Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6462 on Driving Tests: Waiting Lists, what the monthly average waiting time for a car practical driving test was at each (a) driving test centre and (b) zone in each month since April 2015.

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

The answer to Question 6462 on 9 October 2024 provided data covering April 2015 to September 2024. The attached spreadsheet shows the monthly average waiting time for a car practical driving test at each driving test centre and zone for each month between October 2024 and October 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025, what the total full-time employee equivalent contribution of the defence driving examiners is expected to be during the year of their deployment.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has agreed with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) will do driving tests for one day a week for 12 months. This equates to a total full-time employee equivalent contribution of up to 6,500 more tests during the year of their deployment. The DDE will predominantly focus on car driving tests but will have the flexibility to do vocational testing as well if needed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 27 October (HL11341), what credit was claimed for the potential reduction in congestion and journey times arising from the widening scheme on the south-western stretches of the M25; for what period these claims were made; and what has been the actual experience.

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

The widening of the south-western stretches of the M25 took place over twenty years ago, with the most recent scheme (M25 J12-15) completed in 2005. Any information available on schemes completed a long time ago will be held in the National Archives.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative impact on soil cohesion when trackside trees and bushes are cut back hard and the roots destroyed by poison, or root killing herbicides, by Network Rail.

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

Network Rail recognises that vegetation can both support and affect the stability of railway embankments and cuttings. While roots help stabilise soil by absorbing moisture, vegetation can also increase risks such as soil drying and cracking, or rockfall.

To manage these risks, Network Rail operates in line with its vegetation and earthworks standards. Where trees are felled for safety or operational reasons, stump treatments are sometimes used to prevent regrowth, but they are never applied to retained trees or branches. In many locations, Network Rail cuts trees back to encourage regrowth, helping to maintain both biodiversity and soil stability.

Based on information provided by Network Rail, the Government’s assessment is that these measures help to minimise the risk of negative impacts on soil cohesion and support a balanced approach to safety, performance and environmental protection in managing lineside vegetation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), what was the (1) start, and (2) end, date and time included in the notification to National Highways of the movement of a tram from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024.

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

The start date of the notification was 02 February 2024 at 0000. The end date of the notification was 01 March 2024 at 2359.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 September 2024 (HL568), what was the date and time of the notification to National Highways about the tram movement from the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley to the Metro Maintenance Centre in Wednesbury on 15 February 2024.

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

The notification was sent at 25/01/2024 at 18:10.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on supporting the maritime sector to (a) decarbonise and (b) transition to clean fuels and technologies.

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

In March, the Department published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets a pathway to zero emissions for the domestic shipping sector and sets out the policies we will implement to support this transition. This strategy provides certainty and allows the sector to unlock the private investment required to transition to clean fuels and technologies.

We are delivering on the commitments we set out to the maritime sector with the UK Emissions Trading Scheme expanding to maritime from next year, and we will be consulting on domestic fuel regulations which will limit the greenhouse gas intensity of maritime fuels.

To further support transition to fuels and technologies, I announced a further £448m of R&D funding for UK SHORE which is accelerating maritime decarbonisation through targeted R&D investment, funding projects across the UK from demonstrations and commercial trials to scientific research and feasibility studies.

Internationally, the UK will work with others to drive forward global maritime decarbonisation efforts and provide industry with the certainty it needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) support careers in the maritime sector for young people and (b) create (i) green jobs for existing workers and (ii) high-quality jobs in coastal communities.

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

The Department is committed to ensuring the UK maritime sector continues to provide high-quality careers at sea and on shore for young people in coastal areas.

Officials continue to work with industry to ensure that the green skills training offer is relevant and accessible, and that high-quality jobs are available across the sector, including on shore and in our ports, to support its transition to decarbonisation and use of new technologies including automation. For example, through the Cadet Training and Modernisation Programme, DfT and the MCA have future-proofed seafarer training by including future ‘cleaner’ fuels into the cadet curriculum. DfT officials are also engaging across government to build on the role of ports as a foundational sector in the Industrial Strategy and will support work to build a jobs plan as part of its implementation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure more children are able to cycle safely to school.

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

Active Travel England provides funding to The Bikeability Trust to deliver Bikeability cycle training to children in England (outside London). In addition, active travel revenue funding can be used by local authorities to deliver cycle training and engagement programmes outside of Bikeability.

On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. School Streets can improve the experiences of a school’s pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak school arrival and departure times.

In the joint statement (issued 2 July 2025) on walking, wheeling and cycling, the Mayors of England’s Combined Authorities committed to transforming the school run by delivering high-quality, safer routes in neighbourhoods nationwide.

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 the proposed Metrolink tram extension in Greater Manchester; and if it plans to fund further (a) feasibility and (b) business case studies for new routes in and around Oldham.

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

The responsibility for local transport in Greater Manchester, including the operation, development and future enhancement of the Metrolink network is a matter for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Mayor.

