Topical Questions
The King’s Speech promised to change the country for the better, and this Government are getting on with the job. Yesterday we completed the passage of the Railways Bill through this place, paving the way for Great British Railways and an industry that finally works for passengers instead of profit. We have already seen new trains on South Western Railway and more capacity on LNER, and the first GBR branded trains are now in service. More than half of train operating companies are now in public ownership and are performing better, on average, than those still in private hands. [Interruption.] That is just one part of how we are transforming journeys.
Tomorrow I am launching the third cycling and walking investment strategy, building on the investment already announced, to enable more people to make safe and healthy choices to get around. We are progressing legislation—[Interruption.]
Order. Sorry, Secretary of State. Mr Mayhew, this is continuous. It won’t do to try and ask me, because obviously, these questions are not for me. I need a bit of silence; if not, I don’t think we will need your company for the rest of the day.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Opposition like to chunter, but this Government are backing our aspirational words with real action. A stronger, fairer Britain is what we promised, and it is what we will deliver.
I have been contacted by a number of residents including Stuart from Quarry Bank and Stephanie from Homer Hill about the dangerous use of modified e bikes and e scooters in parks across the constituency. Older people are particularly worried about youths riding dangerously without thought for road conditions. Will the Secretary of State set out what steps she is taking to help to improve safety and reduce the dangerous use of these modified e bikes and e scooters?
E bikes that are modified to go over 15.5 mph are illegal. We continue to support the police with the tools they need to enforce road traffic legislation. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has given the police stronger powers to seize vehicles used antisocially without first requiring a warning and has introduced new respect orders, enabling police and councils to ban persistent offenders from areas where they cause harm.
I call the shadow Minister.
More than two thirds of driving test centres have a maximum 24-week waiting time, and the average waiting time for a test is 22.3 weeks—a month longer than in July ’24. For all the Government’s talk of recruiting new examiners, the instructor recruitment conversion rate is just 4%. When will the Government stop talking about taking action and actually get a grip of the driving test wait time crisis?
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is continuing driving examiner recruitment, with 1,577 full time driving examiners in May 2026—an increase of 147 compared with May 2025, when there were 1,430 full time equivalents.
The Government expect all parts of the new, publicly owned railway to plan services and timetables to meet expected passenger demand while maximising value for the taxpayer. A certain predecessor of my hon. Friend used to talk a good game on better rail services, but it is a fact that constituents had to wait until my hon. Friend was elected as their Labour Member of Parliament to get a Government who are prepared to put words into action.
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
The current cycling and walking investment strategy includes a target for 55% of trips to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035. Is the Secretary of State confident that there is a realistic plan with sufficient funding to achieve that target?
Unlike the previous Government, who took £200 million out of the active travel budget, this Government are putting £600 million into improving walking and cycling and ensuring safer routes to school and safer crossings more generally. We are making sure that we invest in safe infrastructure to enable more people to walk and cycle more often. It is a priority for the Government to get this right. Walking and cycling will save people money, since they will not have to fork out at petrol stations, and it is better for the country’s long term health and the environment. What’s not to like?
I, too, want to see more cycling in London, and in towns and cities across the UK. Dockless cycles are one way to support that aim. We want to empower local leaders to shape shared cycle schemes so that they can deliver the greatest possible benefits and mitigate any possible issues. We will introduce local licensing regulations and guidance in the coming months.
The hon. Gentleman is right that the Court of Appeal’s judgment made clear that the current arrangements could not continue, but we are committed to protecting volunteers who preserve a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment. I look forward to working with the hon. Gentleman and Members across the House to ensure that we continue to have volunteers at the heart of our seafaring nation.
As my right hon. Friend mentioned, I have seen at first hand the impact that the bridge’s closure is having on the local community. We announced a structures fund to support rundown bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels. Local authorities have until early August to apply for this investment, and the Department is already engaging with Redbridge council on its application.
I speak regularly with the new integrated managing director of South Western, Lawrence Bowman, to ensure that he is doing absolutely everything that he can, from both a train operations and an infrastructure management perspective, to bear down on the disruption that the hon. Gentleman’s constituents have had to experience. I accept that over the last year, performance at South Western Railway has not been up to scratch, but I assure him that we will leave no stone unturned in making sure that his constituents have a better travel experience in future.
I call the Chair of the Transport Committee.
Yesterday, the Transport Committee published the report on our inquiry into taxis and private hire licensing. Out of area working was a significant issue of concern in much of the evidence we received and for many of our witnesses, and the issue was also highlighted in Baroness Casey’s report on group based sexual exploitation released last year. What are the Government doing to restrict out of area working for taxis and private hire vehicles?
My hon. Friend raises an important issue. She will be aware that we have already legislated to establish national standards and to reform the way that enforcement action can be taken against private hire drivers and vehicles, no matter where they are licensed. Those standards will provide a robust framework to make sure that people are safe wherever they live, work or travel. I believe that drivers and operators should be licensed where they intend to provide services. We are bringing forward a draft taxi and private hire vehicle Bill for pre legislative scrutiny in this Session, and I would be grateful for the expertise of my hon. Friend’s Committee in looking at that. We want to look at the issue of out of area working holistically to make sure that we do not reduce the availability of private hire services for everyone, while also making sure that we have very high standards in place.
It is right to prioritise development in sustainable locations, namely around railway stations. The establishment of Great British Railways will enable us to look more holistically at the way in which the ticketing and fares system works, and we are expanding pay as you go ticketing to give a more seamless experience to people who travel in the south east. I do not know the details of the planning application the hon. Gentleman refers to. If he wishes to write to me, I will look into it in more detail.
