Written questions by Dhesi.

With reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

Department for Transport Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.The Department for Transport is actively supporting this work.

What recent discussions she has had with Great Western Railway on (a) opening hours of ticket office windows and (b) staffing levels at train stations.

Great Western Railway is responsible for staffing levels at train stations including in relation to ticket offices. Departmental officials hold regular discussions with Great Western Railway regarding its plans and performance at stations to ensure it is delivering for passengers and taxpayers.

What recent assessment she made of the affordability of train tickets for travel in the South East of England.

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable public transport services are in enabling people to get to education, work, access vital services, and keep communities connected. We are freezing rail fares, from March, for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in passengers’ pockets and easing the cost of living for hard working people. In the South East, our expansion of Pay As You Go with contactless ticketing has already simplified the complicated web of tickets to Peak and one Off-Peak price. This will allow passengers greater flexibility in their choice of tickets, with some seeing a reduction in their ticket price.

Whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that private parking companies provide adequate notice to individuals served with a fine regarding the period in which they must (a) pay or (b) appeal.

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with her cabinet colleagues on this matter. Private parking companies are the policy responsibility of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

What recent steps she has taken alongside local authorities to reduce traffic congestion in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

Managing traffic on local roads is the responsibility of the local traffic authority. The Traffic Management Act 2004 places a Network Management Duty on them, which requires them to manage their roads to deliver ‘expeditious movement’ for all traffic including pedestrians, with a view to reducing congestion. They have a wide range of tools already available to them to manage congestion and traffic flows.

Whether she has held discussions with Transport for London on the potential impact of delays in issuing private hire licences on private hire drivers.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades but ultimately the licensing process is left at the discretion of local authorities.

What recent discussions she has had with app-based private hire companies regarding Transport for London issuing licences for private hire drivers.

The Secretary of State has not recently discussed the issuing of private hire vehicle driver licences by Transport for London with private hire vehicle operators.

What her Department's policy is for vessels identified within UK territorial waters as sailing under a false flag.

The United Kingdom recognises the importance of all vessels complying with international maritime law and we are concerned by the rise of ships without nationality. We are determined to continue to uphold international maritime law and to challenge abusive flag practices.

With reference to National Highways press release on 15 December entitled Fix being rolled out after variable speed camera anomaly, whether money has been set aside to compensate affected drivers for a) any lost interest and b) any increase to their insurance premiums.

Data has been provided to the police forces to enable them to start contacting those drivers who were impacted by this anomaly and allow the process of redress to begin. While we expect the number of drivers impacted by this issue to be very small, all those notified by the police will receive details on how to contact National Highways, who will consider the details of each claim on a case by case basis.

With reference to National Highways press release entitled Fix being rolled out after variable speed camera anomaly, published on 15 December, whether she has any plans to (a) contact insurance companies of or (b) provide assistance in any other way to affected drivers to help obtain a reassessment of their current premiums.

Data has been provided to the police forces to enable them to start contacting those drivers who were impacted by this anomaly and allow the process of redress to begin. While we expect the number of drivers impacted by this issue to be very small, all those notified by the police will receive details on how to contact National Highways, who will consider the details of each claim on a case-by-case basis.

What recent steps she has taken to support local councils to ensure timely road repairs in (a) Slough constituency and (b) Berkshire.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our roads and has pledged to support local authorities. Recognising the need for additional funding, the Government increased local highway maintenance funding by £500 million this financial year compared to 2024/25, bringing the total to nearly £1.6 billion. 25% of this additional funding is contingent on local authorities adhering to reporting requirements and demonstrating that they are following best practice in highways maintenance. In 2025/26, Slough will be eligible to receive up to £1.8 million of highway maintenance funding, and West Berkshire will be eligible to receive up to £8.9 million, subject to complying with reporting requirements. In addition, at the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that by 2029-30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. Allocations for local highway authorities will be announced in due course. The Department is also increasing penalties for street works offences and extending overrun charges to weekends and bank holidays to help councils keep works on schedule. We are also continuing to use the Street Manager digital service to provide real-time information that supports better coordination and timely repairs.

What recent discussions she has had with train operators on steps taken to prevent sexual offences from occurring on the rail network.

Everyone should be able to use the rail network without fearing for their safety. As part of the government’s Safer Streets mission we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. The Department works with all operators through the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on their work to prevent sexual offences across the rail network, including funding the initial launch of the RDG’s Zero Tolerance campaign in 2021. Furthermore, the Department has implemented contractual changes to improve the steps operators take to prevent VAWG on the network, including requiring operators under public ownership to ensure their public-facing staff complete sexual harassment training on a regular basis.

What recent steps she has taken to prevent sexual (a) harassment and (b) abuse on the transport network.

