Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of the report of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety Locking out the Drink Driver, published March 2021; and what assessment they have made of the use of alcohol interlocks in other countries.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government has taken note of the research and the report published by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety which was funded by a grant from the Department for Transport.

We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences, such as drink driving.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the fairness and proportionality of penalty charges issued for non-payment of drop-off fees at UK airports; and whether she plans to review the current 24-hour payment window.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and the provision and charging of car parking at airports (including payment windows) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. Any issue relating to car parking charges should be raised with the airport operator directly.

However, the Department expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and for consumers to be treated fairly, which could include providing information on choices for parking, along with information on how to access them.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2025 to WPQ 98745, how many (a) vehicle owners and (b) people on the Register of Number Plate Suppliers have been (i) charged, and (ii) convicted of offences connected with illegal number plates in the last four years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information about the number of vehicle keepers who have been convicted for number plate offences as enforcement of number plates offences is a matter for the police.

The DVLA does not have the relevant powers to take forward prosecutions of number plate suppliers. Such prosecutions are taken forward by the police and Trading Standards.

The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered number plate suppliers. Enforcement officers carry out inspections to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can also inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records.

The DVLA’s enforcement officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with partners to investigate potential offences. While the DVLA does not take forward prosecutions, its enforcement officers may attend court as an expert witness in any such proceedings.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support car-sharing and car-club provision in the context of Zipcar announcing that it will cease its UK operations by the end of the year.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Minister for Local Transport met with the shared mobility industry in November to discuss how Government can continue to best support the sector and ensure the right measures are in place to support car clubs across the UK.

The Department is considering the evidence and experiences shared to inform our next steps. Our forthcoming integrated national transport strategy will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people across England and ensuring they have a choice of good transport options.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial barriers on people who wish to train as commercial airline pilots.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government works closely with industry to address financial barriers to pilot training and to support the growth of a diverse aviation workforce, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. This area is a priority, not only for my department, but also the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory security features for number plates to prevent (a) cloning and (b) unauthorised reproduction.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

Officials are also considering potential options for making number plates more secure.

The DVLA is part of the British Standards Institute committee that has recently reviewed the existing number plate standard. The committee has proposed a number of amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

Standards on the use of automated number plate reader technology are a matter for the Home Office which issues guidance on its use as part of the National ANPR Standards for Policing and Law Enforcement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in detecting vehicles using (a) cloned or (b) ghost number plates.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

Officials are also considering potential options for making number plates more secure.

The DVLA is part of the British Standards Institute committee that has recently reviewed the existing number plate standard. The committee has proposed a number of amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

Standards on the use of automated number plate reader technology are a matter for the Home Office which issues guidance on its use as part of the National ANPR Standards for Policing and Law Enforcement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has any plans to review the statutory minimum provision within the English National Concessionary Travel scheme to support disabled and elderly residents to safely and equitably access services and activities within their communities; and whether she has any plans to extend the scheme to include companion travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

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 £795 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel times, would 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, including funding companion passes locally. In the year ending March 2026, 66% of local authorities are offering companion passes to disabled people as a discretionary concession. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

The Government is investing in bus services long-term and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services over the remainder of the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year.

Hampshire County Council will be allocated £45 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £14.2 million they are already receiving this year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including funding discretionary concessions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the validity period of driving theory test certificates for learner drivers who have been unable to secure a practical driving test date within the standard two-year window due to ongoing DVSA booking backlogs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is doing everything it can to ensure that learners can access practical tests within the theory test validity period, to prevent candidates from having to retake the theory test.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the misuse of number plates to evade enforcement.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the performance of South Western Railway.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The new Managing Director of South Western Railway (SWR), Lawrence Bowman, is responsible for both the infrastructure and operations of the SWR network. The new integrated team is working hard to address the issues inherited from the previous private sector operator. Officials are supporting SWR in the delivery of these improvements.

Performance is still below the level that passengers should expect but progress is being made. The number of Arterio trains in service has more than quadrupled under public ownership and SWR has accelerated the recruitment of drivers to address traincrew shortages. Also, over £2 billion of works is being delivered in the current five-year control period to help improve the resilience of railway infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national register of opticians licensed to carry out DVLA eyesight tests.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is responsible for ensuring that all drivers meet the medical standards required for safe driving, including for eyesight. Drivers who notify the DVLA of a medical condition that may affect their eyesight may be asked to have a formal vision test. These tests are conducted by Specsavers on behalf of the DVLA. The current contract for this purpose was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 following a competitive tender exercise. There are no plans to introduce a national register of opticians licensed to carry out these tests.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to include cats as an animal that drivers are required to stop and report an incident when they are involved in a collision.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report a collision involving specified animals including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets. To introduce such a measure within the provision of section 170 would require primary legislation

There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats.

