Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle illegal driving instructors; and what steps he is taking to increase public awareness on the requirement for driving instructors to be approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes matters of illegal driving instruction extremely seriously. DVSA strives to stamp out illegal driving instruction by targeting offenders and working in conjunction with the local Police force to identify and ultimately, when appropriate, prosecute those involved in this type of criminality.

DVSA’s Counter Fraud and Investigation team thoroughly investigate allegations of illegal driving instruction and always looks to validate any information it is provided with during any investigations. Depending on the information available, DVSA may proceed directly to an investigation or conduct targeted roadside checks, often involving the police, to identify ongoing illegal instruction. The outcomes of DVSA’s investigations can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.

Information for those wanting to start driving lessons is available on DVSA’s ‘Ready to Pass?’ website on GOV.UK. DVSA advises candidates that anyone teaching them to drive for payment must be either a qualified and approved driving instructor or a trainee driving instructor. There is also further information for candidates on how to find your nearest driving instructors.

DVSA advises candidates to check that their driving instructor is displaying their badge in their windscreen, which shows they are registered with DVSA, this could either be a green badge if they are fully qualified or a pink badge if they are a trainee instructor.

Individuals who have not been through the approved driving instructor process pose a very real threat to road safety. It also damages the reputation and credibility of the driver training industry. DVSA recommends that anyone with concerns about a possible illegal driving instructor follow the advice on GOV.UK: Report an illegal driving instructor.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to simplify the process by which disabled motorists in receipt of Personal Independence Payment are able to (a) apply for and (b) receive a vehicle tax reduction; and whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to introduce an online system enabling eligible disabled drivers to (i) claim the 50 per cent vehicle tax discount and (ii) pay by direct debit.

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

Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and whose vehicles are already licensed in the disabled taxation class can renew their vehicle excise duty (VED) exemption online.

Those customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of PIP which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of VED payable, must send their application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Facilitating online applications by disabled customers to claim reduced rates of VED requires the electronic exchange of data held by the Department for Work and Pensions with the DVLA. Officials are considering how to improve the ability for customers in receipt of PIP to transact with the DVLA.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to instal Automated External Defibrillators at (a) stations and (b) key infrastructure points as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

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

I can confirm that Automated External Defibrillators are being installed at stations along the route. Discussions are also taking place with local stakeholders to assess the suitability of installing defibrillators on infrastructure outside of the station environment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the number of driving tests in (a) Epsom and Ewell constituency and (b) England.

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

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

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

These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests.

The test centres that serve candidates in the Epsom and Ewell constituency are Tolworth, Chertsey, Morden and Mitcham.

Since July 2025, one new entrant examiner has passed their training course and is now conducting tests at Tolworth test centre, with a further new entrant currently undertaking training and one booked on a training course. DVSA also has one new entrant undertaking training and if successful will begin testing at Chertsey. DVSA has also made an offer of employment to a new entrant examiner for Morden test centre. A further three new entrants who have passed their training course are now conducting tests at Mitcham, with a further new entrant awaiting to start their training and one new entrant currently undertaking training.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of providing free bus travel to all under-22s in England; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) the economy and (b) society.

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

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing free bus travel for under-22s on access to (a) education, (b) training and (c) employment.

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

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with local transport authorities in Greater Manchester on the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for under-22s.

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

The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, work and access vital services. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding.

Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. The Bee Network in Greater Manchester offers discounted bus period tickets for young people aged 18–21 who live in Greater Manchester.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways or the Office of Rail and Road will be responsible for (a) granting and (b) monitoring open access rail applications under the new rail structure.

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

The Government has consulted on establishing GBR as a new directing mind for the railway, able to take access and charging decisions in the public interest in a framework based in primary legislation. As set in the consultation, new statutory duties will ensure that GBR access decisions are transparent and accountable, enabling fair treatment for all operators wishing to access the GBR-managed network. The ORR will ensure fair access to the GBR managed network through a robust appeals process. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of conventional (a) pothole repair and (b) resurfacing techniques on levels of carbon emissions.

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

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks in a way that is cost effective and reduces carbon impacts.

The Department has funded Live Labs 2, a three-year, £30 million programme designed to support the local highways sector to adopt innovation and reduce its carbon impacts. Projects funded under the programme include the trialling and demonstration of sustainable materials and processes and the creation of toolkits and databases so that all local highway authorities can access findings and lessons learned from the programme.

The Department is also supporting a new Carbon Leadership Programme, which will support local highway authorities in benchmarking the carbon intensity of their operations and gain insights into actions they could take to reduce carbon emissions.

Where road and pothole repair forms part of a capital investment project, the Department requires a carbon management plan (CMP) (in line with the Department’s policies for retained schemes) which would include a comprehensive whole life carbon assessment, and a plan to reduce carbon across the project lifecycle in line with PAS2080 principles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage competition between independent MOT testing garages and large national chains.

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

The MOT is a vital part of the regulations that keep our roads safe, and I greatly appreciate the work of skilled mechanics in both independent garages and larger businesses that are essential to testing.

It is one of the strengths of our testing regime that independent garages across the country provide assurance to millions in their community's while providing value to drivers in a competitive market.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78728 London, Tilbury and Southend Line: Standards, what performance targets her Department has agreed with c2c on (a) service reliability and (b) the permitted number and proportion of (i) cancellations and (ii) over-running engineering works.

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

Under the Services Agreement, c2c is required to publish actual performance against agreed targets on its website. This includes both punctuality (T-3) and cancellations (Stations Cancellations). c2c is currently working with its website supplier to have this data added, and we are expecting publication imminently. As further operators come into public ownership, they too will be expected to publish such data.

Over-running engineering works is not a KPI that train operating companies are measured against. As noted in our previous correspondence, the Department expects c2c to collaborate closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact of any over-running engineering works and holds it to account on this.

GBR is being set up precisely to ensure track and train are integrated so that issues can be managed and resolved faster across both. Ahead of GBR’s formal establishment, integrated management is being put in place in the Anglia region over the coming months.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76344 on South Western Railway: Personnel Management, what the total cost to the Department for Transport Operator was of assuming (a) management and (b) payroll responsibilities for South Western Railway since it was brought into public ownership.

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

There was no cost to Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) of assuming management of South Western Railway (SWR). SWR pays DFTO an annual management fee.

DFTO did not assume payroll responsibilities for SWR, therefore there was no cost incurred. SWR manages its payroll internally and has its own payroll team. This was the case both before and after public ownership.

Since the pandemic, the Government has been covering the costs of DfT-contracted operators, in addition to paying private sector operators a management fee. As a result, there are no additional costs to the public purse from terminating contracts as they expire or if operators are found to be in breach.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that passenger (a) fare data and (b) service performance from operators outside the Office of Rail and Road’s are independently verified.

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

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the official source of most rail fare data and service performance statistics. ORR does not publish statistics in respect of light rail/tramways, heritage railways, London Underground and Eurostar (although ORR receives some performance data from Eurostar as part of its regulation of London St. Pancras Highspeed and these are published in ORR’s Annual Report).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82734 on Railways: Industrial Disputes, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of industrial action relating to new technology payments for ticket scanning on passengers.

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

It is for a train operator, as employer, to negotiate terms and conditions that are fair to staff and affordable for taxpayers. Operators have kept officials informed on the progress of their negotiations with the RMT on this matter.

CrossCountry and RMT recently reached agreement on a number of issues in dispute including this one. Consequently, the RMT suspended industrial action on 18 October and 1 November.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to suspend driving licences immediately for people arrested on suspicion of driving offences carrying mandatory disqualification.

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

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.

