Department for Transport

We work with our agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move.



Secretary of State

Heidi Alexander
Secretary of State for Transport

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Paul Kohler (LD - Wimbledon)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)

Conservative
Gareth Bacon (Con - Orpington)
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Liberal Democrat
Baroness Pidgeon (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Transport)

Scottish National Party
Graham Leadbitter (SNP - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Moylan (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Transport)
Jerome Mayhew (Con - Broadland and Fakenham)
Shadow Minister (Transport)
Ministers of State
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Lilian Greenwood (Lab - Nottingham South)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Mike Kane (Lab - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Simon Lightwood (LAB - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Monday 14th July 2025
Rail Freight
Lords Chamber
Select Committee Docs
Tuesday 15th July 2025
17:45
Select Committee Inquiry
Wednesday 16th July 2025
Licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles

Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) form a key part of the transport network, particularly for people who face barriers …

Written Answers
Tuesday 15th July 2025
Bus Services: Concessions
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting concessionary …
Secondary Legislation
Monday 7th July 2025
New Heavy-Duty Vehicles (Carbon Dioxide Emission Performance Standards) (Vocational Vehicles) Regulations 2025
These Regulations introduce a procedure to identify heavy-duty vehicles that have been misreported as vocational vehicles and to correct such …
Bills
Wednesday 14th May 2025
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill 2024-26
A Bill to Make provision about sustainable aviation fuel.
Dept. Publications
Wednesday 16th July 2025
00:01

Department for Transport Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Jun. 26
Oral Questions
Nov. 05
Urgent Questions
Jul. 14
Adjournment Debate
View All Department for Transport Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department for Transport does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 18th July 2024

A Bill to make provision for passenger railway services to be provided by public sector companies instead of by means of franchises.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th November 2024 and was enacted into law.

Department for Transport - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/79.
These Regulations introduce a procedure to identify heavy-duty vehicles that have been misreported as vocational vehicles and to correct such misreporting for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2019/1242.
View All Department for Transport Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

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Department for Transport has not participated in any petition debates
View All Department for Transport Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Transport Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Transport Committee
Ruth Cadbury Portrait
Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Transport Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Rebecca Smith Portrait
Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Transport Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Katie Lam Portrait
Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Transport Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Laurence Turner Portrait
Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Baggy Shanker Portrait
Baggy Shanker (Labour (Co-op) - Derby South)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Alex Mayer Portrait
Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Olly Glover Portrait
Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Elsie Blundell Portrait
Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Catherine Atkinson Portrait
Catherine Atkinson (Labour - Derby North)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Scott Arthur Portrait
Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Steff Aquarone Portrait
Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Transport Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Transport Committee: Upcoming Events
Transport Committee - Oral evidence
Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust
16 Jul 2025, 9:15 a.m.
At 9:15am: Oral evidence
Lord Hendy CBE - Minister for Rail at Department for Transport
Alan Over - Director General for Major Rail Projects Group at Department for Transport
Alex Hynes - Director General for Rail Services at Department for Transport