Having a law making it a requirement to report road collisions involving cats would be very difficult to enforce and we have reservations about the difference it would make to the behaviour of drivers, who are aware that they have run over a cat and do not report it.

Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.

Since June 2024, all cats in England over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database, unless exempt or free-living. This will make it easier for National Highways and local authorities to reunite cats with their keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of vehicles on UK roads that are uninsured.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

My Department does not hold information in respect to how many and what proportion of vehicles on UK roads are uninsured.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of illegal or non-compliant vehicle number plates that have been (a) seized or (b) required to be replaced in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of regional variations in the level of public transport provision on (a) the number of people who rely on cars and (b) levels of rural poverty.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government knows how important reliable public transport services are in enabling people to stay connected and access education, work and vital services across the country. We also know that local bus services can be a lifeline in rural areas and can be the only means for communities to stay connected.

The Government is taking ambitious steps to improve local bus services across the country, including introducing the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

We also recently confirmed long-term investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead to improve services for local communities. LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services, and rurality.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority will be allocated £133.5 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29. This is in addition to the £46.8 million they are already receiving under the LABG this financial year.

The Department for Transport has developed and published a Connectivity Tool to measure people’s ability to get where they want and need to go, using walking, cycling and public transport to reach jobs, shops, schools, healthcare and other essential services in any location in England and Wales. The Connectivity Tool combines transport and land use data to generate a national measure of connectivity and provides new insights to those developing new transport schemes or planning for growth to more easily understand how new transport infrastructure can impact an area’s connectivity.

As announced in the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, the Government will also develop a transport poverty tool, which will aim to capture where poor transport connectivity and affordability limits people’s access to employment and essential services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to help reduce the risk of a rolling stock shortage in 2025.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are regular conversations with train operators who are responsible for operating and delivering the passenger timetable and ensuring they have enough rolling stock to meet their requirements. In 2026 there will be introduction of new modern fleets on South Western Railway and East Midlands Railway which have more passenger carrying capacity than the existing fleets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's policy is for vessels identified within UK territorial waters as sailing under a false flag.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The United Kingdom recognises the importance of all vessels complying with international maritime law and we are concerned by the rise of ships without nationality. We are determined to continue to uphold international maritime law and to challenge abusive flag practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to extend the qualifying criteria for Blue Badges to ensure that people with (a) Parkinson's and (b) other fluctuating conditions are eligible.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government fully recognises the importance of ensuring that the Blue Badge scheme supports those who have their mobility impacted by substantial and enduring disabilities and other health conditions. The current eligibility criteria are focused on the impact on an applicant’s mobility, rather than based on specific disabilities or conditions, and can be found on GOV.UK.

Whilst Parkinson’s and other fluctuation conditions are not automatically eligible for a Blue Badge, applicants may still be eligible for a badge based on the evidence provided. Any decisions on an applicant’s eligibility are ultimately for the responsible local authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of Tap-In/Tap out on rail users at Surrey stations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We want to expand ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go (PAYG) to more passengers. The Department considered several factors to determine which stations would have PAYG with contactless rollout for this phase of delivery. These included travel patterns, passenger benefits, operator views and the necessary changes to fares to ensure as many passengers as possible benefit from an improved experience. On 14th December we launched PAYG with contactless at a further 30 stations in the Southeast, and we will continue to ensure operators monitor these changes post implementation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with mayoral combined authorities to deliver large-scale transport infrastructure.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities are in receipt of £5.7 billion of funding through the City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme, running for a five-year period from April 2022 to March 2027. This devolved funding affords Mayors the ability to develop and implement large scale transport interventions that most benefit their areas.

Following the Summer Spending Review, £15.6 billion of devolved funding was confirmed to provide Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements for the nine eligible Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) from the period April 2027 to March 2032.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the number of British made cars in the Ministerial car fleet.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on the potential impact of the cost of the Piccadilly Line renovation on TfL's finances.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Government announced a £2.2bn investment over the next four years for TfL at the Spending Review. This multi-year settlement marks the largest Government capital contribution to London's transport infrastructure in over a decade and is in addition to £485m delivered at the Budget in 2024.

As transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, it is for him and TfL to assess the merits and financial impacts of capital projects and make decisions on investment including upgrades to the Piccadilly Line.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much South Western Railway has spent on KPMG’s services to develop a business case for the infrastructure investment.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis.

Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much South Western Railway has spent on external consultants since May 2025.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Expenditure on external consultants is a matter for train companies to manage. The Department has agreed challenging budget targets with every train operating company, including South Western Railway, and officials discuss spending against these budgets on a regular basis.

Expenditure on specific contracts cannot be shared as it is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding is available to local authorities to improve street lighting in residential areas where safety guidance is not met; and what criteria are used to allocate that funding.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting.

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.

The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether local authorities are (a) encouraged and (b) required to upgrade street lighting to meet British Standards.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting.

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.

The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on minimum lighting levels required on residential roads.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it.

The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting.

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance.

The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As of 30 November, 265 staff at the Department for Transport were on a temporary contract - representing 7.2% of the total workforce. We do not collate data on the number of individuals working within the Department at any moment in time as part of consultancy contracts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for a safe, accredited inspection or certification process to allow second-hand infant car seats in good condition to be re-used; and whether she will review current guidance in light of the environmental and social impacts of requiring these items to be discarded.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not provide specific guidance on the use of second-hand infant car seats and has not evaluated the feasibility of an inspection or certification process for such products.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) advises against using second-hand car seats for several reasons, including the risk of hidden damage from previous collisions. Such damage can compromise the seat’s structural integrity even when no visible defects are present. Detecting these issues would require complex and costly assessment techniques, making an accredited inspection or certification process impractical.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is the policy of DVLA to provide registered keeper data to enforcement authorities under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, or their commercial intermediaries, who wish to introduce traffic filters.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Regulation 27(1)(a)(iii) of the Vehicle Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide registered keeper information to local authorities in England and Wales for any purpose connected with its activities as an enforcement authority within the meaning of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications in December 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The tables below show the average number of working days taken to process driving licence applications made both online and not online for December 2025 up to 16 December for both group 1 (cars and motorcycle) and group 2 (lorry and bus) licences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the Network Rail vegetation management review, published in October 2018, what criteria are used to approve temporary variations for vegetation management from Network Rail standards for vegetation management.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The review and potential approval for temporary variations to any of Network Rail’s standards is undertaken by a competent person (such as the standard owner or a delegated authority). The risk mitigation of the non-compliance needs to clearly be provided along with timescales on when the applicant will become compliant to the standards. The applications are at local levels and can vary. Since the October 2018 review, Network Rail has improved vegetation management training, updated the vegetation standards and deployed technology to allow it to measure compliance of the vegetation profile. This has resulted in the temporary variations being annulled and alignment to the latest version of the standard.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of improving transport connections from Woking.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under public ownership, South Western Railway will be undertaking a complete redesign of their timetable which will include reviewing connections from Woking. In the assessment of options, wider economic impacts will be a consideration, alongside other factors such as reducing the net subsidy requirement of the railway, meeting passenger demand and improving operational performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of rescue helicopter operational capability.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Throughout the procurement and service delivery lifecycle of the UK’s contracted search and rescue helicopter provision, capability is continually assessed against demand, ensuring that it will always meet the needs of the public. Recent examples include demand analyses, audit programmes and reviews of technical requirements to support procurements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to National Highways press release on 15 December entitled Fix being rolled out after variable speed camera anomaly, whether money has been set aside to compensate affected drivers for a) any lost interest and b) any increase to their insurance premiums.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Data has been provided to the police forces to enable them to start contacting those drivers who were impacted by this anomaly and allow the process of redress to begin. While we expect the number of drivers impacted by this issue to be very small, all those notified by the police will receive details on how to contact National Highways, who will consider the details of each claim on a case by case basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 86751 on the Restoring Your Railway Fund, whether any expenditure incurred on feasibility, development or preparatory work for Restoring Your Railway schemes that did not proceed following the programme’s cancellation has been subject to impairment or write-down in the Department’s accounts.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In line with our previous answers, there has been no write-down or impairment in the Department’s accounts from the decision to cancel the Restoring Your Railway programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish changes in bus funding allocations by local transport authority for 2025–26 and 2026–27.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead.

The formula used to calculate LABG allocations in 2025/26 was the Government’s first step towards ending competitive allocations and it considered population size, levels of deprivation and the extent of existing bus services. To prevent sharp decreases of funding, and as part of the Government’s effort to rebalance inequalities created by competitive allocations, losses were capped at 25%.

