Written questions by Opher.

What assessment she has made of the potential barriers to delivery of (a) the Wotton, Charfield and Kingswood Greenway and (b) other paths on disused railways.

It is part of National Highway's role to maintain safety on the Historical Railway Estate whilst seeking to transfer assets to other third parties if appropriate. It is for those third parties to assess the viability of potential greenways routes and National Highways will work with those organisations to support those ambitions where possible. No assessment of the Wotton, Charfield and Kingswood Greenway has been made by the Department. It would be for the local authorities and other local stakeholders involved to continue to develop proposals and assess the viability of the greenway. Active Travel England is developing Rural Design Guidance which will include guidance on greenway delivery and the conversion of old railway paths.

What steps she is taking to improve transport links between Bristol and Stroud.

Funding has been allocated to local authorities to improve bus services in the regions, which includes £8 million of funding for Gloucestershire County Council. Rail journeys between Bristol and Stroud require passengers to change at Gloucester or Swindon. Whilst there are currently no plans to change service patterns in the area Great Western Railway (GWR) increased services between Gloucester and Bristol from 2023 which provides more journey opportunities for passengers seeking to travel between Stroud and Bristol.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Active Travel England funding allocation formula on (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas; and whether she plans to review the use of per capita weighting.

Local authority allocations for Active Travel England (ATE) funding are calculated using a formula based on both population and capability level. This enables investment to be focused on cost effective schemes that have high potential to convert short vehicles journeys to walking and cycling. Since 2020, approximately 9% of schemes with mapping data are in predominantly rural areas. This represents 7% of dedicated investment by the Department for Transport. However, more than 50% of ATE funding has been invested in areas within the highest quintile for deprivation, which are the most likely to have poor health. There are no plans to review the formula.

What criteria is used to determine funding allocations from Active Travel England to local authorities.

Active Travel England sets out allocations based on population level and capability level, with funding weighted to areas with higher levels of capability to maximise delivery. Local authorities with lower ratings receive support to increase their capability rating through revenue funding and engagement with Active Travel England. In previous rounds of the Active Travel Fund, funding allocations were based on a competitive bidding round with final allocations based on assessed schemes submitted by local authorities.

What steps her Department is taking to speed up the delivery of planned electric vehicle charging stations.

The Government is taking several steps to speed up the delivery of both private and public electric vehicle chargepoints. In December, the Government announced that it will make changes to planning legislation to facilitate off-street chargepoint installations and to allow the use of street works permits for quicker charger deployment. As well as this, the Government published guidance to help local authorities with cross-pavement charging solutions and to address common issues around EV infrastructure and grid connections. In November, DESNZ and Ofgem also published a joint letter, setting out plans to reform the grid connections process. Government also supports local authorities through the Local EV Infrastructure Fund to install tens of thousands of chargepoints and continues to offer electric vehicle chargepoint grants to flat owners, renters, small businesses, schools and charities to speed up rollout.

If her Department will take steps to ensure that households that do not have driveways can access (a) on-street and (b) domestic EV charging infrastructure.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring EV drivers can charge across the country, wherever they live. Through the Local EV Infrastructure Fund, local authorities in England are being supported to install tens of thousands of chargepoints.For those without off-street parking, the Government also offers the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking. Eligible applicants can get up to £350 off the cost of installing a domestic chargepoint, when paired with a cross-pavement solution.Going forward, the Government confirmed in the October 2024 Budget that it will be investing over £200 million in 2025-26 to accelerate EV chargepoint rollout, including funding to support local authorities to install on-street chargepoints across England.

Whether her Department plans to take steps to regulate driving instructors to help ensure the safety of young women.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously and investigates thoroughly any complaints about approved driving instructors (ADI), involving the police if necessary. DVSA encourages pupils to report any incidents of inappropriate ADI conduct, and its complaints procedure is open for anyone to use.DVSA requires every prospective ADI to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring check before beginning the ADI qualification process, to find out whether an individual has been convicted of a criminal offence or barred from working with children. The role of an ADI is classed as regulated activity, which means that if someone has been barred from working with children, they would be committing an offence by applying for the role. An ADI is required to repeat the disclosure process every four years when they renew their ADI registration.The ADI Registrar has the power to remove an ADI who falls below the standard of fit and proper person, and to suspend an ADI if they have been charged or convicted of a sexual or violent offence. These safeguards protect not just women, but everyone using the services of an ADI.