The Government is listening closely to the concerns of those affected by tragic cases of death or serious injury on our roads.

We are considering a range of policies under the new strategy; the first for 10 years. This includes the case for changing motoring offences.

More details will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time is for the DVLA to (a) review and (b) reinstate driving licences suspended on medical grounds following a head injury.

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

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including doctors, other healthcare professionals or the applicant themselves, before a licensing decision can be made.

In the current financial year to September, the average time taken to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued was 47 working days. Information is not held by specific medical conditions (for example, head injuries).

The DVLA understands the impact that not having a driving licence can have on a person’s everyday life. However, when the DVLA is made aware of a condition that could affect an individual’s ability to drive safely, they must ensure that the required medical standards for driving are met before a licence is issued.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of out of area taxi operations on public safety.

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

The primary purpose of the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime is public safety. Since coming into Government, we have been actively looking at ways to improve the existing licensing regime.

We have committed to legislate to address the issues raised in Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing. We want to achieve two outcomes; the first is ensuring we have consistently high safeguarding standards and the second is that there is no unintended reduction in the availability of licensed taxi and private hire vehicle services, which could disproportionately impact women and girls and disabled people, who rely on these services the most. We are considering all options – including out-of-area working, national standards, enforcement and transferring licensing to local transport authorities - seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.

We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. All licensing authorities have reported that they require the highest level of criminal background checks for taxi and private hire vehicle driver licence applicants – an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check with a check of the children’s and adults’ barred lists. Where safety recommendations from the guidance are not being followed, licensing authorities will be held to account.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53618, if she will make an estimate of potential cost savings from introducing a rolling programme of electrification.

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

The department has not made an estimate of the potential savings of a rolling programme of electrification; however, we recognise the potential benefits such a programme could have for reducing the cost of delivering electrification infrastructure in this country. Officials are working closely with Network Rail to deliver updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years that considers both track and train and the significant recent progress in battery technology and will consider potential cost savings as part of this process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve collaboration across local authority borders on bus routes.

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

Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) already work closely together when tendering bus routes that cross shared boundaries, and in delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plans. There are also requirements set out in the Transport Act 2000 for LTAs to take account of the effect of an Enhanced Partnership on neighbouring areas, and for policies on bus services in neighbouring LTA areas to be considered when developing any franchising arrangements.

The Government has updated its bus franchising guidance to LTAs to make clear that they should consider cross-boundary services during any franchising assessment process. This includes as part of the commercial case, where they should set out how they intend to facilitate cross-boundary services to deliver relevant targets in both authorities’ areas.

In addition, the Government’s Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders. This Bill is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including services that cross local authority boundaries.

The Act gives franchising authorities greater scope to grant service permits to operators wishing to provide non-franchised services which enter a franchising area from another area. Franchising authorities will be able to take account of these proposed cross-boundary services’ benefits in all the areas where the service would run, not just the franchising area as before. This will enable franchising authorities to better harness the additionality the market can provide in delivering these important services and take a more holistic approach to cross-boundary bus provision.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76329 on Roads: Capital Investment, on what date she plans to publish the final version of the Road Investment Strategy 3.

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

The Department for Transport intends to publish the final version of the third Road Investment Strategy by the end of March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53618, when she expects updated plans for where and when electrification is required to deliver a fully decarbonised railway over the next 25 years to be a) concluded and b) published.

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

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Long-term Planning for Rail Decarbonisation' strategy, any plan which arises from this strategy will cover 25 years and set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway, with consideration for the bespoke electrification needs of freight operators. We expect Network Rail to engage with industry as part of the development of this strategy and we expect to see a draft of this strategy before the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82744 on Roads: Repairs and Maintenance, whether her Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned an assessment of the potential impact of the revised national road maintenance capital allocations on local highway maintenance performance indicators.

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

As set out at the Spending Review, the £24 billion of capital funding that was announced to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

The Government will confirm highways maintenance funding allocations for local highway authorities in due course.

An additional £500m of highways maintenance funding was announced this financial year, alongside new reporting requirements for local authorities. This includes the publication of an annual transparency report detailing how the funding has been used and the outcomes achieved. These reports will enable the Department and the public to better understand the impact of investment over the next four years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with local councils on ensuring that there are sufficient road grit boxes for road users to use in winter 2025-26.

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

Responsibility for winter road maintenance, including grit boxes, is a devolved matter. As such this answer relates only to England.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty on highway authorities to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice.

It is for local highway authorities to determine what the most appropriate measures are to achieve this, based on local circumstances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59359 and the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 77650 on Motorcycles: Bus Lanes, how many and what proportion of respondents to the consultation were (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to allowing motorcycles to access bus lanes by default.

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

This information is contained in the ‘Motorcycles in bus lanes consultation outcome’ published on 21 November 2024 and available here:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/motorcycles-in-bus-lanes

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that nationalised rail operators (a) remain commercially viable and (b) ensure that lower-income passengers are able to commute.

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

Public sector train operators deliver passenger services under Services Agreements with the Secretary of State. Services Agreements are customer-focused, performance-focused and will support the financial sustainability of the railways for taxpayers.

This Government is overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.

Track and train will be brought together so that decisions can be made on a whole-industry basis, with a single view across railway costs and revenue, rather than being driven by what is best for individual organisations.

A proposed new funding process, to be established in legislation, will facilitate integrated decisions and enable Great British Railways to deliver its agreed business plans and the strategies of railway funders.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the withdrawal of discounts for off-peak travel on (a) passenger numbers on and (b) the commercial viability of the C2C line.

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

There are no plans to remove off-peak tickets on c2c services. The whole of the c2c network is part of the Pay As You Go (PAYG) network in the South East. So, peak and off-peak timings are now aligned with Transport for London (TfL). While PAYG with contactless does not currently include the ability to link railcards to contactless bankcard, I would like to assure you that we are working with TfL on the functionality to use Railcard discounts on PAYG with contactless. In the meantime, passengers will continue to be able to use Railcard discounts on the equivalent barcode, smartcard, and magstripe tickets.

From 1 October 2025, the Online Advance was removed and replaced with 1/3 Off Saver only available Fridays to Sundays. The changes made were designed to realign the offer with the target leisure travel market by limiting eligible journeys Fridays to Sundays, avoiding revenue abstraction from commuters and to reduce the available discount to a point that is more standard within the industry (for example, for Railcards and Groupsave) to simplify the messaging.

These changes are not expected to impact passenger numbers or the commercial viability of the c2c line.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that nationalised rail operators retain discounts for off-peak travel.

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

This Government is overhauling the complex fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticketing and getting the best fare. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.

On longer-distance routes, we need to move away from the inefficient and unacceptable situation where some ‘peak’ trains run nearly empty while some ‘off-peak’ trains are overcrowded. To address this, we are trialling more flexible, demand-based pricing on some London North Eastern Railway routes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82751 on HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund, what the total budget was for that fund; how much of that budget remains unspent; and how that fund relates to the £14 million in joint government and industry funding announced on 9 October 2024 for improvements to freight working conditions.

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

As set out in my response to Question 82751 there have been three funding windows of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Matched Funding Grant Scheme launched in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

£13,849,303.45 of government investment has been awarded in total across the three windows. This does not include projects that have been cancelled by operators to date, subsequent to receiving an award.

The 9 October 2024 announcement included up to £4.5 million government investment awarded in window 3 of the Grant, matched by up to £8 million industry investment. Four projects that were awarded funding in the third window have subsequently been cancelled by operators. The remaining funds in that announcement were investment for 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to trial new groundbreaking technology for decarbonising freight and driving innovation in the sector.