We revised this formula for 2026/27 onwards to give a greater weighting to levels of deprivation and population, and to cap any losses at 5% in our continued effort to end the inequalities of competitive allocations once and for all. The formula now also includes consideration of the rurality of local areas in response to a recommendation from the Transport Select Committee.

Further details on the funding formula and local authority allocations for 2026/27 onwards have been published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-bus-grant-allocations. LABG allocations for 2025/26 are also published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-improvement-plans-local-transport-authority-allocations/total-combined-bus-funding-allocations-2025-to-2026.

In addition to the LABG, the Government has also introduced a £3 million Bus Franchising Fund for Mayoral Combined Authorities that are pursuing franchising to apply for in 26/27, such as Liverpool City Region, to help support their transition to franchised services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out the changes to the bus funding allocations formula between 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead.

The formula used to calculate LABG allocations in 2025/26 was the Government’s first step towards ending competitive allocations and it considered population size, levels of deprivation and the extent of existing bus services. To prevent sharp decreases of funding, and as part of the Government’s effort to rebalance inequalities created by competitive allocations, losses were capped at 25%.

We revised this formula for 2026/27 onwards to give a greater weighting to levels of deprivation and population, and to cap any losses at 5% in our continued effort to end the inequalities of competitive allocations once and for all. The formula now also includes consideration of the rurality of local areas in response to a recommendation from the Transport Select Committee.

Further details on the funding formula and local authority allocations for 2026/27 onwards have been published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-bus-grant-allocations. LABG allocations for 2025/26 are also published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-improvement-plans-local-transport-authority-allocations/total-combined-bus-funding-allocations-2025-to-2026.

In addition to the LABG, the Government has also introduced a £3 million Bus Franchising Fund for Mayoral Combined Authorities that are pursuing franchising to apply for in 26/27, such as Liverpool City Region, to help support their transition to franchised services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what external agencies or consultants her Department or its arm’s-length bodies have commissioned to design the branding, logo and visual identity for Great British Rail; whether those contracts were subject to open competitive tender; how many bids were received; and what assessment she has made of value for money in awarding those contracts.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The brand unveiled on 9 December 2025 was developed in-house by staff at the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist who works for a train operator in public ownership. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money for the taxpayer.

A specialist supplier on audience and accessibility testing was used to ensure that the branding unveiled and deployed would deliver against the Government’s objectives for Great British Railways (GBR) and meet the needs of a variety of users with a range of accessibility needs. This supplier was appointed under the Department’s usual procurement processes which include formal assessments of value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total budget is for the development and rollout of branding for Great British Rail; and what the cost has been to date.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they are due to be repainted by their leasing companies and changing station signage when it is life expired.

The brand was developed in-house by the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist who works for a train operator in public ownership – with the only minimal design cost being audience and accessibility testing, at £32,400 including VAT. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Great British Rail branding designs currently in circulation are the final approved versions; what stages of design development or ministerial approval remain outstanding; what consultation has taken place with (a) passenger groups, (b) disabled people’s organisations, (c) rail industry staff and (d) the wider public; what feedback was received; and what assessment she has made of the accessibility of the proposed branding, including colour contrast, legibility and ease of comprehension for passengers with additional needs.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The railway today features a huge variety of conflicting signage standards, driven by the wasteful approach in of rebranding operators each time the franchise changed – creating a fragmented and confusing system for passengers, and in some cases not reaching the accessibility standards we would expect.

Great British Railways (GBR) will unify the system for the passenger, ensuring that accessibility is maintained consistently throughout the railway network. In developing the branding, we have ensured that it has followed all relevant legal requirements and guidance, including compliance with relevant accessibility legislation. Audience testing has taken place, including people with a range of accessibility needs.

We are confident that the testing with the public, passengers, and those with disabilities has led to a design that provides ease of comprehension for all passengers. The GBR brand unveiled on the 9 December 2025 is the final approved design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for implementing the Great British Rail branding across (a) rolling stock, (b) stations, (c) staff uniforms and (d) digital platforms; what estimate she has made of the cost of each element; what the cost will be of removing or replacing existing train operating company branding; what assessment she has made of the potential waste or environmental impact arising from that process; and what steps she is taking to minimise unnecessary expenditure.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies.

The brand rollout will be gradual, beginning from this spring at a number of publicly owned operators to demonstrate our commitment to change and to start the journey of simplifying the railway for the public.