View calendar - Save to Calendar
Transport Committee - Private Meeting
22 Jul 2025, 4 p.m.
View calendar - Save to Calendar
Transport Committee: Previous Inquiries
Young and novice drivers Coronavirus: implications for transport e-scooters HS2: update NATS: failure in air traffic management systems Railway network disruption over Christmas Work of the Department for Transport 2010-15 The work of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Volkswagen Group emissions violations Operation Stack inquiry Vehicle type approval inquiry All lane running inquiry Surface transport to airports inquiry Road traffic law enforcement inquiry Road haulage sector: Skills and workforce planning inquiry Maritime Policy and Coastguard Modernisation inquiry The Department for Transport and rail policy Investing in the railway NATS inquiry Network Rail: update Strategic river crossings Motoring of the future Smaller airports Government motoring agencies - the user perspective Transport's winter resilience: Christmas 2013 Transport's winter resilience: rail flooding Security on the railway The cost of motor insurance: whiplash Airports Commission: Interim Report Draft National Policy Statement on National Networks Cycling safety: follow up High Speed Rail: follow up Offshore helicopter safety Access to ports Transport and the Olympics The work of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) Local authority parking enforcement Cost of motor insurance: whiplash Aviation Strategy Competition in the local bus market Access to transport for people with disabilities Low Carbon Vehicles Marine Pilotage Land Transport Security Road Freight Road Safety Rail 2020 Rail franchising Transport's winter resilience The Work of Network Rail Local decision making on transport spending Better roads Maritime strategy Safety at level crossings Drink & drug driving law Transport and the economy Cost of motor insurance Bus services after the Spending Review Licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles Effective road and traffic management Impact on transport of adverse weather conditions Sulphur emissions by ships Cable theft on the railway Work of the DVLA and DSA Draft Civil Aviation Bill Flight time limitations Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) reform Coastguard Service Regional breakdown of public transport expenditure Cancellation of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition Passenger transport in isolated communities Cancelled Rail electrification schemes inquiry Intercity East Coast rail franchise inquiry Traffic Commissioners inquiry Active travel inquiry Local roads funding and governance Pre-appointment hearing on ORR inquiry Rail timetable changes inquiry BMW vehicle recall inquiry Freight and Brexit inquiry Health of the bus market inquiry Network Rail priorities inquiry Taxi and private hire reform in England inquiry HS2: update with Allan Cook inquiry Pavement parking inquiry Road Safety inquiry Trains fit for the future? inquiry The work of Highways England inquiry Williams Rail Review inquiry Priorities of the new Secretary of State for Transport inquiry Departmental policy and performance: Update with the Secretary of State inquiry Railways: Update with the Rail Minister inquiry Road safety: young and novice drivers inquiry Road safety: mobile phones inquiry Community Transport inquiry Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) inquiry Policy priorities for the Department for Transport inquiry Aviation and Brexit inquiry Mobility as a Service inquiry Rail infrastructure investment inquiry National Drowning Prevention Strategy one-off session Transocean Winner incident and emergency towing vessels one-off session Maritime Growth Study inquiry Airspace management and modernisation inquiry Vauxhall vehicle fires one-off session Airports National Policy Statement inquiry Volkswagen emissions follow-up session Drones inquiry HS2: CH2M contract one-off session Rail compensation one-off session Rail franchising inquiry Rail technology: signalling and traffic management inquiry Improving the rail passenger experience inquiry Airport expansion in the South East inquiry Bus Services Bill inquiry Urban congestion inquiry Departmental priorities and annual report and accounts one-off session High Speed Two one-off session Rail safety inquiry Vauxhall Zafira B fires one-off session Trains fit for the future? Self-driving vehicles Accessible transport: legal obligations National Networks National Policy Statement Strategic road investment Our future transport Minimum service levels for rail Future of transport data Strategic transport objectives Buses connecting communities Managing the impact of street works Rail investment pipelines: ending boom and bust National Policy Statement for Ports Licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles Active travel Departmental policy and performance: Update with the Secretary of State Health of the bus market Local roads funding and governance Pavement parking Priorities of the new Secretary of State for Transport Railways: Update with the Rail Minister Road Safety Road safety: mobile phones Road safety: young and novice drivers Trains fit for the future? Williams Rail Review The work of Highways England

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q252 of the oral evidence given by Huw Merriman to the Transport Select Committee on 2 July 2025, HC 575, if she will publish the graph referred to in the answer to that question.

The graph in question is regularly updated. We are unclear precisely which iteration of the graph Huw Merriman was referring to.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 64334 on Roads: Noise, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the installation of noise cameras, following the 2022 trial.

The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023. Reports of these trials, including detailed assessment of the technology’s performance and potential merits, were published on 17 March 2024. Overall, the trials demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances. A link to these reports can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/noise-camera-technology-roadside-trial.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to increase funding for (a) road maintenance and (b) pothole repairs in Twickenham.

The Government has already provided an additional £500 million increase for local highway maintenance this financial year. As a result of this increase, Richmond upon Thames will receive up to £664,000 in additional funding.

Building on this, at the spending review the Chancellor announced that the Government will be providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the bye-law powers in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL] will allow local authorities and the Greater London Authority to issue fixed penalty notices through private sector firms.

Under measures contained in the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, local transport authorities, including in London, will be able to appoint individuals as “authorised persons” to enforce bus byelaws, and issue fixed penalty notices, where relevant. It will be for local transport authorities to determine who they appoint, and that could include employees of private sector businesses.

My department will be publishing guidance to support local transport authorities to implement this Bill measure.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending free bus pass eligibility to people aged over 60 in Surrey Heath constituency.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

The Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Surrey County Council has been allocated £12.1 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing zebra crossings without zig-zag lines.

An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be required to permit zebra crossings to be placed without zig-zag lines or yellow globes.