All applications that met the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Matched Funding Grant Scheme’s criteria were funded in each window. Investment therefore reflects demand from the truck stop and lorry parking industry. The Grant is on top of up to £30 million National Highways joint investment with industry in lorry parking.

Underspends against specific budgets are reallocated to other priorities within DfT where possible. Any departmental underspend at the end of the financial year is returned to HMT.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many employment tribunal claims have been lodged against her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) unfair dismissal and (b) claims under the Equality Act 2010.

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

The table below outlines the number of employment tribunal claims lodged against the central Department for Transport (DfTc) in each of the last five years. As requested, this information is broken down by unfair dismissal claims and claims under the Equality Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the time taken for Section 278 approvals on SME development timelines.

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

The Government recognises that the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980, including Section 278 agreements where developers modify existing public highways, has become increasingly fragmented and prolonged across England. This has contributed to a decline in road adoption rates. In response, the Department for Transport is conducting research to better understand the underlying causes and identify opportunities for improvement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83230 on Skilled Workers: Visas, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the changes to income thresholds in the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, HC 997, published on 1 July 2025, on the number of people employed on Skilled Worker Visas in the transport sector who no longer have leave to remain.

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

The Department for Transport has not produced a formal estimate of the number of individuals across the transport sector who may no longer have leave to remain as a result of the changes introduced in the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 997) on 1 July 2025.

The changes to income thresholds only affect those in the Skilled Worker route when they next make an application to change employment, extend their stay, or settle. Until this happens, those who have been in the route since before 4 April 2024 continue to be subject to lower overall salary requirements.

The Department is working with the transport sector and the Migration Advisory Committee to consider if any transport jobs should be included on the temporary shortage list.

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 closure of the West Coast Main Line in December 2025 and January 2026 on commuters.

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

Network Rail has been working closely with operators to try and keep passengers on trains for as much of their journey as possible during this period of essential works. The Settle to Carlisle line will be used as a diversionary route for long-distance services for the first time in a decade. Rail replacement buses will also be available to assist passengers to continue their journeys onwards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of approved driving instructors in Lincolnshire in each of the last five years.

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

Information on the number of approved driving instructors by postcode, including for Lincolnshire is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-instructor-and-motorcycle-instructor-register-data.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the accuracy of vehicle registration data held by the DVLA.

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

The latest available data shows more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s record. Of the remainder, around six per cent are in the motor trade where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

The DVLA works to reduce the number of vehicles that have no registered keeper or are unlicensed through a combination of enforcement, collaboration and education. The DVLA works with more than 80 local authorities and police forces to identify and act on vehicles which do not have a registered keeper. The DVLA also deploys Automatic Number Plate Recognition vehicles to detect unlicensed or unregistered vehicles and sends reminders as well as promoting easier payment options to encourage people to license their vehicle on time.

There are long-standing legislative requirements in place to ensure that keepers notify the DVLA when they buy and sell a vehicle. It is an offence to use a vehicle that does not have a registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of vehicle registration plate data held by the DVLA.

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

The latest available data shows more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s record. Of the remainder, around six per cent are in the motor trade where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

The DVLA works to reduce the number of vehicles that have no registered keeper or are unlicensed through a combination of enforcement, collaboration and education. The DVLA works with more than 80 local authorities and police forces to identify and act on vehicles which do not have a registered keeper. The DVLA also deploys Automatic Number Plate Recognition vehicles to detect unlicensed or unregistered vehicles and sends reminders as well as promoting easier payment options to encourage people to license their vehicle on time.

There are long-standing legislative requirements in place to ensure that keepers notify the DVLA when they buy and sell a vehicle. It is an offence to use a vehicle that does not have a registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish an update to the National Travel Attitudes Study statistics.

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

The National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) is currently paused whilst the department explores options for its future.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles which passed their MOT in (a) 2022-2023, (b) 2023-2024 and (c) 2024-2025 were assessed for exhaust noise as per section 8.1.1. of the MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles.

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

It is a mandatory requirement for all MOT centres in England to assess for exhaust noise when conducting an MOT.

During the emissions test the tester is required to use their judgement to assess the exhaust noise, either as part of the emissions test or by raising the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed.

The numbers below show how many active MOT testing stations there are in England, who have carried out MOTs. This would include being assessed for exhaust noise.

• 2022 to 2023 there were 22,701 active MOT testing stations testing car, private bus and light commercial vehicles (classes 3,4,5 and 7);
• 2023 to 2024 there were 22,526 active MOT testing stations for classes 3,4,5 and 7 and;
• 2024 to 2025 there were 22,448 active MOT testing stations for classes 3,4,5 and 7 vehicles.

The numbers below show how many vehicles passed their MOT in (a) 2022-2023 (b) 2023-2024 and (c) 2024-2025. This would include being assessed for exhaust noise.

• 2022 to 2023 there were 30,843,492 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7;
• 2023 to 2024 there were 31,084,949 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7 and;
• 2024 to 2025 there were 31,615,467 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7 vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many MOT centres in England in (a) 2022-2023, (b)2023-2024 and (c)2024-2025 assessed for exhaust noise as per section 8.1.1. of the MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles.

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

It is a mandatory requirement for all MOT centres in England to assess for exhaust noise when conducting an MOT.

During the emissions test the tester is required to use their judgement to assess the exhaust noise, either as part of the emissions test or by raising the engine speed to around 2,500rpm or half the maximum engine speed.

The numbers below show how many active MOT testing stations there are in England, who have carried out MOTs. This would include being assessed for exhaust noise.

• 2022 to 2023 there were 22,701 active MOT testing stations testing car, private bus and light commercial vehicles (classes 3,4,5 and 7);
• 2023 to 2024 there were 22,526 active MOT testing stations for classes 3,4,5 and 7 and;
• 2024 to 2025 there were 22,448 active MOT testing stations for classes 3,4,5 and 7 vehicles.

The numbers below show how many vehicles passed their MOT in (a) 2022-2023 (b) 2023-2024 and (c) 2024-2025. This would include being assessed for exhaust noise.

• 2022 to 2023 there were 30,843,492 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7;
• 2023 to 2024 there were 31,084,949 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7 and;
• 2024 to 2025 there were 31,615,467 normal tests carried out for classes 4, 5 and 7 vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to respond to the consultation entitled Pavement parking: options for change, published on 31 August 2020.

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

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of progress towards the (a) lower bound and (b) mid-point rollout figures of the 2030 demand projection range for public electric vehicle chargepoints; and what the projected annual installation rate is.

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

As of 1 October 2025, Government and industry have supported the installation of 86,021 publicly available charging devices, up 23% on this time last year.

The Department does not project an annual installation rate but, as noted by the National Audit Office (NAO) in its report published in December last year, the number of public chargepoints being installed is on track to meet the expected demand for 300,000 chargepoints in 2030. As published in the NAO report, the Department’s 2024 estimated range of potential future demand for chargepoints is around 250,000 – 550,000 in 2030. This expected range will likely be updated as the electric vehicle and charging market evolves.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83389 on Transport: Exhaust Emissions, what estimate she has made of (a) total transport-sector emissions between 2025 and 2050 and (b) emissions from (i) cars and vans, (ii) shipping, (iii) aviation, and (iv) rail, (c) total emissions savings from UK Government interventions in those sectors over that period (A) in megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, (B) as a percentage of total projected emissions and (d) the total estimated cost of those interventions to (1) the public purse and (2) consumers.

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

The Government’s annual publication titled ‘Energy and Emissions Projections’ (EEP) provides estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions out to 2050 after accounting for policies that have been implemented and planned policies where the level of funding has been agreed, and the policy design is near final. For transport, this includes GHG emissions estimates for domestic transport and international aviation and shipping. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2023-to-2050.