To ensure value for money, and consider the environmental impact of a brand change, much of the rollout will be driven by routine asset maintenance cycles – changing the branding as assets are being maintained or replaced. This includes rolling stock, station assets, and uniforms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing the Great British Rail branding on existing regional identities and heritage railway liveries; whether she plans to permit local or heritage-specific variations within the national brand; and what plans she has to evaluate the impact of the new branding on public confidence, passenger satisfaction and perceptions of value for money.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In developing the new brand for Great British Railways (GBR), the Secretary of State has carefully considered how to preserve Britain’s iconic railway history. With that in mind, many heritage names like Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway will be preserved as regional identifiers within one overarching national brand, which in turn offers passengers consistency and clarity. Heritage stations will also preserve their heritage look and feel.

The Department has considered the impact of the new branding on public confidence, passenger satisfaction and perceptions of value for money. The brand has been developed in-house to provide value for money and undergone audience testing. We want to rebuild a railway the country can be proud of and rely on. The brand incorporates the iconic double arrow and the colours of the Union Jack.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to National Highways press release entitled Fix being rolled out after variable speed camera anomaly, published on 15 December, whether she has any plans to (a) contact insurance companies of or (b) provide assistance in any other way to affected drivers to help obtain a reassessment of their current premiums.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Data has been provided to the police forces to enable them to start contacting those drivers who were impacted by this anomaly and allow the process of redress to begin. While we expect the number of drivers impacted by this issue to be very small, all those notified by the police will receive details on how to contact National Highways, who will consider the details of each claim on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will direct National Highways to upgrade Junction 13 of the M1 in the context of the Milton Keynes New Town.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department recognises the importance of this junction as a key connection between the M1, the A421 corridor, and the wider Milton Keynes and Bedford area. National Highways is considering options for major improvements to it as part of future investment planning to inform future Road Investment Strategies. The work is at an early stage and is focused on options for improving the operation of the three roundabouts that form the junction to increase capacity and strengthen safety, whilst supporting regional growth.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the changes in costs for the A12 widening scheme following the decision taken by the Secretary of State to pause that scheme in July 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The A12 scheme was deferred by the previous Government, adding to the overall cost of the scheme as set out in the table below.

In July 2025, following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government took the difficult decision not to proceed with the A12 scheme, to provide certainty for the public.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help decarbonise refrigerated transport.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport continues to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on an Off-Road Machinery Decarbonisation Strategy, which includes transport refrigeration units (TRUs). This strategy will set out how off-road machinery can further decarbonise while maintaining competitiveness, attracting investment and supporting growth. To support this, we are reviewing the findings of a multi-year research project commissioned to ZEMO Partnership into the emissions from diesel-powered auxiliary engines, including from TRUs used on heavy goods vehicles. Alongside this, the Transport Industrial Commercial Refrigeration project, funded through the DESNZ Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, is expected to publish a roadmap that includes transport refrigeration in Spring 2026. The Department will review the roadmap and consider its implications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, as of 15 December 2025, what the total amount of public funding committed to electric vehicle charging infrastructure to date is; and what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per operational public chargepoint delivered.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

At the Autumn Budget we announced that we will invest an additional £200 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, building on the £400 million of funding announced at Spending Review 2025.

The cost of deploying public chargepoints varies widely due to a range of factors including location, speed, anticipated utilisation, and grid connection costs, with many chargepoints delivered without any public funding. Where funding is provided, we monitor average public chargepoint costs via data from DfT grants to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. The Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund has been designed to minimise cost to the public by encouraging local authorities to leverage significant private investment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that regional domestic ferry operators are supported to meet the goals of the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy sets out a pathway to zero emissions by 2050, and interim goals in 2030 and 2040.

To support the sector transition to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels, the Strategy sets out a number of key policies including; expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime, the introduction of fuel regulations, taking action to reduce emissions at berth, taking proportionate measures to reduce emissions from smaller vessels and increasing the efficiency of maritime operations.

Support is available to the maritime sector for decarbonisation through our UK SHORE Research and Development programme. Over 300 projects across the UK have been supported to date, including those that support the decarbonisation of domestic ferries. In September, I announced a further £448 million of funding for innovation through this programme, including additional rounds of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions, and a second round of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition. We aim to launch the first two of these competitions in Spring 2026 and they will run until 2030.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Answer to Question UIN 79041 on 20 October 2025, if he will provide an update on the Department’s investigation into the decline in road adoption rates across England; and when he expects the findings of that investigation to be published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is currently investigating the decline in road adoption rates through an ongoing research project. This project seeks to develop a clearer understanding of the road adoption landscape in England and identify ways to improve the process to reverse the declining trend. We will aim to publish the findings of the project as soon as possible this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on prioritising a) reactive and b) proactive road maintenance interventions.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to also focus on long-term preventative maintenance to ensure that roads are fixed properly and potholes prevented from forming in the first place. This is also more cost-effective than the repeated and reactive patching of potholes.