The Department has been working with Active Travel England who have been carrying out further research to inform good practice advice to support possible future legislative change. The Department cannot give any timescale at present for when TSRGD may be amended.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Sustran's report entitled Transforming mobility, published on 8 July 2025, what steps she is taking to support the roll-out of side road zebra crossings.

An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be required to permit zebra crossings to be placed without zig-zag lines or yellow globes.

The Department has been working with Active Travel England who have been carrying out further research to inform good practice advice to support possible future legislative change. The Department cannot give any timescale at present for when TSRGD may be amended.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of the £2 cap on fairs on the number of people using buses in (a) Dorset and (b) England.

The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February, and the Department does not plan to publish any further reports on the £2 fare cap.

Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish an analysis of the trends in bus usage for the full duration of the £2 bus cap.

The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February, and the Department does not plan to publish any further reports on the £2 fare cap.

Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting concessionary bus travel to journeys after 9:30am on disabled people's employment prospects; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing disabled concessionary passholders to travel at any time of the day when travelling (a) to, (b) from and (c) during work.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel time criteria, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England do have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by extending the times travel passes can be used. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

The Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Somerset County Council has been allocated £6.8 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available.

The Government recently conducted a review of the ENCTS, which included considering travel times for disabled passholders and is currently considering next steps.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the English Devolution Bill will include powers for local councils to tackle pavement parking.

The Department held a consultation in 2020 and is working through the policy options to tackle pavement parking and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government is satisfied that an optimal solution to this complex issue has been identified, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will request the use of powers to secure communications data through the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, either for anti-crime purposes or in the interests of public safety, in the light those powers being requested by and granted to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

There are no current plans for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to secure communications data through the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle train fare dodging.

Train Operating Companies are responsible for reducing fare evasion and are measured on this as part of their contractual obligations. We work closely with each operator to ensure they have robust plans in place.

Through the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), we’re bringing operators together to establish oversight and better standardise practices, putting an end to inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly.

We’re working at pace to simplify ticketing and developing plans for GBR to sell tickets online, to alleviate confusion and make it easier for people to buy the right fare.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has taken steps to implement two services an hour on the Shrewsbury-Wrexham-Chester Line.

Services on this route are provided by Transport for Wales in accordance with its Train Service Requirement which is agreed with the Department in respective of services at stations in England. There are no active proposals to increase services on this route.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) frequency and (b) capacity of passenger rail services on the (i) Heart of Wales Line and (ii) Cambrian Line.

Services on these routes are provided by Transport for Wales (TfW). Capacity on the Cambrian Line will improve with the introduction of new trains in the next couple of years and TfW is preparing to introduce a fifth through service per day on the Heart of Wales line from December 2025.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to speed up the rollout of South Western Railway Arterio trains in Surrey following renationalisation.

The new Managing Director, Lawrence Bowman, has been tasked with drawing up a plan to introduce the new Class 701 Arterio fleet. South Western Railway (SWR) has accelerated the Arterio rollout with five additional units introduced since the transfer to public ownership (12 units in total) compared to only one additional unit being introduced in the six months prior to transfer. The Department is working with SWR to ensure the remaining fleet are introduced as soon as possible.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support community rail in the north of England.

The Department continues to support the community rail sector across the north of England, including through funding for station adoption groups and Community Rail Partnerships. This support is delivered via train operating companies and through the Community Rail Network (CRN), who provide access to grants and resources to its members. As we move towards establishing Great British Railways, the role of Community Rail will be more important than ever. Community Rail will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities in the north of England.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the wider community utility of rail stations in the north of England.

The Department continues to support the community rail sector across the north of England, including through funding for station adoption groups and Community Rail Partnerships. This support is delivered via train operating companies and through the Community Rail Network (CRN), who provide access to grants and resources to its members. As we move towards establishing Great British Railways, the role of Community Rail will be more important than ever. Community Rail will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities in the north of England.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to return the frequency of South Western Railway trains in Surrey back to pre-Covid levels following renationalisation.

Passenger demand has not yet grown back to pre-Covid levels. However, the Department and South Western Railway (SWR) are in regular discussion regarding service provision, which aim to balance the needs of both passenger and taxpayer. Following the introduction of the Class 701 Arterio fleet which will significantly increase capacity, there will be an opportunity to look at the South Western timetable.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help support the long-term viability of community rail organisations in the context of (a) her Department's rail reforms and (b) the inception of Great British Rail.