The Government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP) was published on 29 October 2025. EEP estimates provided the basis for the emissions baseline in the CBGDP, but some modelling adjustments were made to better align the EEP with sectoral modelling. This approach is explained in the CBGDP Technical Annex, at paragraphs 20 to 21: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6901dfae71b575684c3cf78a/carbon-budget-and-growth-delivery-plan-technical-annex.pdf

The CBGDP published estimates of the impact of transport policies and proposals on GHG emissions between now and the end of the Carbon Budget 6 period in 2037. This includes transport policies captured in the EEP, and modelled proposals and policies. Estimates of transport policies’ impact on GHG emissions are included in Table 3 and Table 4 of the CBGDP: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6901d0c2a6048928d3fc2b55/carbon-budget-and-growth-delivery-plan-report.pdf

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 3 September 2025 on Pavement Parking, column 165WH, when she plans to publish the Government’s response to the consultation on Managing pavement parking which closed on 22 November 2020; and whether that response will include measures relating to (a) people with sight loss and (b) other disabled pedestrians.

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

The previous government failed to publish a response to its own 2020 consultation on pavement parking. This Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairments and disabled people with wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs, and is currently working through policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce next steps and publish a response as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in (a) North West Norfolk constituency and (b) rural areas.

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

The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Norfolk County Council has been allocated £15.9 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area, including North West Norfolk.

Rail services in North West Norfolk are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The Government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders.

The Government also intends to publish its Integrated National Transport Strategy. It will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people, including those in rural areas.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help (a) promote UK-based innovation in road (i) maintenance and (ii) resurfacing and (b) ensure that (A) public procurement and (B) supply chain standards support the adoption of such technologies.

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

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks in a way that is cost effective and reduces carbon impacts.

For example, the Department has funded Live Labs 2, a three-year, £30 million programme designed to support the local highways sector to adopt innovation and reduce its carbon impacts. Projects funded under the programme include the trialling and demonstration of sustainable materials and processes, and the creation of toolkits and databases so that all local highway authorities can access findings and lessons learned from the programme. Each project is a collaboration between a local highway authority, a contractor, and at least one UK university.

Further to this, in March, the Prime Minister announced that to receive their full allocation of this year’s £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, all councils in England must publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work. These reports also require local highway authorities to set out how they are adopting innovation in highways maintenance. This is helping to highlight positive innovations and new technologies and encourages authorities to learn from each other.

Finally, the Department is 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. This update will ensure the Code reflects the latest best practice on innovative and low-carbon road repair technologies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76331 on the Road Investment Strategy 2, what the value is of each RIS2 scheme that was written off; and what the total value of the write-offs was.

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

The values of the written-off projects are detailed in the National Highways’ Annual Report and Accounts 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (a) Innovate UK and (b) the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on (i) supporting research, development and commercialisation of (A) advanced road surfacing materials and (B) graphene-enhanced and recycled products; and (ii) assessing the potential for British manufacturing and export growth arising from those low-carbon technologies.

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

Advanced road surfacing materials, including graphene-enhanced and recycled products have the potential to deliver significant benefits to the UK, through helping deliver cost effective and long-lasting road surfaces. They may also present an opportunity for British innovators and manufacturers.

While the Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with Innovate UK or the Secretary of State for Business and Trade about these matters, the Department is supporting innovation in relation to such products through its Transport Research and Innovation Grants, and as part of its £30 million Live Labs 2 programme.

Projects funded as part of Live Labs 2 include the trialling and demonstration of sustainable materials and processes and the creation of toolkits and databases so that all local highway authorities can access findings and lessons learned from the programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77648 on Railways: Automation, whether the take-up of automated train operation technology will form part of the bespoke performance standards to be applied to future rail investment decisions.

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

The Government will continue to consider the most appropriate ways to deliver a modern railway that provides benefits for passengers and taxpayers, including through improved performance. We will always assess the opportunity for making best use of technology in achieving this goal.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the impact of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate on average airline ticket prices in (a) 2025, (b) 2026 and (c) each of the next ten years.

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

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2025, to Question UIN 78707 page 61 of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate Final stage Cost Benefit Analysis, covers estimates on air fares.

We recognise the importance of protecting consumers from excessive costs, and this principle is embedded in both the SAF Mandate and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism.

The SAF Mandate includes a built-in review process, enabling Government intervention if costs become excessive. Meanwhile, the Revenue Certainty Mechanism helps reduce the cost of producing SAF in the UK by lowering the cost of capital for domestic plants.

To ensure the Mandate remains aligned with technological and commercial developments, it will be continuously monitored, including its impact on consumers. Formal reviews will be published at least every five years, with the first scheduled for 2030. These reviews will also ensure continued alignment with broader government policies and strategies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78709 on Great British Railways: Staff, if she will make an estimate of the number of staff who will be employed by Great British Railways once those transfers are complete.

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

GBR will be established as a consolidated new arms-length body from more than 17 existing organisations, and as a result, we estimate it will employ around 90,000 staff. We are developing GBR’s design and resourcing model to ensure GBR is an agile and efficient public service, and we will continue to engage on our plans and the impact on staff.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84697 on Railways: Fares, what definition her Department uses for the right fare within the Great British Railways ticketing model; whether that definition requires passengers to be offered the lowest available fare for the train they travel on; and whether the fare simplification reforms will apply to open access operators.

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

What constitutes the right fare differs depending on passenger needs. For example, some passengers may require more flexibility to travel at an earlier or later time than others.

Open access operators will remain able to set their own fare structures in the future, but the government supports all efforts to make the system easier for passengers to navigate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 77637 on Rail Strikes, whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of using powers under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 in the context of industrial action on the transport network since 4 July 2024.

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

Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation was brought in under the Conservative Government and the Labour Government is repealing it. MSLs do not support a positive and productive relationship between employers, employees, and their trade unions. The implementation of MSLs legislation only exacerbated the national rail disputes, which led to two years of widespread strikes under the last Government. There has been no such industrial action since the General Election.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October to Question 77637 on Railways: Industrial Disputes, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to introduce minimum service levels legislation in the context of industrial action on the transport network since 4 July 2024.

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

Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation was brought in under the Conservative Government and the Labour Government is repealing it. MSLs do not support a positive and productive relationship between employers, employees, and their trade unions. The implementation of MSLs legislation only exacerbated the national rail disputes, which led to two years of widespread strikes under the last Government. There has been no such industrial action since the General Election.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84697 on Railways: Fares, what estimate her Department has made of the number and proportion of passengers who will pay a higher fare; and if she will publish the (a) calculations and (b) methodology that inform this estimate.

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

Future passenger fares under GBR are subject to ministerial decisions not yet made. Estimates therefore cannot be provided at this time.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her written statement of 4 December 2024 on Railway Passenger Services, HCWS281, which working practices she intends to reform as part of the Department's plans to modernise the railways; and if she will publish (a) a list of the practices under review and the (b) potential impact of changes to those practices on (i) staff, (ii) service reliability and (iii) costs to the public purse.

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

Reforms to working practices are taking place via the usual processes, i.e. led by train operators locally, in partnership with trade unions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82409 on Railways: Public Ownership, whether she has defined best practice standards for publicly-owned train operating companies since 10 October 2025.

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

Publicly owned train operating companies will continue to have regard to a range of industry best practices and deliver services under Services Agreements with the Secretary of State, which sets out specific requirements and performance expectations. As part of the transition towards the establishment of Great British Railways, the Department continues to work with DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) as they identify and share examples of effective practice across public sector operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to retain statutory independence for the Office of Rail and Road in relation to its (a) appeal and (b) enforcement functions following the establishment of Great British Railways.