This year, the Government made available an additional £500 million for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network. A portion of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance. This includes local highway authorities having to demonstrate to Government how much they are spending on highways maintenance, including the balance of spend between preventative and reactive maintenance.

In this context, the department has written to all local highway authorities to emphasise that when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure, as also set out in the Code of Practice for well-managed highway infrastructure, available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to increase support and resources to British Transport Police on train services in East Ayrshire.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators.

As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources, including on the rail network in East Ayrshire.

BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce anti-social behaviour and harassment on the rail network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for anti-social behaviour or harassment on the railway. Ensuring the network remains safe for passengers and staff is a priority for my Department, the rail industry, and the British Transport Police (BTP).

BTP carry out high visibility and plain clothes patrols across the network every day to deter offenders and provide reassurance to the public. Where someone is a victim or witness to a crime they should report this to BTP by texting 61016 or calling 999 in an emergency.

There are also rules in place under the railway byelaws, including fines of up to £1000, to deter anti-social behaviour which can be enforced by the BTP or rail operators. Operators employ staff in a range of roles including Rail Enforcement Officers who patrol the network to enforce the railway byelaws and deter anti-social behaviour.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is available to people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire owed money by HS2.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone entitled to compensation, whether in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire or anywhere along the HS2 route, should receive it as soon as possible once it falls due. We will continue to impress upon HS2 Ltd the necessity of working closely with claimants and their agents to ensure that claims are properly evidenced and then paid promptly. Any individual who believes that HS2 Ltd owes them money should contact HS2 Ltd directly where they will receive support from the helpdesk and case officer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will transfer stored class 221 voyager units to Crosscountry.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has funded 12 additional Voyager trains (60 carriages) for the CrossCountry network which entered passenger service in May 2025.

It is for train operators to present their Business Case for any additional trains, setting out the benefits to passengers and how it presents value for money to the taxpayer. CrossCountry is currently working with the Department on a proposal to procure further additional trains for its Inter-City routes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department collects data on the proportion of reported potholes attributable to (a) standing water and (b) poor drainage.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.”

Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the role of (a) drainage and (b) road foundations in the recurrence of potholes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.”

Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 97165 and the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 93786 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, whether the DVLA provides registered keeper data to (a) Oxfordshire County council and (b) a third-party service provider to support the enforcement of the Oxford congestion charge.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to make information about UK vehicles and their registered keepers available for use by local authorities for a range of appropriate purposes. The DVLA has provided registered keeper data to Oxford County Council via its third-party service provider for the purpose of enforcing a congestion charge scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Planning Inspectorate's press release entitled London Luton Airport Expansion development consent decision announced, published on 3 April 2025, what discussions she has had with Network Rail on the provision of step free access for passengers from the north of Luton travelling to and from London Luton Airport.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Luton Airport Parkway already has step free access and lifts are already due to be installed at Luton station under the Access for All programme. The Department will also expect any new transport infrastructure to meet current accessibility standards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorists have been wrongly fined for speeding in each year since 2021.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold data on the number of speeding fines incorrectly issued each year since 2021.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the expected completion date is for the redevelopment of Wickford station; and if local taxis licenced by Basildon Council have been included in any consultations about the citing of the taxi rank as part of the redevelopment.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Greater Anglia has commenced the redevelopment works at Wickford station and this is expected to be completed in autumn 2026. Greater Anglia has confirmed that the project scope does not include any changes to the current location of the taxi rank.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent driving examiners employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in (i) July 2024 and (ii) each month thereafter up to the most recent month for which data is available.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to November 2025.

A DE is a paid Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency employee from the point at which they start their training and therefore considered to be in post.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if if she will set out the minimum length of hire in days at which a rental vehicle is included within central government departments are counted towards the Government Fleet Commitment for the owned and leased fleet to be 100% zero emission by 2027.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information on the minimum length of hire at which a rental vehicle included within central government departments are counted towards the Government Fleet Commitment can be found on Gov.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the revenue lost due to rail fare evasion in each month since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Deliberate fare dodging undermines our railway. It drains much needed revenue and undercuts the trust of passengers who play by the rules. It has no place on our railways. Although we do not hold data for the revenue lost due to rail fare evasion per month, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has estimated annual revenue lost to fraud and ticketless travel is at least £350-£400 million.