As we move towards establishing Great British Railways (GBR), the Community Rail movement will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities. We will continue to work closely with the Community Rail Network to identify opportunities to support the community rail sector ahead of the standup of GBR.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department can provide information on the levels of (a) rail and (b) road infrastructure investment allocated to Surrey Heath constituency as a result of the 2025 Spending Review.

We are yet to announce the detail of all transport infrastructure investment following the Spending Review. This will be announced in due course. However, we have informed Surrey County Council of their allocation of the Local Transport Grant which is £38.19 million for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral statement by her of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, column 815, if she will publish the (a) full detailed Green Book analysis, (b) costs and (c) benefits cost ratios for (i) each of the 50 schemes announced in that speech and (ii) the A12 widening scheme.

Business case documents, costs and benefit cost ratios for major schemes, including for the Strategic Road Network and for relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline are published on gov.uk.

For the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, information is already available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

For the wider set of 50 schemes referenced in the Secretary of State’s statement on 8 July 2025, detailed Green Book analyses, costs, and benefit cost ratios for each scheme have not been published as a single package.

The scheme-level business cases and economic assessments for projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio are published as they are finalised and reach the appropriate stage in the investment process. Summary information on costs and benefit cost ratios for major transport schemes may also be found in the Department for Transport’s Major Projects Portfolio, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/major-projects-data

In the case of Major Road Network schemes, the business cases belong to the relevant local authorities. Whilst we encourage them to publish these, it is their decision whether to publish their business cases on their respective websites.

As each scheme progresses, further documentation is released and made available on gov.uk as appropriate. The Government is committed to transparency and will continue to make business case documents available in line with Green Book and Treasury guidance as schemes move forward.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme on housing growth.

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded, therefore the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria including housing growth impacts and in line with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance. The Department will continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore whether there are any small-scale interventions to potentially address issues on the A12 to support housing growth.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the decision was made to reclassify the Oxford-Cambridge line from an England-only project to an England and Wales project.

As rail infrastructure projects have not been devolved to Wales the categorisation of these projects is in line with wider devolution policy managed by Treasury.

Every Government funded rail project in Wales or England are always categorised as England and Wales investment projects.

The categorising of East West Rail as an England and Wales project does not mean that Wales is disadvantaged in any way.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase safety measures at beaches during (a) summer months and (b) other periods of increased activity.

The provision of lifeguards, beach patrols and safety information is part of the risk assessment undertaken by the local authority or beach owner. In conjunction with other services HM Coastguard provides safety advice and guidance about the coastal environment with the aim to reduce incident numbers, this guidance includes how to call for help in an emergency.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include the A30 junction at Plusha in the Road Safety Strategy.

The Department is aware of the safety issues at the junction between the A30 and B3257 at Plusha. National Highways is investigating a number of possible modest safety improvements for this stretch of the A30 as part of its A30 Kennards House to Five Lanes Safety Study, for possible delivery in a future Road Investment Strategy.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle pavement parking in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing stricter regulation of pavement parking (a) near schools, (b) in locations affecting vulnerable people and (c) in other public areas in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government fully understands the problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians. This is particularly the case in certain sensitive locations, such as near schools, and for certain people such as those with mobility or sight impairments, or those pushing prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish recommendations from its open consultation on improving car driving test booking rules.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.

DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July.  In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the length of driving test waiting times in (a) Surrey and the (b) South-east.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.

DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July.  In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Active Travel England has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.

Active Travel England (ATE) staff are provided equipment from the Department for Transport to enable them to work across multiple locations, including from home where appropriate. This includes meeting legal obligations to provide reasonable workplace adjustments for staff who require them.

ATE does not record expenditure in a way that separately identifies costs specifically related to home working. Additionally, ATE’s hybrid working policy is non-contractual and does not entitle staff to additional equipment or to be reimbursed for items to facilitate home working.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support initiatives aimed at increasing cycling participation among women and girls.

The Department and Active Travel England (ATE) work with local authorities and other delivery partners to support active travel outreach programmes for underrepresented groups, including women and girls. This includes funding for Bikeability cycle training for children and outreach programmes to engage underrepresented groups through Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival programme and local authorities.

In addition, ATE is working with local authorities across England to provide high-quality cycling infrastructure including as part of wider transport schemes. This includes providing lighting for walking and cycling schemes, improving social safety and delivering road safety improvements to existing schemes.