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

Following the establishment of Great British Railways, the Office for Rail and Road will continue to have an independent statutory role, including in hearing appeals and providing enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed role of the Office of Rail and Road can be found in the Government response to the consultation ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's net zero transport spending commitments on its capital allocation for (a) road maintenance, (b) HGV parking and (c) freight infrastructure.

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

All spending allocations were agreed as part of the Spending Review process to deliver Departmental priorities, including road maintenance, HGV parking and freight infrastructure, alongside specific commitments that would support delivery of net zero. This approach ensured that investment in net zero was considered alongside, not at the expense of, other essential priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East on developments to Active Travel England.

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

Active Travel England has a key role in the planning system as a statutory consultee for development management via Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

As part of this statutory role, Active Travel England officials regularly offer to hold discussions with local planning authorities, developers and local highway authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department is providing to Greater Manchester to fund the removal of Clean Air Zone signage in the region.

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

We agreed in January 2025 an £86m plan for Greater Manchester to help clean up the region’s air, including support for cleaner buses, local traffic measures and moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles. Individual spending decisions within that funding package are for Greater Manchester authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in her Department (a) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.

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

The Department for Transport’s probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability. The table below shows how many employees of the central Department for Transport (DfTc) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period or had their probationary period extended.

As requested this information is provided for the last five 5 years, noting that 2025 data covers 1 January to 24 October 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in her Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability, broken down by grade.

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

Following a thorough search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this Department. This is because it is not a requirement of the department to hold reasons for disability.

The Department invites employees to self-declare their disability status using pre-defined criteria, including ‘prefer not to say’. Of the employees who have chosen to complete their data as of the 30th of September 2025, 238 individuals have recorded their status as disabled in the central Department for Transport.

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 increasing (a) registration, (b) geofencing and (c) remote identification requirements for (i) drones and (ii) drone components in order to improve (A) traceability and (B) enforcement.

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

This Government is delivering the following reforms in the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(a) All drones weighing 100g or more with a camera must be registered from 1^st January 2026.

(b) Drones weighing 250g or more must have geo-awareness requirements from 1^st January 2026. Then, from 1^st January 2028, Geo-awareness requirements will apply to all drones weighing 100g or more with a camera.

(c) Drones weighing 250g or more must have remote identification (RID) requirements from 1^st January 2026. Then, from 1^st January 2028, RID will apply to drones weighing 100g or more with a camera.

These reforms will improve traceability because they will enforce the registration of a RID “digital numberplate” that can be linked to a registered operator. Geo-awareness and RID will help law enforcement to target the actively non-compliant drones that have switched off RID and are ignoring geo-awareness alerts of airspace restrictions, therefore reducing the volume of incidents and length of investigation for suspicious drone activity.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Engineering Recommendation G100: Technical Requirements for Customers’ Export and Import Limitation Schemes, published in July 2016, what steps she is taking to encourage District Network Operators to accept new EV charging technologies.

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

The Government is committed to enabling innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging technologies, including smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), to reduce energy bills and support the decarbonisation of our energy system.

Engineering Recommendation G100 is the responsibility of the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). It is regularly updated to facilitate connections, while ensuring they do not adversely impact on customers or the local electricity network.

As set out in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap published in July 2025, Ofgem and DESNZ are considering with industry how to improve grid connection processes and technical interoperability for V2G to ensure they are fit for purpose. This includes working with DNOs in relation to the grid codes which set out the technical requirements for connecting V2G systems.

More widely, Ofgem is working to improve the connections experience for all customers in its end to end review of connections.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82986 on Aviation: Alternative Fuels, how many UK-based sustainable aviation fuel production facilities have (a) commenced construction and (b) reached final investment decision.

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

The only commercial scale SAF producer in the UK is P66’s Humberside Refinery. Through the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) we have awarded over £198m to 21 UK SAF projects. Information on these projects is published on gov.uk.

There are a wide range of SAF projects across the UK using different technologies and at different stages of development. However, much of the information on the development of fuel projects that DfT holds is commercially sensitive.

Our policies are both ambitious and pragmatic to the realities of the SAF industry. The SAF Mandate entered into force on 1 January 2025. In its first year, the mandate requires that SAF constitute 2% of total fossil jet fuel supplied, increasing to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. Provisional data suggests the UK was already on track, with SAF accounting for approximately 2% of aviation fuel supplied in 2024.

On the supply side, we are creating the right environment to support the future construction of UK SAF production plants through measures such as the UK’s pioneering SAF Clearing House, AFF, and legislation to provide investor confidence via a Revenue Certainty Mechanism.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who will be responsible for conducting the (a) economic and (b) environmental analysis of Heathrow Airport expansion.

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

The Department for Transport has commenced the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) and will lead on conducting the economic and environmental analysis that supports that document. This will be in collaboration with other government departments and other expert bodies as appropriate.

As announced, we will also seek the independent view of the Climate Change Committee, and the Secretary of State will be writing to the Climate Change Committee shortly to set this out.

Before Heathrow expansion can proceed, a scheme promoter must also prepare and submit a full Environmental Statement as part of the Development Consent Order application.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of rejoining the EU's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.

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

Through our regular engagement with the aviation industry, we are aware of the operational implications following the loss of access to the EU’s European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.

The Department continues to work with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, which is leading the Government’s business case on a future Satellite Based Augmentation System, to ensure that the aviation requirements are understood and considered as part of the decision-making process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84798 on Driving Licences, how many code 70s were issued in each of the last ten years.

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

The number of GB driving licences issued in exchange for a licence issued in a non-UK country (which will have code 70 shown on the licence) in each of the last ten years is shown in the table below:

To be eligible to exchange a foreign licence for a GB equivalent, the applicant would have to have passed their test in a European Union/European Economic Area country or a country designated for driving licence exchange.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken with relevant stakeholders to help tackle illegal car sales.

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

While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has no powers to govern how cars are bought and sold, it does play a key role in maintaining accurate records of vehicles and their registered keepers to support wider efforts to tackle vehicle-related crime. It is a legal requirement to notify the DVLA when a vehicle is bought or sold.

The latest available data shows that more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, around six per cent are in the motor trade where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84695 on Bus Services: Fares, when her Department expects to complete its evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap scheme; and whether she plans to publish that evaluation in full once it is finalised.

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

The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published next year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many performance reviews were undertaken for staff in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a result of such a rating; and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

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

We have provided a response based on the number of submitted reviews over the entirety of a complete performance year (April 1 to March 31), for performance years 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22, 2020/21. This has been split, where possible, between Department for Transport (DfT) core and its agencies (Active Travel England (ATE), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)). In addition, data has been split by Senior Civil Servants (SCS) and delegated grades (Grade 6 and below), as performance is managed differently.

The information provided does not include employees that have been marked as out of scope for review, and where figures within each business unit are below 5, these have been withheld for identification protection under S40(2) of the FOIA.

TOTAL REVIEWS CONDUCTED

NUMBER OF UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE RATINGS

NUMBER OF DIMISSALS AS A RESULT OF PERFORMANCE AND FTE PROPORTION

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to expand eligibility of the England National Concessionary Travel Scheme to (a) carers and (b) companions of (i) older and (ii) disabled people.

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, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually, and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding eligibility, would need careful consideration for the scheme’s financial sustainability

Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, offering companion passes or lowering the age of eligibility.

