The Road Safety Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in Great Britain by 65% and by 70% for children under 16, by 2035. Although an assessment has not specifically been made of the impact of measures on the Surrey Heath constituency there are commitments related to commercial driving and learner riders that are intended to improve road safety outcomes for everyone.

The Government expects those driving or riding for work to keep both themselves and other road users safe. As such we have committed to piloting a new voluntary Work-Related Road Safety Charter that is being developed in partnership with industry. The Charter will be informed by existing schemes such as Driving for Better Business and encourage everyone involved in driving or riding for work to improve road safety.

The DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) consultation on improving moped and motorcycle training, testing and licensing closed on 11 May. The consultation was launched with a range of measures designed to support a targeted review of the training, testing and licensing framework for motorcyclists, and the aim of improving safety and modernising and simplifying access to motorcycling. In part, reforms aim to encourage progression to full licences, particularly for those riding for work. We are now analysing the responses and will publish the outcome of the consultation on GOV.UK.

No final decision has been made on the location for the new Frimley Park Hospital. The trust has secured a land option agreement on their preferred option to enable due diligence and survey work, supported by New Hospital Programme (NHP) technical specialists, to assess whether the site is suitable, deliverable, and able to meet the needs of staff and patients.

As part of the trust’s main scheme business case and the planning application process, the trust will consider transport, environmental impacts, and access issues for the preferred site through the statutory planning consultation and application process run by Surrey Heath Borough Council.

All due process has been followed on the selection of the site for the new hospital and aligned to relevant guidance. This included, at the request of NHP officials, a rerunning and blind scoring of all sites identified as suitable for the new hospital to ensure that no prejudgement had taken place.

I am aware of the hon. Gentleman’s concerns about the M3/A322 junction, and I understand that some improvements have already been made to the northbound section. It is Surrey county council’s responsibility to make improvements at the junction— I understand that it has the ability to make changes to traffic lights, for example. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman continue the conversation with Surrey county council. The Liberal Democrats, who now form a larger group on the council, may be able to influence the thinking of that local authority.

Earlier this year, this Government published the first national road safety strategy in over a decade, setting out how we will cut road deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035. In March, we announced the third road investment strategy, which includes a targeted fund to improve safety at junctions on the strategic road network, and we are investing £21 billion of local transport funding in regional and local authorities so that they are able to make improvements on the parts of the network for which they are responsible.

The Government is investing a record £7.3 billion in local highways maintenance over the next four years, which is in addition to a £1.6 billion investment in 2025/26, a £500 million increase on the previous year. The responsible local highway authority for the constituency of Surrey Heath is Surrey County Council. Surrey County Council is eligible to receive £164,080,000 over the four year period.

To support improvement, the Department has introduced a new annual traffic‑light rating system assessing each authority’s road condition, maintenance spending, and use of best practice. Surrey received an overall amber rating, and all ratings are available on GOV.UK.

These ratings encourage strong asset management and a preventative approach to reduce potholes. The Department is also providing £300,000 in development support to help councils adopt best practice, improve their ratings, and enhance the condition of their roads.

The Government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads.

However, the Government cannot commit to any changes to the allocation methodology until each option has been assessed for feasibility and deliverability, in line with the normal policy making process. The Government would also expect to engage with local highway authorities about any methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.

The Department’s review of the highways maintenance guidance it provides to local highway authorities in the Well Managed Highways Infrastructure Code of Practice will progress in addition to this and will be completed by the end of 2026.

The local highway authority for Surrey Heath is Surrey County Council which is eligible to receive over £164 million in highway maintenance funding over the next four years as part of the Government’s record £7.3 billion investment.

To qualify for their full share of this year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice. Surrey County Council complied and have unlocked the extra funding in this financial year.

In addition, in January 2026 the Department released a new traffic light rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. Surrey County Council received an overall amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

There has been a change to industry classifications during this time period, but the statistics are broadly comparable. Estimated numbers of companies in the relevant Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes that entered insolvency in the UK between 2006 and 2025 are presented below.

Note 1: Numbers exclude bulk insolvencies, which occurred between April 2016 and early 2019 following changes to the IR35 rules and changes in VAT flat rate. If included, the number for 2017 would be 326 and the number for 2018 would be 256. For more details, see the Glossary in Company insolvencies, December 2025 - GOV.UK

The Government has reformed local roads funding by increasing the available funding, providing greater funding certainty to local highway authorities, and introducing new performance based incentives and a rating system to ensure this investment is used effectively and in line with best practice in highways maintenance.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government confirmed a record £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. By providing long-term funding certainty, local highway authorities will be able to better plan ahead and move away from expensive and reactive repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance, which keeps roads in good condition for longer and prevents potholes from forming in the first place.

Earlier in January, the Department introduced a new traffic light rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. As in the 2025/26 financial year, a proportion of highways maintenance funding will continue to be allocated as incentive funding linked to authorities’ transparency and performance.

In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured per licence held, at least in part due to their frailty.

We know we need to get the balance right for our younger and older drivers, to support young people’s access to work, education, and social activities. and to ensure that older people can actively participate in society and retain their independence, while also keeping both younger and older drivers safe on the roads.

That is why, as part of the Road Safety Strategy, we launched consultations on the 7 January 2025 on introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers and introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

Government policies are developed with due regard to protected characteristics as outlined by law. To ensure this an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) will be carried out in line with PSED throughout the policy development process. As part of the EIA, the impact of policy options on people with protected characteristics will be considered proportionately and appropriate measures will be taken where a negative impact of policy is identified.