The Office for Rail and Road have carried out a review of train operator revenue protection practices which was published in June. It set out five recommendations which include introducing greater consistency and fairness in the use of prosecutions as well as greater coordination, oversight and transparency of revenue protection. The Department has accepted all five recommendations and will publish its formal response to this review in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem on improving grid capacity at ports to enable ferry electrification.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Reforming the connections process and investing in the grid is a key Government priority. This includes reforms that are expected to deprioritise over half of the existing queue based on readiness and strategic alignment with our strategy as set out in Clean Power 2030.

Department for Transport Ministers and officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem. These include discussions on the significance of getting sufficient grid capacity to electrify ports, for cruise and ferries to use shore power and policy options to accelerate connection dates for strategic demand customers, such as critical port sites. This is informed by the Department for Transport call for evidence on Net Zero Ports, published in March 2025, which posed questions on managing future energy demand at ports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of Network Rail’s treatment of timber waste.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Network Rail is achieving high rates of reuse and recycling across all waste types. Timber sleepers are graded and either reused on the railway, sold on for reuse, or disposed of for recovery. Pallets are reused where possible or disposed of for recycling or recovery along with other wood waste such as fence posts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 93777 on London Underground: Strikes, what discussions Ministers and officials in her Department have had with other transport operators regarding continuing industrial action since 4 July 2024, and which operators were involved in those discussions.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under the Conservative Government, we saw national rail disputes that caused two years of widespread strikes and disruption to millions of passengers. On coming into office, this Government acted quickly to reset industrial relations and resolve the national disputes.

Since 4 July 2024, there has been limited, local industrial action, involving four of the fourteen Department for Transport (DfT) contracted Train Operating Companies (TOCs); Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, Southeastern and Transpennine Trains. Also, while no industrial action has been taken since July 2024, the RMT has been in dispute with Northern Trains since 2017 regarding who opens and closes the train doors. Northern are in detailed discussions with the RMT to try and resolve this long running dispute.

DfT officials routinely and regularly have discussions with TOCs on operational and other matters. In the case of the TOCs affected by industrial action, discussions include operators’ plans to resolve disputes and where relevant, their preparedness for industrial action. Dispute resolution is a matter for train operators, as the employers, to resolve with trade unions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers other than additional funding she has to ensure Staffordshire County Council fills potholes in Newcastle-under-Lyme in a timely and thorough way.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities, such as Staffordshire County Council, have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

To receive their full share of the Government's £500 million funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26, local authorities had to publish transparency reports on their website to set out how they will spend the additional funding. As part of this, local authorities were required to demonstrate how they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, including in relation to preventative maintenance which helps to keep roads in good condition for longer and prevents potholes from forming in the first place. These requirements are designed to drive greater adoption of best practice to ensure that this funding is spent as effectively as possible to improve local road conditions.

The transparency report for Staffordshire County Council is available online, at:www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/Managing-the-highway-asset/Local-highways-maintenance-transparency-report.aspx

The Department is also currently updating the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highways Infrastructure. The Code provides guidance to local authorities on the delivery of safe, efficient, and sustainable highway services through a risk‑based, evidence‑led approach to asset management. The Code encourages highways authorities to set repair timescales against defined risk levels, ensuring that safety-critical defects are fixed swiftly to reduce the likelihood of incident or liability. This is available online, at:

https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice

There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to also focus on long-term preventative maintenance to ensure that roads are fixed properly and potholes prevented from forming in the first place. This is also more cost-effective than the repeated and reactive patching of potholes. The current Code of Practice emphasises that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on when resurfacing should be prioritised over pothole filling.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative effectiveness of filling potholes and preventative maintenance measures in the long-term.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of recurring potholes on the local road network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is she taking to ensure that local road maintenance practices reflect changes in (a) vehicle weight and (b) usage patterns.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications of electric vehicle uptake for long-term road maintenance costs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the weight of electric vehicles on the condition of the local road network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Tesla UK regarding the potential child safety implications of vehicle-integrated artificial intelligence systems.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not had discussions with Tesla specifically regarding potential child safety implications of vehicle-integrated artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Many manufacturers use AI tools and techniques to develop and optimise various aspects of vehicles, including their safety systems. For those aspects covered by vehicle technical regulations, the systems are required to be fixed (i.e. they are no longer permitted to evolve) before they are placed on the market and subject to objective testing to verify their performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the Spending Review of 2025 this government announced Local Transport funding of £38.19 million to Surrey County Council for the period from April 2026 to April 2030 for local transport improvements.