The Department is working across government and with partners, including the transport industry, local authorities and the British Transport Police (BTP), who are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling. Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities, the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). As part of the Government’s aims to reduce VAWG by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and ASB. The Act also enables all Local Transport Authorities to introduce byelaws to tackle ASB on vehicles, as well as within and at bus-related infrastructure (for example bus stations). On the rail network, DfT and the BTP are committed to working closely with Train Operating Companies to ensure our railways are safe, reliable, and efficient for all passengers, staff, and communities. This includes tackling ASB that might annoy, frighten, intimidate, or otherwise upset other people. The Department supports BTP’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences. This includes using a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via BTP’s 61016 text number or 999 in an emergency.

What recent discussions she has had with transport stakeholders on the adequacy of CCTV coverage in rail stations in (a) preventing and (b) prosecuting incidents of sexual offences.

Everyone should be able to use the rail transport without fearing for their safety. As part of the government’s Safer Streets mission we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. We recognise that police access to CCTV is vital to being able to identify offenders and bring them to justice, as well as to prevent crime, which is why my Department has recently announced nearly £17 million of funding to provide greater direct CCTV access from railway stations to British Transport Police (BTP). The project, to be delivered by Network Rail in collaboration with the rail industry, will enable BTP officers to have more access to real-time footage from across the railway and help to identify sexual offenders as quickly as possible without having to request this from rail operators.

What recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of CCTV in (a) preventing and (b) prosecuting crime committed on the transport network.

Everyone should be able to use public transport without fearing for their safety. As part of the government’s Safer Streets mission we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. On the railway, we recognise that police access to CCTV is vital to being able to identify offenders and bring them to justice, as well as to prevent crime, which is why my Department has recently announced nearly £17 million of funding to provide greater direct CCTV access from railway stations to British Transport Police (BTP). The project, to be delivered by Network Rail in collaboration with the rail industry, will enable BTP officers to have more access to real-time footage from across the railway and help to identify sexual offenders as quickly as possible without having to request this from rail operators. Across the bus network, as at March 2024, the proportion of buses used by local operators in England that were equipped with CCTV was 96%, a significant increase from 44% in the year ending March 2006. We will be considering the use of, and access to, CCTV on buses as part of our work on the Government’s Safer Streets mission.

Whether she has had discussions with train operating companies on the potential merits of introducing train tickets with a 24-hour validity period to support commuters working night shifts.

There are no current plans to introduce 24-hour return tickets. Regular commuters, including those working night shifts, can make significant savings with season tickets. As part of our fares simplification, preparing for Pay as You Go expansions in urban areas, we are introducing single leg pricing meaning a single fare will cost roughly half the price of a return.

What estimate she has made of when the average waiting time for driving tests will be below seven weeks.

There are several factors driving higher demand for tests, and it is not currently possible to say when waiting times will reduce to 7-weeks or fewer. The Secretary of State will be working closely with DVSA in addressing this important issue. In the coming months, DVSA will:• change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests• introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.• make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

What recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of legal protections for public transport workers who have been assaulted in the workplace.

Following the horrific attack on the 18:25 LNER Doncaster to London service on the 1st November, my Department are working with British Transport Police (BTP) and the rail industry to understand if any immediate interventions are required. The heroic efforts of rail staff meant that further harm was avoided and undoubtedly saved lives. There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts quickly and that the British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers. Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022.

What recent steps she has taken to tackle (a) violence and (b) verbal abuse towards public transport workers while at work in (i) Slough and (ii) the South East.

The Department for Transport is working with the transport industry to ensure that public transport is a safe environment for staff and passengers. Ensuring that staff feel safe at work is a priority. Following the horrific attack on the 18:25 LNER Doncaster to London service at Huntingdon on the 1st November, my Department are working with British Transport Police (BTP) and the rail industry to understand if any immediate interventions are required. The heroic efforts of rail staff meant that further harm was avoided and undoubtedly saved lives. Prior to the incident, this government brought in the Bus Services Act 2025 which mandates training for staff working in the bus industry, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. This training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so. This will apply to all bus operators including those in Slough and the South East. BTP are responsible for policing the railway, and they deploy their officers across the network, including in Slough and the South East, based on intelligence led briefings with daily taskings to provide reassurance to the public. They work closely with rail operators that serve those areas to conduct joint operations and have regular engagement with staff and safeguarding and security managers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53618, when she expects updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years to be a) concluded and b) published.

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Long-term Planning for Rail Decarbonisation' strategy, any plan which arises from this strategy will cover 25 years and set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway, with consideration for the bespoke electrification needs of freight operators. We expect Network Rail to engage with industry as part of the development of this strategy and we expect to see a draft of this strategy before the end of this year.