The government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated £8 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering in the local area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84700 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, whether her Department holds information on the level of income the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has received from Oxfordshire County Council for access to vehicle registration data in each year since 2020.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has not directly provided vehicle keeper data to or received income directly from Oxfordshire County Council in the time frame specified.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff left her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

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

The table below presents the headcount of permanent civil servants who have left from the central Department for Transport over the past 5 years, categorised by grade. To ensure the inclusion of the most recent data, the data is provided on a rolling year basis from October to September.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating section 8.1.1 of her Department's guidance entitled MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles, updated on 11 August 2025, to make it mandatory for MOT test centres to assess for exhaust noise.

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

Excessive vehicle noise can be a serious disruption to people’s lives. This is why it is included in the MOT as an inspection of exhaust silencers and noise deafening material as well as a subjective assessment of excessive noise upon revving the vehicle. The MOT tester will fail the vehicle if they deem the exhaust noise is unreasonably above the level expected from a similar vehicle in average condition.

The Department and the DVSA included a question about noise testing using decibel meters in a 2023 call for evidence about updating the MOT. Responses highlighted both the benefits of identifying excessively noisy vehicles and the difficulty of testing with decibel meters in a noisy garage environment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82735 on Great British Railways, how much her Department expects the rail passenger services subsidy to reduce by in each year over the period covered by the Spending Review 2025.

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

Rail passenger services subsidy is expected to reduce by over 50 per cent from £2.4 billion in 2024-25 over the period of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82745 on Roads: Freight, if she will publish all substantive written representations her Department has received from the road haulage industry on road user charges since 4 July 2024; and if she will publish her Department's responses to those representations.

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

The Department has received no written representations on road user charges from the road haulage industry since July 2024.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82409 on Railways: Public Ownership, whether her Department plans to draw on best practice from (a) devolved operators such as Transport for London, Merseyrail, ScotRail and Transport for Wales and (b) private sector train operating companies in developing guidance for publicly-owned operators.

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

We expect DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) to draw on best practice from across the rail sector, and other relevant sectors, for its operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83382 on Railways: Safety, what proportion of the campaign’s (a) production and (b) promotion costs were borne by train operating companies (i) owned and (ii) controlled by her Department; and whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of that rebrand once the operators’ expenditure is included.

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

The production costs, referenced in the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83382 on Railways: Safety, were all borne by the Department for Transport.

To minimise implementation costs, train operating companies (including those under public ownership) will gradually phase out the current See It. Say It. Sorted. campaign materials and are only required to introduce the new posters or announcements when these would usually be replaced through business-as-usual rotation of materials.

Campaign posters, both digital and physical, are required to be displayed only at locations which train operating companies already retain for public messaging campaigns or for their own content, and which are not otherwise used for commercial purposes, in order to avoid any loss of advertising revenue. We have not asked train operating companies to provide detailed production or implementation costs as we anticipate them being minimal on this basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83387 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, how much underspend has been identified to date; and what the revised total forecast spend for the programme is in (a) 2024–25 and (b) 2025–26.

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

The Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (R&D) programme had a total programme funding spend of approximately £106 million in the 2024-25 financial year. We are unable to confirm the spend for 2025-26 as the financial year is still in progress with projects placing orders for final zero emission HGVs and infrastructure sites.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the names of the (a) people and (b) organisations responsible for the (i) leadership and (ii) operational design of Great British Railways; and what proportion of those people are (A) civil servants, (B) secondees from private companies and (C) external appointees from the rail industry.

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

Richard Goodman, Director General, is the Department for Transport’s Senior Responsible Officer for the design of Great British Railways and Chair of the Rail Reform and Strategy Portfolio Board that includes the NR CEO and DfTO CEO.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her timetable is for publishing the next Rail network enhancements pipeline.

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

This Government recognises the need to develop stable, long-term pipelines for investment and to give communities, investors and the supply chain visibility and certainty about those pipelines.

The Secretary of State set out the rail enhancement schemes across the country that are funded as part of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline over the Spending Review period in July. We continue to make announcements on schemes as they progress or are added to the pipeline, such as the recent announcement of the Cowley Branch Line Upgrade on 23 October. Rail enhancements schemes are also set out in the UK Infrastructure pipeline published by NISTA 11 July, which government has committed to update regularly. This provides a level of transparency on the rail enhancements portfolio that has not been seen since October 2019 and the last RNEP update.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84701 on Roads: Accidents, whether her Department has requested data from (a) the Home Office and (b) the police on the number of roadside drug-driving tests carried out since 2020.

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

While statistics on breath tests are published by the Home Office, the equivalent information on roadside drug-driving tests are not. Decisions relating to the collection and publication of this data would be a matter for the Home Office.

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) provide information to the Department on the Christmas Drink and Drug Driving campaign, Operation Limit. This includes the number of drink and drug tests administered during the winter period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82997 on the Restoring Your Railway Fund, how much and what proportion of previously allocated funding has been (a) spent, (b) returned to the Treasury and (c) written off following the programme’s cancellation.

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

The Chancellor’s 29 July 2024 announcement confirmed that the Restoring Your Railway programme would be brought to a close, as one of the steps she was taking to address the pressures on the public finances created by unfunded policy announcements made by the previous government. At that time, £349.18m had been spent. The remaining funding anticipated for the Restoring Your Railways fund was reallocated to support other priorities within rail enhancements and across government as part of the Spending Review process. This included concluding work on the delivery of the Northumberland Line, and Dartmoor Line projects, previously part of the RYR fund. The Secretary of State has confirmed funding will be provided for Metrowest (Portishead), Haxby station, Wellington station and Cullompton station projects that had also previously been identified through RYR. No funding was "written off" as part of this process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide financial support to small businesses to purchase zero emission heavy goods vehicles after 2026.

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

The Government has kickstarted the deployment of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and their supporting charging and fuelling infrastructure through initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck Grant (PiTG), the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme, and the up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID).

These initiatives are open to all businesses, including small businesses, to support the uptake of zero emission HGVs by lowering upfront costs and supporting the provision of dedicated HGV charging infrastructure.

The PiTG remains in place until the end of the 2026/27 financial year. The ZEHID programme is funding hundreds of ZE HGVs and their associated recharging and refuelling sites by March 2026.

While the Depot Charging Scheme will close on or by 28 November 2025, by supporting necessary infrastructure, the funding will provide confidence to the logistics sector and support British businesses to transition to zero emission.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83373 on DfT Operator, whether her Department has issued any (a) Notices to Improve or (b) written instructions to any DfT Operator train operating company in relation to (i) service performance or (ii) financial control since April 2024.

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

The Department has not issued any Notices to Improve to any of the DfT Operator train operating companies because none have been in breach of their formal contractual terms.

DfT regularly engages with all operators on service performance and financial management, aligned with this Government's priorities on improving performance and reducing subsidy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the funding required for Network Rail to undertake detailed planning for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

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

The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the 2025 Spending Review. The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction were not among those projects funded at this time.

The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this includes the EACE and Haughley Junction schemes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the statistics entitled Monthly total number of electric vehicle public charging devices available in the UK, published on 1 October 2025, if she will provide a breakdown by local transport authority.

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

Geographic breakdowns of the number of public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK are published in the tables for Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics: October 2025.

Table 1a summarises the number of public charging devices by region and local authority.

Table 7a summarises the number of public charging devices by parliamentary constituency.

The Department does not hold this data summarised at local transport authority level.

The tables are included as a supplementary attachment to this response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (a) 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers and (b) traditional drum mixers on (i) the number of vehicle movements, (ii) road wear and (iii) water usage.

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

The Department has not made a specific comparative assessment of the potential impact of 44-tonne, five-axle volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs) and traditional drum mixers.