This Government have delivered the funding necessary to build mass transit in West Yorkshire, and I am very proud of that. However, the delay in the delivery timetable has left many of my constituents extremely frustrated that the Leeds and Bradford tram will not be delivered until the late 2030s. We have been stung too many times on mass transit projects in my part of the world. Will the Secretary of State confirm that she will do everything within her power to accelerate the delivery of mass transit in West Yorkshire? After all, both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said that it is time for trams.
I know that there is a long and painful history of failed attempts to build mass transit in West Yorkshire, and I understand why my hon. Friend’s constituents feel let down by what has happened in the past. I assure him that this Government fully support Mayor Tracy Brabin’s plans for mass transit, and we are working hand in glove with her. Indeed, I believe that at this very moment, the Minister for Rail is meeting her to discuss what more the Government can do to ensure that we finally deliver the mass transit system that my hon. Friend’s constituents and West Yorkshire deserve.
I would be happy to meet the hon. Member, with whom I work productively on a number of issues in this space. He will be aware that the MCA is responding to a Court of Appeal judgment that made it clear that the current arrangement could not legally continue. We believe that protecting volunteering preserves one of the most valuable forms of public service, which he outlines. I look forward to working with him to support those volunteers.
The Minister will know that I have been campaigning on the availability of driving tests, so I was pleased to see this week that our changes have released driving tests back into the system. Will he update me on how the demand for tests in my North West Leicestershire constituency will be matched with the supply of new driving tests?
We are indeed going further to tackle this issue: since 31 March drivers have been limited to two changes of their driving test, since 12 May only learners have been able to amend and book their tests, and since 9 June the area that a learner driver can move their test to has been limited. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will also continue to use Ministry of Defence driving examiners to provide additional practical tests.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lefarydd. Coastguards in my constituency were told only last week that they are to lose their remuneration, and they are furious that their specialist skills and dedication are now being undervalued. I heard the Minister say earlier that he was prepared to meet colleagues from across the House. I hope that the offer is extended to all colleagues with coastguard stations, because the risk to recruitment and retention, as well as to the work of other emergency services, such as the police, needs to be clearly understood.
The right hon. Lady’s question reflects the strength of feeling across the House about the volunteers who man the coastguard, as well as about the need to ensure that the consequences of the judgment are fully understood and volunteers get the support they need. I would be glad to meet her. I should also note that the chief executive of the MCA will be doing a drop in with Members of Parliament; I will ensure that the details are shared with her.
Residents in Hertford and Stortford tell me that their bus services are too often irregular or delayed, causing unnecessary disruption and stress. I welcome the £19.5 million allocated to Hertfordshire county council through the local authority bus grant last year, but will the Minister say a bit more about how we will work with the Lib Dem administration to ensure that the money is used effectively, and about what this Labour Government are doing to improve bus services in semi rural communities such as mine?
We are doing a number of pilots to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of bus franchising in rural areas. That is on top of ensuring that, for the first time, rurality is considered in bus funding.
Passengers on Great Northern services to and from King’s Lynn are fed up with repeated weekend closures. Given that the Secretary of State now oversees the track and those trains, does she agree that discounts should be offered when rail replacement buses are in operation?
It is sometimes essential to do maintenance work over the weekends, and I appreciate that that can cause disruption to the travelling public. We try to keep that at a minimum and properly communicate with passengers in advance so they can plan their journeys accordingly. We would not be financially able to provide direct compensation at the current time, but I want to minimise the disruption that the hon. Gentleman’s constituents and the travelling public across the country experience on those occasions.
The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has outlined the potential benefits of changing default speed limits on urban and rural minor roads to 20 mph. What is the Department’s position on that, and will it be reflected in the next guidance for local transport authorities on setting local speed limits?
Decisions about speed limits on local roads are matters for the local highway authority. I think that that is right, because local leaders will know their areas best. I am also acutely aware that if someone is hit by a car travelling at 20 mph, they are five times less likely to die than if they are hit by one travelling at 30 mph. Appropriate decisions need to be taken by the appropriate authority for local circumstances.
My constituent Sophia is 35, has cerebral palsy and numerous other difficulties and spends her life in a wheelchair as a result of poor NHS care when she was born. Her parents have a mobility wheelchair accessible vehicle and take her to daycare four days a week, 13 miles away, for 48 weeks of the year, clocking up 49,920 miles for daycare alone every five years. She has numerous hospital appointments, which is a trip of 58 miles, and trips to the dentist and other specialists punctuate every single month. Under the Government’s new legislation, Sophia’s parents—her carers—will have to pay 25p for every mile over the new 50,000-mile threshold, which is likely to cost them several thousand pounds. Will the Minister impress on her colleagues the need to adjust that threshold for life in the country—
Order. One of us is going to sit down, and it will not be me. As a Whip, the hon. Lady well knows that topical questions are meant to be short and punchy. As important as this is, I am sure the Minister has got the answer ready.
I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady.
Much easier—just ask to meet the Minister, and save time.
The previous Government set aside a designated fund to address the issue of coastal erosion. On the A20 in my constituency, coastal erosion happens with ferocity every winter and every spring. Will the Minister consider setting aside a designated fund for coastal erosion for all of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the Government did in the past?
Order. This is Transport questions—there must be a link somewhere. Good luck, Minister.
While I think this is, in the main, an issue for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the hon. Gentleman is right that coastal erosion can affect a variety of transport infrastructure, including our ports. The forthcoming national policy statement for ports will address the issue he raises.
I think it is his kayak—he cannot get it because of the erosion.