In Great Britain, 17 to 24-year-olds remain one of the highest fatality risk groups, especially young men, both as car drivers and passengers. While drivers aged 17 to 24 represent a high proportion of collisions in Great Britain older car drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured per licence held, at least in part due to their frailty.

We know we need to get the balance right for our younger and older drivers, to support young people’s access to work, education, and social activities. and to ensure that older people can actively participate in society and retain their independence, while also keeping both younger and older drivers safe on the roads.

That is why, as part of the Road Safety Strategy, we launched consultations on the 7 January 2025 on introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers and introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

Government policies are developed with due regard to protected characteristics as outlined by law. To ensure this an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) will be carried out in line with PSED throughout the policy development process. As part of the EIA, the impact of policy options on people with protected characteristics will be considered proportionately and appropriate measures will be taken where a negative impact of policy is identified.

National Highways manages the risk and impacts of flooding across England’s Strategic Road Network (SRN). It has a range of proactive controls and response measures, including a programme of targeted interventions for flood risk sites across the network, including the South East region. The third Road Investment Strategy will emphasise the need to improve the SRN’s resilience to future climate change, including new flood risk.

On local roads, the Government is providing local authorities with £7.3 billion of funding for local highway maintenance over the next four years, which supports measures to improve resilience. The Department is also working with the UK Roads Leadership Group to help local highway authorities understand and deal with the effects of climate change, including flooding.

The Department for Business and Trade has not undertaken an assessment of the administrative costs incurred by UK haulage operators. However, we continue to engage with businesses to understand and resolve the barriers they face in trading with the EU. We are also making strong progress on last year’s historic agreement with the EU that is good for bills, jobs, and our borders.

HMRC provides data on customs administrative burdens: Estimating the customs administrative burden of 2022 declarations - GOV.UK.

Estimated numbers of companies with the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 49410 (Freight transport by road) that entered insolvency in the UK in each calendar year between 2016 and 2025 are presented in the table below.

Note 1: Numbers exclude bulk insolvencies, which occurred between April 2016 and early 2019 following changes to the IR35 rules and changes in VAT flat rate. If included, the number for 2017 would be 326 and the number for 2018 would be 256. For more details, see the Glossary in Company insolvencies, December 2025 - GOV.UK.

There has been a change to industry classifications between these two periods, but the statistics are broadly comparable. Estimated numbers of companies with the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2003 code 49410 (Freight transport by road) and SIC 2007 code 6024 (Freight transport by road) that entered insolvency in the UK in calendar years 2008 to 2011 and 2022 to 2025 are presented in the tables below.

The Government recognises the importance of using durable materials and innovative techniques to reduce pothole formation and improve the long‑term condition of local roads.

Surrey County Council receives a significant allocation of highways maintenance funding from the Department for Transport, which can be used to trial new materials and construction techniques where that authority judges this to be appropriate. In November, the Government confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion into local highways maintenance from 2026/27 to 2029/30. As part of this investment, Surrey County Council will be eligible to receive over £160 million in highways maintenance funding over the next four years.

The Department encourages and supports innovation in road surface repairs. It is updating the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure, to include new advice on matters such as surface treatments. The Department has also provided £30 million to the ADEPT ‘Live Labs’ research programme, enabling local authority-led consortia to trial innovative low-carbon ways of looking after their networks. One of the projects within the Live Labs programme is enabling novel resurfacing materials to be tested and evaluated through the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Following the publication of the Government’s Resilience Action Plan in July 2025, work is already underway to improve the short, medium and long-term resilience of the transport system, including the local road network, as part of the whole of society approach.

In December 2025, the Government published its Climate Adaptation Strategy for Transport, which now provides an overarching framework for improving the resilience of roads, rail and other transport networks to flooding and other climate risks. This includes commitments to introduce climate resilience standards by 2030, embed resilience into transport investment decisions, and work with sector bodies such as the UK Roads Leadership Group to support local highway authorities.

DfT also funds workshops delivered through the UK Roads Leadership Group to support capability‑building across the sector, and is updating the Well‑Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice which will continue to reflect a risk‑based, resilience‑focused approach to asset management.

The Government welcomes innovations that can help local highway authorities maintain their roads more effectively and efficiently.

The Department for Transport has provided £30 million to the ADEPT ‘Live Labs 2’ research programme, enabling local authority-led consortia to trial innovative low-carbon ways of looking after their networks. One of the projects within the Live Labs 2 programme is enabling novel resurfacing materials to be tested and evaluated through the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). A key part of this project is that it brings together and shares lessons from trials of road surfacing materials done by different local highway authorities, increasing the visibility of innovative solutions and helping authorities save money by reducing the need to repeat trials. Further information on these trials is available online, at:

https://kb.decarbonisingroads.co.uk/materials.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working closely with Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) and officials from other Government Departments to build an evidence base, share intelligence and develop mitigations to tackle the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries and personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs).

The department collects data on incidents attended by FRSs with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here. This does not yet include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.

Our new Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) has been rolled out, and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect covering both the questions and answer categories to capture lithium-ion batteries, and their uses in vehicles like e-scooters and PLEVs.

National Operational Guidance has been developed for fires involving alternative fuel vehicles to support fire and rescue services when attending such incidents. It contains specific hazard guidance, including control measures on how to identify and immobilise the vehicle and how to isolate high-voltage systems.