The Department estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation alongside 20,000 drum mixers. The report undertaken by National Highways as part of the Department’s review of VCMs compared the forces exerted by the VCMs to the standard highway vehicle load model used for assessing bridges and found the effects were up to 17% greater than for vehicles complying with the current standard weight limits. This will likely result in increased wear and tear and may impact the durability and lifespan of existing bridges. In addition to the impact on bridges, heavier vehicles also put more stress on roads.

The outcome of the Department’s review into VCMs, including the report by National Highways, was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual economic contribution of volumetric concrete mixers to the economy.

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

The Department for Transport acknowledges the contribution VCMs make to our economy, particularly to the UK construction industry.

The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve charging infrastructure for electric heavy goods vehicles.

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

The up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) is kickstarting the deployment of zero emission HGV infrastructure and has already funded 73 planned infrastructure locations, representing over 360 chargers. The Government is further supporting the installation of charging equipment at depots through the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a zero emission vehicle mandate for heavy duty vehicles.

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

The Government believes that more needs to be done to decarbonise the road freight sector. We are considering our regulatory approach to decarbonise new non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles and will engage with stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of airport expansion on tourism in coastal towns.

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

Airports are key gateways into the UK for international tourists and airport expansion will help to facilitate their ability to visit the United Kingdom, including our coastal towns.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many refrigerator vehicles are currently used in the UK.

Answered by Keir Mather - 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 recent assessment her Department has made of the value for money of public funding for (a) commercial vehicle charging and (b) hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

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

The Government is supporting the uptake of zero emission commercial vehicles, and their supporting charging and fuelling infrastructure, through initiatives such as the Plug-In Truck and Van Grants, which are reducing upfront costs for heavy goods vehicles and vans, and the £30 million Depot Charging Scheme and the up to £200 million Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID). The Department continually monitors and reviews grants to optimise delivery and value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road incidents involving horses have been reported in each of the last five years; and how many of those incidents resulted in (a) injury and (b) death to (i) riders, (ii) drivers and (iii) horses.

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

The number of reported personal injury road collisions involving horses and the numbers of killed or injured casualties in these collisions by road user type are shown in the table:

STATS19 only records horses as vehicles and therefore the number of killed or injured horses cannot be calculated.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what incentives are available for UK businesses to produce net-zero air fuel.

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

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key measures required to achieve net zero emissions from aviation by 2050. SAF reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its lifecycle production and use when compared to conventional kerosene.

We are encouraging the production, development, and use of SAF in the UK in three main ways:

1) We are building demand through the SAF Mandate, which came into place in January this year and sets targets for the supply of an increasing amount of SAF in the overall UK aviation fuel mix. Under the SAF Mandate, eligible SAF is required to meet a reduction of 40% GHG savings and fuels are rewarded in proportion to their GHG savings.

2) The Advanced Fuels Fund aims to grow the UK supply of SAF by supporting first-of-a-kind SAF production plants through the project pipeline to reach investment ready stage and achieve commercial scale. £63m has been allocated across 17 UK projects for this financial year. The Spending Review 2025 will continue support for the production of SAF in the UK to 2029/30. DfT will provide details on the parameters of this support in due course.

3) We are helping to derisk SAF projects and support investment by legislating to introduce a revenue certainty mechanism. The SAF Bill was introduced at the House of Commons on 14 May 2025 and passed Report Stage and Third Reading on 15 October.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to raise awareness among motorists of their responsibilities when passing horses on public roads.

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

The Government’s flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, is currently running a Sharing the Road Safely radio advert via the Fillers service, which enables broadcasters to air public service messages at no cost. The advert promotes safe driving speeds and passing distances, reminding drivers to leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists and to give adequate space to horse riders.

In 2022, the Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which places greater responsibility on those who can cause the most harm, and strengthened guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders.

THINK! ran targeted campaigns to alert road users to these changes and broader behavioural campaigns to encourage understanding and compliance. We will continue to promote the Highway Code changes through THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as via partner organisations.

The Government takes the safety of horse riders and other vulnerable road users very seriously and remains committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s roads. My Department is currently developing our Road Safety Strategy, and further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many electric charging points have been established through Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding.

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

In total, the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, alongside significant private investment, is expected to support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England.

The majority of LEVI projects have now been approved to go to delivery, the first contracts have been signed between local authorities and chargepoint operators, and the first projects have now started to install chargepoints. Data on chargepoints installed under LEVI will be available in due course. Installation rates will increase as more projects enter delivery, with installation expected to continue over the coming years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2025 to Question 51813 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Department of Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on the number of additional publicly available EV charging points that are due to be delivered following the extra funding provided in 2025.

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

In the 2025 Spending Review £400 million of capital funding was allocated to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. Under prior On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) funding, 127 chargepoints are due to be installed across Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting the resale of driving tests on (a) levels of access to and (b) the cost of driving tests.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) understands the impact, including the financial implications, the reselling of practical driving tests is having on learner drivers.

On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closed on 23 July. DVSA is reviewing the feedback given and will announce the next steps as soon as possible.

Further information on the consultation can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules.

The consultation is about changing the rules on how car driving tests can be booked and managed. It looks at how to make test booking fairer, including the possibility of stopping people charging extra fees to book tests and simplifying the system for learners and approved driving instructors. Any additional measures will only be introduced if it is considered appropriate to do so to support the continued delivery of the driver testing service and following public consultation.

All available driving test appointments are shown on DVSA’s live booking system, and as well as releasing tests on a rolling 24-week basis on a Monday, additional appointments are released throughout the week. As new test appointments appear on the booking service at different times of the day and through the week, DVSA advises candidates to continue to check for earlier appointments.

DVSA encourages learner drivers to only use the official GOV.UK website to book and manage their driving test. DVSA has published advice aimed at learner drivers warning them of the risks of using third party services/apps to book a practical driving test. Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/learner-drivers-warned-about-the-risks-of-driving-test-cancellation-finders.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of driving tests in St Albans.

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

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

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

These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests.

St Albans driving test centre is part of a cluster of test centres, including Stevenage.

A new entrant examiner has recently passed their training course and is now testing full time and conducting driving tests at both St Albans and Stevenage driving test centres. A further new entrant examiner is in their final week of training, if successful they will begin conducting tests at St Albans and Stevenage from 3 November 2025. DVSA has also made offers to one further new entrant examiner, DVSA will arrange their training course as soon as they have accepted.

On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closed on 23 July. DVSA will review the feedback given and announce next steps as soon as possible. Further information on the consultation can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish the (a) findings of and (b) next steps from its consultation entitled Improving car driving test booking rules, published on 28 May 2025.

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

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

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

These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests.

St Albans driving test centre is part of a cluster of test centres, including Stevenage.

A new entrant examiner has recently passed their training course and is now testing full time and conducting driving tests at both St Albans and Stevenage driving test centres. A further new entrant examiner is in their final week of training, if successful they will begin conducting tests at St Albans and Stevenage from 3 November 2025. DVSA has also made offers to one further new entrant examiner, DVSA will arrange their training course as soon as they have accepted.

On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closed on 23 July. DVSA will review the feedback given and announce next steps as soon as possible. Further information on the consultation can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 20 October to Questions 82468 and 82466 on Unmanned Air Systems: Delivery Services, whether the Department’s review will consider (a) standardised template Airspace Change Proposals for Beyond Visual Line of Sight corridors, (b) reusable safety cases, and (c) predefined temporary segregated airspace models for (i) humanitarian and (ii) medical logistics use cases.

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

The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.