Responsibility for many aspects of transport in Scotland, including active travel, is devolved. My honourable friend the member for Edinburgh South West may wish to speak to the Scottish Government regarding steps taken to increase cycling participation among women and girls in Scotland.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with public transport bodies on (a) partnering with AccessAble and (b) providing equivalent information to improve accessibility for disabled passengers.

Innovative approaches to providing accessible information has an important role to play in delivering transport networks which allows disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. Improving accessibility is a collaborative effort, with operators, industry, and entrepreneurs all having key parts to play – alongside disabled passengers. Initiatives such as those developed by AccessAble provide an example of how this can be achieved. As detailed in the Department’s response to the Transport Committee inquiry into accessible travel, the Department for Transport is undertaking discovery work to capture bus and rail accessibility assets within the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) which is a national dataset of all public transport ‘stops’ in England, Scotland and Wales. This discovery work is the starting point for accessibility journey planning.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
10th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote collaboration between the (a) Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, (b) Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee in Northern Ireland and (c) Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee in Northern Ireland, Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and the Welsh Government meet twice a year as the Accessibility 4 Nations Group, to engage and collaborate on accessibility matters. These meetings are co-ordinated and chaired on a rotational basis by the respective secretariats, including the DPTAC secretariat within the Department for Transport. The latest meeting took place in April 2025 with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland chairing.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many public charging points for electric vehicles there are in each local authority area, and how many there will be in each of the next three years.

As of 1 June 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 80,552 publicly available charging devices across the UK (including 16,231 devices rated 50kW or above).

The latest data available regarding the number of public charging devices, for electric vehicles in each local authority area, in the UK, as at 1 April 2025, can be found in table 1a of the attached document.

The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has been allocated to all highest tier local authorities in England and will support the installation over 100,000 local chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers across the country.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve data collection on e-bike (a) collisions and (b) journey purpose.

E-bikes (both privately owned and as part of bike share schemes) are currently included within the pedal cycle category within the STATS19 system used by police forces to record data on personal injury collisions and overseen by the Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision statistics. The Committee have agreed to explore whether the guidance on reporting of vehicle types, including e-bikes, can be improved.

At a population level, we understand there to be a low rate of usage of e-bikes. As and when usage grows, there is the potential for further insight via the National Travel Survey.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include measures to tackle the use of (a) illegal and (b) unregulated e-bikes in its Road Safety Strategy.

Only e-bikes that are fully compliant with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads, and we recognise the risk to road safety of those e-bikes that are not compliant with regulations.

The Government treats road safety very seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more detail in due course.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Heathrow Airport on flights being held in a holding pattern over residents' houses between 5:30 and 6:00am.

NATS is responsible for providing air traffic services at Heathrow Airport. There are defined flight routes and procedures for aircraft landing at Heathrow but for operational and safety reasons aircraft may be held in a holding pattern prior to landing. These reasons can include the need to ensure safe separation between aircraft as well as weather conditions.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered the potential merits of a certification scheme for e-bikes to be carried on public transport; and whether she has had discussions with Transport for London on such a scheme.

It is for transport operators to decide on their conditions of carriage, as safe duty holders, including whether to allow people to bring e-bikes onboard.

While I have therefore not discussed any form of certification scheme with Transport for London, Ministers and officials have regular discussions with TfL on a variety of issues, including on e-bike safety.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of road networks in rural areas in Mid Leicestershire constituency; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of development on road networks between settlements.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. It is for the local council to decide what measures may be appropriate in their local area to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents”.

Local authorities are also responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate. Local highway authorities are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty and it is for them to ensure they manage their roads in a way that complies with that, including assessing potential impacts of development on road networks in their area.

Local authorities are best placed to decide on delivery of road safety initiatives, because of their knowledge of the roads for which they are responsible. We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK!

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the uptake of electric vehicles.

The Government is reducing the initial costs of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by providing plug-in vehicle grants for vans, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles. Drivers of ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives. ZEVs will continue to have preferential first year rates of vehicle excise duty in comparison to the most polluting vehicles.

Government is also committed to increasing awareness of the benefits of ZEVs. We have been working with industry to create a more coordinated, focused cross-industry and Government approach to promoting ZEVs.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how, if at all, they publicise the specific location and availability of charging points for electric vehicles.