Between 2022-23 and 2026-27, we are providing £1.07bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding to Greater Manchester to deliver transformational change to Greater Manchester’s transport infrastructure. Beyond that, we have confirmed a £2.5bn Transport for City Regions settlement for Greater Manchester from 2027-28 to 2031-32.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what protections exist to protect land and operations afforded to rail freight from (a) the risks of redevelopment and (b) other legal and commercial challenges; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing protections.

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

The Government recognises that safeguarding strategically important sites for rail freight is vital to securing the growth of the sector and is committed to continuing to protect strategic freight sites. Currently, the consent of the Office of Rail and Road is required for any land disposals by Network Rail under its Licence Conditions 16 and 17.

The Department is currently working through a range of options to ensure their continued protection as we reform the railway. Any consideration by Great British Railways when disposing of land would have to take into account the duty to promote rail freight and the Secretary of State’s growth target, together with its other duties set out in the Railways Bill.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential security implications of the operation of buses that have been bought from China that can potentially be remotely deactivated.

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

The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systematic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including vehicles. The Department works closely with the transport sector, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and other government departments to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of electric charging points in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

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

The below table presents the number of public charging devices as of 1^st October 2025 in Hexham constituency, Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne, the North East, and England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a waterbourne taxi passenger service across the Solent.

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

The Department has made no assessment. We recognise the benefits of cross Solent services, such as the Gosport Ferry, particularly in relation to accessing jobs and recreational opportunities. However, these services operate in a commercial environment without any intervention from the Government.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will model the potential impact of (a) single 32 tonne drum mixers against (b) 38.4 tonne volumetric concrete mixers on bridges.

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

On 18 March 2025 the Department published a National Highways commissioned study on the load impacts of volumetric concrete mixers on bridges alongside the outcome of a call for evidence that ran in October-December 2023. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review

The report compared the forces exerted by higher weight VCMs to the standard model used for assessing bridges and found the load effects from these VCMs to be up to 17% higher than those complying with weight limits. This would put significant strain on existing bridges. 32 tonne drum mixers operate within the assessment load models.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made on the potential impact of banning volumetric concrete mixers above 32 tonnes on levels of employment.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on levels of employment.

The outcome of my Department’s review into volumetric concrete mixers (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

VCMs will continue to be permitted on our roads, but as planned, a temporary weight limit exemption for this type of vehicle (via vehicle special orders) will end on 31 March 2028, after which VCMs must operate at the legal weight limits applicable to other heavy good vehicles. This is not a ban or change in policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) process and (b) indicative timeline is for changing the eligibility criteria for the Electric Car Grant scheme, including (i) consultation and (ii) implementation stages.

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

All government grants, including the Electric Car Grant, remain under constant review to ensure they provide best value for money for the taxpayer. As stated when the grant was launched, the grant can be closed early or elements of the scheme amended, including the eligibility criteria, without notice. This enables the Government to effectively manage budgets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has carried out a value for money analysis of the Electric Car Grant.

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

Yes, the Department has completed an internal value for money assessment for the Electric Car Grant. Officials will continue to monitor the grant, and assess its value for money, to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent in a cost-effective manner.

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 banning on 5-axel 44 tonne volumetric concrete mixers on (a) UK manufacturers, (b) road miles, (c) road wear and (d) levels of pollution.

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

The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs). The outcome of this review 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 The following factors were considered: reduction in payload per journey, increased waste, and increased vehicle mileage.

Some VCM operators have argued that heavier VCMs could reduce overall trips and emissions, however, the increased road and bridge damage would result in more frequent repairs, offsetting these potential benefits.

As part of its consideration of the evidence, the Department for Transport also assessed the potential environmental impacts in accordance with the Environment Act 2021 which requires Ministers of the Crown to have ‘due regard’ to the environmental principles policy statement when making policy.

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 the 90 in 180 day Schengen rule on (a) employment levels among UK-based HGV drivers working in international transport and (b) the competitiveness of UK logistics companies operating cross-border services to the EU.

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

The Schengen 90/180-day immigration rule has applied since 2021 to all UK nationals (including drivers of heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and coaches) undertaking short stays for leisure and work in the Schengen area. The Schengen 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory. As such, it is not UK Government policy.

The Department for Transport is undertaking a research study to improve understanding of the effects of a) the Schengen 90/180-day limit to date, and b) preparedness for the implementation of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she will publish the full comparative benefit cost ratios of the transport schemes which she announced as (a) approved and (b) cancelled on 8 July 2025.

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

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the (a) mutual recognition and (b) simplified conversion of pilot licences between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and EASA member states.

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

Mutual recognition of personnel licensing and simplified conversion of pilot licences would require an expansion to the Aviation Safety Chapter of the TCA (Trade and Cooperation Agreement) which is reviewed annually at the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Aviation Safety. The last meeting took place on 21 November 2024 and no expansion was agreed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed in road traffic accidents in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency in each year since 2020.

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

The number of people injured and killed in reported road traffic collisions in the county of Surrey and the parliamentary constituency of Surrey Heath per year since 2020 are shown in the table:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve accountability for air traffic control delays and (b) provide access to compensation for affected passengers.