The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

On 25^th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18^th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems; whether the proposed reforms to Civil Air Publication 1616 will include (a) fast-track pathways, (b) service standards and (c) key performance indicators for decision times on airspace change proposals that support (i) NHS medical logistics and (ii) other public-interest use cases.

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

The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.

The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

On 25^th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18^th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems; whether her Department will publish an impact assessment setting out the expected effect of proposed reforms to Civil Air Publication 1616 on approval times for Special Use Airspace for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations.

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

The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.

The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

On 25^th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18^th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.

Found: Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025 (SI 2025/1101) and response from the Department for Transport

Found: DHSC is working with the NHS, DCMS and DfT and other partners to bring together a joined-up, life-course

Found: DHSC is working with the NHS, DCMS and DfT and other partners to bring together a joined-up, life-course

Found: influence the Government from all sides, so a debate in the main Chamber with a Minister in the Department for Transport

Found: existing DCMS-MOD Memorandum of Understanding on underwater cultural heritage to DEFRA, MHCLG, and DfT

Found: Local government has a major role to play, as does the Department for Transport.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) governance structure, (b) terms of reference for the (i) Senior Steering Group, (ii) Champions Network and (iii) Expert Advisory Group, (c) minutes, (d) declared interests and (e) any recorded conflicts of interest and information on how these were managed for One Big Thing 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The following sets out the key individuals and groups that made up the governance structure for One Big Thing 2024, including their roles:

No conflicts of interest were recorded. The Expert Advisory Group had representation from external experts from the private sector and academia. Their role was limited to providing subject matter expertise, with no decision-making/ sign-off authority or involvement with delivery.

We are unable to publish the minutes of meetings, as requested, as the effective design of One Big Thing is reliant upon these being internal forums for free and frank discussions, with attendees often providing informal opinions or preliminary views.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered (a) banning vaping in pubs, (b) banning 16 and 17 year olds from buying zero alcohol drinks in pubs and (c) raising the drink drive limit to support the economic viability of pubs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is not responsible for bans on vaping in pubs, restrictions on zero-alcohol drinks for 16–17-year-olds, or changes to drink-drive limits. These matters fall under the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Transport

DHSC advises that while vapes are less harmful than smoking, they are not risk-free and plans to consult on making most indoor settings vape-free. Many pubs already prohibit vaping voluntarily. In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to explore prohibiting sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks to under-18s including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old. This policy is being pursued as these alcohol substitute drinks are intended for consumption by adults. DHSC Officials are scoping details and will update stakeholders in due course.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. In 2023 there were 1,624 people killed on GB roads. There were an estimated 260 people killed in collisions involving drink driving, accounting for 16% of total fatalities in 2023. Given the significant casualties caused by drink driving, we have no plans to increase the drink drive limit.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 35 of the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts 2024-25, published on 23 October 2025, if he will list each (a) Minister and (b) senior official who made use of the Government Car Service; and what were the greenhouse gas emissions reported for 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government Car Service (GCS) provides vehicles to departments as a shared resource and does not record the use of the vehicle on an individual basis. In relation to the specific greenhouse gas emissions of GCS reported for 2024-25, GCS was transferred from the Department for Transport to the Cabinet Office in April 2025. The Cabinet Office does not, therefore, hold information on GCS prior to this date.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in West Yorkshire on the prevalence of illegal or ghost number plates used to evade enforcement cameras.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.

The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with West Yorkshire Police on tackling the use of ghost number plates in Bradford and the surrounding area.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.

The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the risk from small unmanned drones to (a) public order and (b) public safety.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office and Department for Transport collaborate closely with each other and a range of stakeholders, including operational partners and colleagues inside and outside of government, to address the risks posed to public order and safety posed by drone misuse.

The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021, which gives police powers to better protect against malicious or negligent drone use, was developed by DfT working closely with the Home Office.

The policy and operational tools to manage drone misuse sit across a number of agencies, including the Department for Transport, Home Office, Civil Aviation Authority and the police. DfT and HO engage regularly to ensure that the future of drone regulation and policy supports both the security needs of the UK and the legitimate use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the penalties for driving with a non-compliant or ghost number plate.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.

The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made on implementing the findings of the Green Book Review 2025.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book.

The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area.

Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026.

A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on implementing the actions outlined in the document entitled Green Book Review: Findings and Actions, published on 11 June 2025.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book.

The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area.

Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026.

A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the membership of the Green Book Review taskforce.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book.

The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area.

Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026.

A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to support NHS trusts and integrated care systems to trial and adopt drone technology for time-sensitive healthcare logistics, such as blood samples.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to innovation in drones and other growth sectors. Work is ongoing across the Government, including between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to support the safe and effective introduction of drones into healthcare logistics. The Future of Flight Programme, led by the Department for Transport and taking place across the Government, will deliver routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLS) drone use in the United Kingdom by 2027. As part of this programme, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the CAA continue to work closely together to unlock BVLS drone use cases for the National Health Service.

To enable NHS trusts and integrated care systems to trial and adopt drones, the Department of Health and Social Care works with organisations from across the Government such as Innovate UK, who have funded 20 projects exploring the use of drone technology to support a range of health and social care applications, with a total investment exceeding £20 million.

As part of the 2025/26 Future of Flight Programme, delivered by the Department for Transport, two new projects, namely Dragon’s Heart and London Health Bridge Growth, have been announced to advance the use of drones in healthcare logistics. Together, these projects will receive funding of £820,000.

The Department of Health and Social Care continuously reviews the available evidence surrounding the use of drones in medical logistics and is supportive of new trials to further build this evidence base, in particular regarding the benefits of the use of drones to deliver urgent medical supplies in remote and urban areas.

Enabling drones to safely operate to trial NHS services currently requires airspace segregation to ensure the safety of other crewed aircraft. This is a complex process, and the CAA and Department for Transport are working to simplify it as part of the Future of Flight Programme and the Airspace Modernisation Strategy while we work towards full airspace integration. Progress on this work is monitored through the Future of Flight Industry Group which is co-chaired by the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security.

Found: other departments , such as the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport

Found: Department for Transport 2024-25

Found: Department for Transport 2024-25

Found: DfT 3787 E1121 E10000008 Devon SC SC yes DfT Safer Roads Fund Department for Transport - DfT 26 E1121

Found: guidance published by departments including the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Department for Transport

Found: at the Department for Education, as well as the then Department for Trade and Industry, Department for Transport

Found: RPC-DFT-25057-IA(1) 1 28/07/2025 Railways Bill Lead department Department for Transport Summary

Found: RPC’s opinion is based on the version of the IA that was submitted for RPC scrutiny by the Department for Transport

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: The report is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between the DfT (including the MCA) and the

Found: We have calculated these percentage reduction figures using the Department for Transport’s (DfT) core

Found: British Architects and previously worked at the Office of Safety and Standards and the Department for Transport

Found: Rail Accident Report This report is published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport

Found: Rail Accident Report This report is published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport

Found: April 3 and 10 June 2025 4 prepared, variously, by the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Transport

Found: Scottish Government policies 12 UK Government: Jet zero modelling framework 13 Department for Transport

Found: Figures from the Department for Transport 44 suggest that there are 30 fewer car and taxi trips for

Found: complemented by monthly and quarterly data provided by commercial data providers and the UK Department for Transport

Found: DESNZ, DEFRA, Department for Transport) at both ministerial and official levels throughout development

Found: projects will be able to start as final business cases are given the green light by the Department for Transport

Found: 20202,19214.0%27020212,81628.5%62420223,75833.5%94220234,59222.2%83420246,13833.7%1,546​​​​​​​Data source: Dft

Found: • Standing members are: the Department for Transport (DfT) (Chair), the Department of Business and