Helen Whately MP: written questions

4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025

How these years work

Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.

Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.

37 published records · newest first.

Written questions

High Speed 1 LineDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report commissioned by the Office of Rail and Road entitled Temple Mills Depot – Independent Capacity Assessment 2025, published on 31 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to in
Answer: The Department welcomes the continuing work by the independent Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to assess the various access applications for Temple Mills Depot, including the Independent Capacity Assessment. We expect the ORR to publish its final determinat...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
Roads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35730More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department plans to provide for road improvements at the capital roads project Brenley Corner; and when work will begin on it.
Answer: Proposals to improve Brenley Corner on the A2 are being developed as part of the pipeline of projects to be considered for possible delivery in a future Road Investment Strategy. Funding has been allocated for the development stages of the proposals only....
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
Roads: KentDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 2435 on Roads: Kent, what the outcome was of her Department’s capital roads portfolio review.
Answer: In July 2024, the Chancellor announced that the Transport Secretary would be undertaking an internal review of Department for Transport’s capital portfolio, informed by external experts. The review is ongoing and it will help inform the Secretary of State...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
A229: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when work will begin on the capital roads project Blue Bell Hill.
Answer: The A229 Blue Bell Hill Improvements scheme is being promoted and managed by Kent County Council. The Council plans to submit an Outline Business Case to the Department in summer 2026. If this is approved, under current arrangements the Department’s maxim...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
A229: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department plans to provide for road improvements at the capital roads project Blue Bell Hill.
Answer: The A229 Blue Bell Hill Improvements scheme is being promoted and managed by Kent County Council. The Council plans to submit an Outline Business Case to the Department in summer 2026. If this is approved, under current arrangements the Department’s maxim...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work (a) has been undertaken and (b) is planned on the creation of a long-term strategy for rolling stock.
Answer: As part of our reforms to the railway, the Government will develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock promoting a longer-term, whole-system approach. This strategy will seek to provide a strong and steady pipeline of orders, supporting British manufac...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Railways: Fees and ChargesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Network Rail has made on the access charge discount scheme.
Answer: To date, under Network Rail’s Access Charges Discount Policy for Control Period 7, two applications have been approved. The first, which has commenced operations is a five day per week service between Tilbury and Manchester. The second is a twice a week s...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Transport: ScotlandDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had direct discussions with her Scottish counterpart since July 2024.
Answer: The Secretary of State has had direct discussions with her Scottish counterpart since July 2024.
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Transport: WalesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had direct discussions with her Welsh counterpart since July 2024.
Answer: The Secretary of State has had direct discussions with her Welsh counterpart since July 2024.
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Motor Insurance: Fees and ChargesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the motor insurance taskforce will review postcode insurance pricing.
Answer: This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s T...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Train Operating Companies: ContractsDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6166 on East Anglia Rail Franchise, what are the contractual conditions for termination of rail operator contracts.
Answer: The events under which an operator would default on its National Rail Contract with the Secretary of State, and events under which termination of the contract would be applicable, are set out in the National Rail Contracts, in particular in Chapter 9.4.1....
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Go Ahead GroupDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has met with representatives from GoAhead Ltd.
Answer: The Secretary of State visited GoAhead in July, and plans to meet representatives again in the near future.
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Euston Station: AdvertisingDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of Network Rail's potential loss of revenue from disabling the advertising board at London Euston station this financial year.
Answer: The use of the advertising screen at Euston Station is under review with various options being considered. The potential loss of revenue is commercially confidential.
Answered 21 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Euston Station: AdvertisingDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions Network Rail has had with JC Decaux on the potential costs of turning off their advertising hoardings at Euston Station.
Answer: As key partners, Network Rail speaks with JCDecaux on commercial matters across its railway estate on a weekly basis, or sometimes even more frequently. The loss of revenue is being borne by Network Rail. Network Rail are unable to comment on the financia...
Answered 21 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Tolls: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Transport Research and Innovation Board has had discussions on the subject of pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
Answer: The Transport Research and Innovation Board has not discussed the subject of pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Tolls: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has sponsored people through (a) fellowships, (b) internships and (c) PhDs in relation to (i) pay per mile road charging and (ii) equivalent schemes.
Answer: The Department for Transport has not sponsored people through internships, fellowships and PhDs specifically in relation to pay per mile road charging or equivalent schemes.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Department for Transport: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish her Department's areas of research interest for 2024.
Answer: We expect to publish the Department’s Areas of Research Interest in early 2025, taking the appropriate time to engage with the research community and the wider transport sector.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Active Travel England: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that Active Travel England has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Answer: Executive agencies regularly commission research and once published it is available on gov.uk or on the commissioned organisation’s website.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
National Highways: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that Highways England has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Answer: The Department for Transport does not hold complete information on this.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Department for Transport: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) full title, (b) estimated cost of production and (c) organisation responsible is for each item of external research that her Department has commissioned but has yet to publish.
Answer: Details of all Government contracts, including research contracts, are published on Contracts Finder, and FTS, for contracts awarded from Jan 2021 over a certain threshold.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Cars: Motor InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has received recent representations on the potential merits of regulating the pricing of car insurance with reference to a customer's postcode.
Answer: Motor insurers are responsible for setting premiums based on their assessment of the risk a driver poses, and postcode is one of the criteria. We recommend that consumers shop around to get the best deal. I am aware of the challenges facing motorists on t...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Parking Offences: Automatic Number Plate RecognitionDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2438, whether her Department has issued guidance on the use of automatic number plate recognition by local authorities as a parking enforcement tool.
Answer: The Department does not issue specific guidance pertaining to the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). ANPR technology is not certified for the purpose of civil enforcement of road traffic contraventions by local authorities. In contrast to t...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Speed LimitsDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5611More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2443 on Roads: Speed Limits, whether she plans to encourage more councils to adopt 20 mph speed limits.
Answer: Decisions on whether to adopt 20mph limits rests with the local authority.
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
Tolls: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2445 on Tolls, if she will commission research on pay per mile charge schemes.
Answer: There are no pay-per-mile road charges in the UK, and the Department has no plans to commission research into pay-per-mile road charging schemes.
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
TollsDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned into the potential impacts of (i) pay per mile road charging and (ii) similar schemes.
Answer: The Department has not undertaken or commissioned any such research since the conclusion of the road pricing demonstrations project in 2011.
Answered 3 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record

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Written questions by answering department

4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.

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4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality. Published records do not measure effort or effectiveness. Methodology.

Department or topic	Published records
Cabinet Office	2
Department for Business and Trade	3
Department for Education	8
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	5
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	18
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	1
Department for Transport	37
Department for Work and Pensions	74
Department of Health and Social Care	33
Home Office	6
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government	16
Treasury	19

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