Surrey County Council has also been allocated £38.2 million of Local Authority Bus Grant for 2026/27 to 2028/29. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, which could include introducing local fares schemes to further reduce the cost of bus travel.

In respect of rail travel, the Chancellor and Transport Secretary have announced that regulated rail fares will be frozen for a year from March 2026, for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters in the Surrey Heath constituency could save over £200 on season tickets into London.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the backlog in local road maintenance.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why the Government has announced a record of £7.3 billion investment for local highway maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This investment to improve the condition of our roads will make journeys faster and smoother but also protects drivers from paying hundreds of pounds in costly repairs following pothole-related breakdowns. This builds on nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding that has been provided for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to the previous financial year. Funding allocations for individual local authorities can be found on gov.uk.

DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in December 2024, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2024. These statistics showed that in the financial year ending March 2024:

• Local ‘A’ roads: 4% should have been considered for maintenance, and 27% may require maintenance soon.
• ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads: 7% should have been considered for maintenance, and 31% may require maintenance soon.
• Unclassified roads: 17% should have been considered for maintenance.

The statistics can be found online, at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2024

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the overall condition of the local road network in England.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why the Government has announced a record of £7.3 billion investment for local highway maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This investment to improve the condition of our roads will make journeys faster and smoother but also protects drivers from paying hundreds of pounds in costly repairs following pothole-related breakdowns. This builds on nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding that has been provided for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to the previous financial year. Funding allocations for individual local authorities can be found on gov.uk.

DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in December 2024, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2024. These statistics showed that in the financial year ending March 2024:

• Local ‘A’ roads: 4% should have been considered for maintenance, and 27% may require maintenance soon.
• ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads: 7% should have been considered for maintenance, and 31% may require maintenance soon.
• Unclassified roads: 17% should have been considered for maintenance.

The statistics can be found online, at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2024

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether temporary pothole repairs represent value for money where defects repeatedly appear.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data she collects on the frequency with which the same potholes are repaired multiple times within a year.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on preventing the recurrence of potholes in the same locations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the relationship between vehicle weight and the formation or deepening of potholes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether (a) electric vehicles, (b) buses and (c) lorries accelerate road surface deterioration.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what agreements are in force under section 20 of the Transport Act 1968.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are currently no agreements in force under section 20 of the Transport Act 1968.

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Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received relating to the Government Car Service since 1 April 2025; and how many have been (a) refused and (b) disclosed.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) transferred to the Cabinet Office from the Department for Transport, as a result of a machinery of government change, on 1st April 2025. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests relating to GCS prior to that date were answered by the Department for Transport.

Since 1 April 2025, the Cabinet Office has received 15 FOI requests relating to the GCS. Of the 11 requests that have been closed, five requests were granted in full and one request was refused in full. Other outcomes were that the information was already planned for publication, that the information was not held, or that responding to the request would have exceeded the cost limit.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on co-ordination of the UK emissions trading scheme maritime expansion with the delivery of grid infrastructure needed for maritime decarbonisation.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK ETS Authority is made up of the UK Government and the devolved governments. Within the UK Government, my department, the Department for Transport and HM Treasury all work jointly to develop and implement the inclusion of maritime emissions in the UK ETS. This expansion will strengthen the scheme’s ability to deliver cost-effective emissions reductions, supporting the UK’s statutory carbon budgets and Net Zero target.

Investing in the grid is a key Government priority. The Government supports Ofgem in developing a price control that enable necessary investment in the electricity network for the clean energy and growth missions, including maritime transport electrification. The next distribution price control, ED3 covering 2028 to 2033, will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans to support strategic network investments.

We understand the significance of getting sufficient grid capacity to electrify ports, for cruise and ferries to use shore power and policy options to accelerate connection dates for strategic demand customers, such as critical port sites. This is informed by the Department for Transport’s call for evidence on Net Zero Ports, published in March 2025, which posed questions on managing future energy demand at ports.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of helipad provision within NHS services in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Air ambulances form a vital part of the emergency response to patients in critical need. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with NHS England and the Department for Transport on helipad accessibility for air ambulances across the country, including in Surrey.

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