The Government is committed to making it easy for consumers to find public chargepoints. To support this, the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 came into effect in November 2023. These regulations require operators to share open data freely – including chargepoint location and availability information. This data is then made available to consumers via commercial platforms such as mapping services and roaming providers.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of licensing requirements on small and medium-sized enterprises in the aviation sector; and what steps they are taking to streamline regulatory processes for both labour mobility and innovative and low-emission technologies.

The Government’s New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, which launched in March, has introduced a host of initiatives to streamline regulatory processes across aviation and all other sectors. These include committing to cut the administrative costs of regulation to businesses, whether small, medium sized or large, by 25% by the end of the Parliament.

Government is funding the Civil Aviation Authority to deliver this for innovation and low emission aviation technologies through: the Future of Flight Programme that is developing the regulatory framework to enable innovative aviation technology, such as electric Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft (eVTOL) and Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (e.g. drones); and the Hydrogen Regulatory Challenge to support its engagement with innovators on the development of the regulatory framework for this technology.

The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also taking steps to streamline the regulatory processes for people working in the sector, including by bringing in a digitised process for commercial pilot licence applications to speed up and deliver admin savings for up to 6,500 pilots every year.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on reducing the level of bike thefts.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on reducing the level of bike thefts but I am aware that cycle theft is a major problem, particularly where expensive cycles are concerned, and that the fear of having a bike stolen can act as a serious deterrent to those who might otherwise want to take up cycling.

Active Travel England is providing funding for local authorities to introduce secure cycle parking. Ultimately, enforcement of cycle theft is an operational matter for the police.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many additional driving test appointments have been made available through extended testing hours since December 2024.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

DVSA’s booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they become available.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The aim of the consultation is to make test booking fairer, stop people charging extra fees to book tests and simplify the system for learners and approved driving instructors (ADI).

From recruitment campaigns, since July 2024, the DVSA has onboarded, and started on a training course, 347 Driving Examiner candidates. Of whom 200 have completed training and have successfully been placed at test centres, 67 candidates are currently in training and 80 candidates failed to complete the training course.

DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted as a result of overtime, since December 2024.

Overtime tests conducted

December 2024

12,223

January 2025

15,194

February 2025

18,661

March 2025

20,751

April 2025

18,751

May 2025

20,433

June 2025

28,541

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the DVSA’s recruitment campaign for new examiners; and how many new examiners have been recruited in the last 12 months.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

DVSA’s booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they become available.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The aim of the consultation is to make test booking fairer, stop people charging extra fees to book tests and simplify the system for learners and approved driving instructors (ADI).

From recruitment campaigns, since July 2024, the DVSA has onboarded, and started on a training course, 347 Driving Examiner candidates. Of whom 200 have completed training and have successfully been placed at test centres, 67 candidates are currently in training and 80 candidates failed to complete the training course.

DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted as a result of overtime, since December 2024.

Overtime tests conducted

December 2024

12,223

January 2025

15,194

February 2025

18,661

March 2025

20,751

April 2025

18,751

May 2025

20,433

June 2025

28,541

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure (a) equal and (b) fair access to driving test appointments for candidates who are unable to travel outside their local areas.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

DVSA’s booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they become available.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The aim of the consultation is to make test booking fairer, stop people charging extra fees to book tests and simplify the system for learners and approved driving instructors (ADI).

From recruitment campaigns, since July 2024, the DVSA has onboarded, and started on a training course, 347 Driving Examiner candidates. Of whom 200 have completed training and have successfully been placed at test centres, 67 candidates are currently in training and 80 candidates failed to complete the training course.

DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted as a result of overtime, since December 2024.

Overtime tests conducted

December 2024

12,223

January 2025

15,194

February 2025

18,661

March 2025

20,751

April 2025

18,751

May 2025

20,433

June 2025

28,541

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the cost of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) since January 2025 on the aviation sector’s (a) competitiveness and (b) progress towards increasing SAF production in the UK.

When setting SAF policy, we have to carefully balance a range of factors including potential cost impacts on airlines and passengers and the need to drive decarbonisation across the transport sector.

We continue to monitor trends in the SAF market and will review our assumptions where necessary when developing policies such as the revenue certainty mechanism which aims to support SAF production in the UK.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a list of locations with enforceable School Keep Clear road markings in each local authority area.

The Government has no plans to publish such a list. Local authorities are responsible for these markings and maintaining their own records.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)