Written questions by Gibson.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential for UK hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to contribute to the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as (a) heavy machinery and (b) heavy transport.

The Government expects hydrogen to play a role in decarbonising applications where there are limited alternatives such as maritime, aviation, and off-road machinery. This includes through use as a fuel directly, in a fuel cell, and to produce other low-carbon fuels such as ammonia, methanol, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Government plans to publish a renewed Hydrogen Strategy in early 2026 to sharpen our priorities, deepen industry collaboration, and unlock the full potential of hydrogen over the next decade. The Department has long supported the research, development, and deployment of hydrogen‑powered transport, including through ensuring hydrogen is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate, through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator, the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, and the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme.

What the total funding allocated to councils and businesses for electric vehicle charging infrastructure was in the 2025 Spending Review; and what this allocation was in the previous five years.

In the 2025 Spending Review £400 million of capital funding was allocated to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. This includes along the strategic road network in England, charging infrastructure to facilitate the deployment of zero emission vans and HGVs, and existing grants. This builds on £200 million allocated to support charging infrastructure in 2025/26.In the previous five financial years, from 2019/20 to 2024/25, £456.2 million capital funding was provided for charging infrastructure, including through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.

What plans the Department has to involve (a) passengers and (b) rail user groups in Wiltshire in the development of the proposed independent passenger watchdog.

The new Passenger Watchdog will be established alongside Great British Railways, enabled by the forthcoming Railways Bill. We recently consulted on our legislative proposals, including the watchdog, and we are currently reviewing the responses received. A Government response will be published in due course.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Wiltshire and (b) other rural counties are not deprioritised under the new decision-making framework proposed for Great British Railways.

Great British Railways (GBR) will be organised to work collaboratively with devolved leaders and local stakeholders and ensure rail services meet local needs. All tiers of local government in England will benefit from empowered local GBR business units that are outward-facing and engage local authorities on their priorities and Local Transport Plans. The Government supports greater involvement for devolved and local leaders as they know their areas best. Our proposals intend to balance GBR’s directing mind role with ensuring that devolved and local priorities are a significant consideration in its decision making.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the transition of passenger rail services into public ownership on rail provision in Wiltshire.

The Government is committed to delivering an improved railway for all users across Britain, including those in Wiltshire. We are taking steps to ensure a smooth transition for staff and passengers as services transfer into public ownership. There will be no immediate changes to the running of services at the point of transfer, however, under public ownership, services will be run in the interests of passengers, not shareholders. One by one we are returning the railways to the service of passengers. It will take time, but we’re setting up a railway people can be proud of. Later this session we will be introducing legislation to enable the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR) as the new directing mind for the railways. Unifying track and train under a single public body will deliver better services for passengers and freight customers and better value for money for taxpayers.

Whether Great British Railways will be required to take into account the specific needs of (a) Wiltshire and (b) other rural and semi-rural areas when determining (i) future service levels and (ii) timetables.

Great British Railways (GBR) will plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money to the taxpayer. GBR will work with all Local Transport Authorities, including Wiltshire, on their priorities and Local Transport Plans.

Whether he is taking steps to ensure that local stakeholders in Wiltshire will have a role in shaping the (a) 30-year strategic plan and (b) five-year business plans proposed for Great British Railways.

In its role as the ‘directing mind’, Great British Railways (GBR) will bring track and train together and plan services on a whole-system basis, to better deliver for passengers, taxpayers, and freight customers, and to unlock growth. This will include working closely with devolved leaders and local partners, drawing on their experiences and expertise. As set out in Getting Britain Moving, the Government intends that all Local Transport Authorities, including Wiltshire, will benefit from empowered local GBR business units that will engage local authorities on their priorities and Local Transport Plans, and seek to ensure the railway plays its part in delivering them where possible. This will include working with sub-national transport bodies on matters of wider regional interest. The Secretary of State will engage with key stakeholders as the Long-Term Rail Strategy is developed and GBR will engage with stakeholders as it develops its plans to translate the strategy into operational decisions.

What recent discussions her Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) transport groups on the potential implementation of proposed rail reform proposals in Wiltshire.

In February, the Department for Transport launched an eight-week consultation “A railway fit for Britain’s future”. As part of that, a webinar event was held for stakeholders to come and ask questions. Further detailed discussions were held with sub national transport groups and community rail. The Department plans to use the publication of the Government’s response to that consultation to set out next steps for rail reform.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the £7 million allocated to Wiltshire Council under the bus service improvement plan 2025–26 in meeting the county's rural transport needs.

