Question
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Answer
I am sure I speak for the whole House when I say that our thoughts are with those affected by yesterday’s horrific train crash in Spain. Our Rail Accident Investigation Branch has reached out to offer assistance, and I have written to my counterpart, Minister Puente, to formally offer my condolences. Yesterday’s Budget gave families the breathing space that they need, and transport is no exception. By extending the 5p fuel duty cut to July next year and lowering the cost of using local public electric vehicle chargers, we are putting money back in the pockets of Britain’s drivers. The Budget also confirmed a total investment of £300 million to upgrade Leeds station: breathing space today backed by investment for the future. This builds on the everyday fixes that we are already making to improve people’s journeys, whether that is the 7,000 miles of road resurfaced this year, the ending of unfair charges for air passengers, the cracking down on antisocial behaviour on public transport or the £2 bus fare cap coming back in January. Those are just some of the ways we are making everyday journeys better, safer and easier.38% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply covers several areas of the department's work, including Leeds rail investment, road resurfacing, air passenger charges, bus fares and antisocial behaviour on public transport, and gives a few concrete figures. However, it is presented as a set of highlights rather than a clear account of what the department is responsible for, and the question's ambiguous wording is not clearly resolved. The person who asked would probably need to submit a follow-up to get the specific, committed answer they were looking for.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the minister make a statement on her departmental responsibilities? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply is itself a ministerial statement that covers several areas of the department's remit (rail investment at Leeds, road resurfacing, air passenger charges, bus fares, antisocial behaviour on public transport), with a few concrete figures. However, it is framed as a set of highlights and platitudes rather than a clear account of the department's responsibilities, and the question's ambiguous wording is not clearly answered. |