department also provides support for the Community Rail Network and Partnerships. Community Rail initiatives take many forms across Great Britain, united by a common goal of improving accessibility, connecting people, and bringing the railway into communities. Community Rail Partnerships deliver projects which bring benefits to local communities through social, environmental and economic growth.

What steps she is taking to support local authorities to provide more rail-bus links.

The Government knows that public transport needs to be better integrated in order to improve the experience for passengers, providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links. The Government is taking action to help improve local bus services and encourage greater integration between transport modes.We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October, to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Somerset Council has been allocated £6.8 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area.The Government also intends to publish its long-term strategy for transport to set the vision for domestic transport across England. It will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people, including those in rural areas.

What steps she is taking to improve access to electric vehicle charging for disabled people.

To address the specific barriers disabled EV drivers face when using public chargepoints, the Government co-sponsored the publication of the Publically Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 standard, which provides specifications on designing and installing accessible public EV chargepoints and considers chargepoints in the context of their wider built environment.  The Government continues to work with industry and other parties to ensure effective implementation of PAS1899 and to support the 24-month review of the PAS, which is being led by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and concludes early in 2025. The Government will continue to monitor progress to assess whether further intervention is needed on accessibility over time.

Whether her Department has carried out an impact assessment of ending the £2 bus fare cap.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the government’s top priorities as we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is looking at the future of the £2 fare cap as a matter of urgency and is considering the most appropriate and affordable approach for the future of the scheme. The Department also published an interim report in September 2023 setting out emerging trends in key outcomes from the first two months of the scheme. The report is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-2-bus-fare-cap/2-bus-fare-cap-evaluation-interim-report-february-2023.