The government allocated £6.9 million to Wiltshire Council in 25/26 through the £712 million Local Authority Bus Grant to support and improve bus services. This includes £4 million to support the delivery of Wiltshire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). The government used a formula to determine BSIP allocations in 25/26 based on need, including population, the distance that buses travel, and the levels of deprivation. Under the formula, Wiltshire Council have seen an increase in BSIP funding compared to 24/25, when they were allocated £2.1 million.This funding can be used whichever way the local transport authority wishes to deliver better bus services for passengers, including supporting bus services in rural areas.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Great Western Railway’s proposals to reduce (a) ticket office windows and (b) station staffing levels on passenger (i) service and (ii) safety in Wiltshire.

While ticket office opening hours are regulated through the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process, the operation of ticket office windows and staffing levels is the responsibility of the train operator. We understand that Great Western Railway has no plans to reduce station staff in Wiltshire.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Great Western Railway’s proposed reductions on ticket office staffing on access for disabled and elderly passengers in Wiltshire; and if she will publish that assessment.

Any changes to ticket office opening hours in relation to regulated stations covered by Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) must be made following the TSA process and Secretary of State guidance. This includes a requirement to consider the impact the change will have on those with protected characteristics. No proposal has been submitted through the TSA Process.

If she will publish the average bus punctuality rates for Wiltshire for each year since 2015.

The average bus punctuality rates (specifically, the percentage of non-frequent bus services running on time) for Wiltshire are available for each year between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2024 in the Department’s published Annual Bus Statistics. This data can be found in Table BUS09a: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#bus-reliability-and-punctuality-bus09.

What steps she has taken to (a) support and (b) encourage the installation of more audio-visual real time information on (i) busses and (ii) trains for (A) visually-impaired and (B) hard of hearing passengers in Wiltshire.

The government is committed to improving transport services right across the country, including in Wiltshire, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide accessible audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026. Last year, the Department launched the £4.65 million Accessible Information Grant Scheme, to support the smallest bus and coach companies to provide audible and visible information onboard their services consistent with the Regulations. With regard to rail, as of 1 January 2022, all passenger rolling stock is compliant with modern accessibility standards, including the requirement to have a dynamic audio-visual passenger information system for the benefit in particular of vision-impaired and hearing-impaired passengers.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) early morning and (b) late evening bus services in Wiltshire for (i) shift workers and (ii) NHS staff.

The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to keeping communities connected, and ensuring people can get to education and work, including shift workers and NHS staff. The government believes that local transport authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine and design local bus networks in their area. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of communities that rely on them. In addition, 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, of which Wiltshire Council has been allocated £6.9 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce improvements to bus services and infrastructure to best meet the needs of passengers in their local area, which could include supporting off-peak bus services.

What recent representations she has received from disability and passenger rights organisations in Wiltshire on Great Western Railway’s proposed staffing reductions; and if she will publish a summary of those representations.

Great Western Railway (GWR) are not proposing any staffing reductions in Wiltshire and we have not had any representations from disability and passenger rights organisations on this subject. GWR have confirmed that they will not be bringing forward any changes to ticket office opening hours at the current time.

Whether it is her policy to maintain the number of driving test centres in rural communities.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

How many train services were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed by more than 15 minutes on routes serving Chippenham railway station in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publish statistics on punctuality and reliability of trains operating on the mainline network on a periodic basis.The Train Operating Company providing services to Chippenham station is Great Western Railway. In the financial year 2024/25:a) An average of 4.6% of services scheduled by Great Western Railways were cancelled. (Source: ORR - Table 3124 https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3124-trains-planned-and-cancellations-by-operator-and-cause-periodic/).b) On average, 96.6% of services run by Great Western Railway trains arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time (Source: ORR - Table 3138 https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/).

What steps she is taking to assess the potential impact of the extended £2 bus fare cap on residents' access to (a) essential services and (b) employment opportunities in Wiltshire.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help keep bus fares affordable. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap was published on 12 February. An evaluation of the £3 fare cap is due to be commissioned shortly.

Whether she plans to maintain the current number of driving test centres in rural communities.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of driving test waits in Wiltshire; and what steps she is taking to help reduce the backlog.

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.The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests booked and available in the 24-week booking window, as of 31 March 2025, for the driving test centres (DTCs) serving customers in Wiltshire:DTCCar practical driving tests bookedCar practical driving test availableChippenham2,721138Salisbury1,79584Swindon3,233144 On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK.DVSA continues to recruit DEs DTCs serving customers in Wiltshire and is currently working through the recruitment process from recent campaigns. As part of this, DVSA has four potential new DEs booked on training programmes.On 31 March 2025, DVSA launched its latest DE recruitment campaign and has two vacancies for the area as part of this.To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes.On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 25 warnings, 4 suspensions, and closed 90 business accounts.DVSA has deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.