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

NATS, the provider of en-route Air Traffic Control (ATC) services in the UK is regulated against service targets set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). NATS has annual incentives linked to its performance and if this falls below target levels it may incur penalties. However, NATS is not penalised for individual incidents such as the technical failure of August 2023.

UK airport tower ATC services operate in a commercial market, with contractual agreements in place between the provider and the airport concerned. Providers have responsibility for ensuring that they have sufficient staff to safely and efficiently operate these services.

Neither the Government nor the CAA has regulatory oversight of these commercial arrangements.

My officials and the CAA, however, have and continue to engage with ATC providers, airports, airlines and relevant stakeholders to ensure that robust plans are in place to minimise possible disruption and to prevent delays to flights.

Airlines are responsible for the rights of their passengers, including providing refunds or re-routing for cancelled flights and care and assistance, such as refreshments or hotel accommodation where an overnight stay is necessary, whilst passengers are waiting for their flight.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of air traffic control staffing levels at airports during the summer of 2025.

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

Air Traffic Control (ATC) services at airports in the UK operate in a commercial market, with contractual agreements in place between the provider of ATC and the airport concerned. It is the responsibility of ATC services and airports to ensuring that they have sufficient staff to safely and efficiently operate these services.

Neither the Government nor the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has regulatory oversight of these commercial arrangements which are agreed between private businesses.

My officials and the CAA, however, have and continue to engage with ATC providers, airports, airlines and relevant stakeholders to ensure that robust plans are in place to minimise possible disruption and to prevent delays to flights.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that National Air Traffic Services maintains sufficient trained staff to prevent flight delays.

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

NATS, the leading provider of Air Traffic Control services in the UK and other providers operate privately and have responsibility for ensuring that they have sufficient staff and resources to safely and efficiently operate these services.

My department will soon introduce secondary legislation which will enable the Civil Aviation Authority to accept the previous experience of third country and UK military air traffic control officers (ATCOs) towards achieving a UK civil licence. This measure will have a positive impact and help to increase ATCO resourcing levels in the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the relative operational cost increases for (a) rail freight and (b) road freight during the period from 2011 when fuel duty was first frozen for HGVs.

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

Fuel duty is a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury. The Government recognises the economic and environmental benefits of rail freight. The Railways Bill will place a duty on Great British Railways to grow rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to planning, including a new capacity allocation and timetabling process.

As part of continued support for the sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83938 on Roads: Horses, if she will make an assessment of trends in levels of equestrian related incidents in (a) England and (b) Leicestershire.

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

The number of reported personal injury road collisions involving ridden horses for the last 10 years in England and Leicestershire (local authority) are shown in the table:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.

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

The Department for Transport has not spent money on electric vehicle (EV) charging device installations on the central Department estate since July 2024. The Department for Transport does not hold information on money spent by its arm’s-length bodies on EV charging infrastructure or vehicles.

According to industry statistics the average upfront price difference between new electric and new petrol cars is 19%, compared to 29% last year. DfT analysis shows that by switching to an EV, drivers could save as much as £1,500 a year compared to petrol car drivers on running and vehicle maintenance costs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department notified the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of its plan to cancel the A12 widening scheme.

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

The Government inherited a series of unfunded commitments, including on the A12.

In July 2025, the Government announced that following the conclusion of the Spending Review it had taken the difficult decision to cancel the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, to provide certainty to the public.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was notified at the time. The decision was based on evidence, to which MHCLG contributed, assessed against a wide range of criteria, including housing impacts.

The A12 scheme had been repeatedly deferred by the previous Government, in which the Rt Hon Member served.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in Northern Ireland on electric vehicle charging provision.

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

My officials regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on zero emission vehicle (ZEV) initiatives, including charging infrastructure provision. Minister Lightwood met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British-Irish Council meeting, and I met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure earlier this month as part of the Interministerial Group for Transport. Both including discussions on the ZEV transition.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local authority taxi and private hire licensing enforcement policies are brought into line with the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards.

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

We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. Where key 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, what the (a) role and (b) functions of the Passenger Standards Authority will be.

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

The Passenger Watchdog will have a key role in giving passengers a powerful voice in the railway. It will advocate for all passengers’ interests, offer advice to passengers, the Government and operators, and independently monitor passenger experience, holding operators to account and reporting on its findings publicly and transparently.

It will also be responsible for setting minimum consumer standards, taking action to drive improvements where these are not met, investigate repeated issues with passenger experience, and ensure there is a clear route for passengers to resolve disputes. This means passengers will have an independent voice fighting their corner, placing them back at the heart of our railways once again.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.

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

Sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 57535 on Active Travel: Construction, when he plans to publish guidance to support local authorities in the design and delivery of active travel routes.

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

Following extensive consultation with stakeholders, Active Travel England’s Rural Design Guidance is currently in its final development stages and is expected to be published by the end of the year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the recommendations of Project Willow on the HEFA Cap delay.

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

The Government launched Project Willow to find an industrial future for Grangemouth – identifying nine low-carbon and renewable energy business models that could create 800 jobs by 2040.

Government is ready to take these forward as co-investment projects with the private sector. Backed by £200 million from the National Wealth Fund, investment agencies are working to find investors for these proposals and other low carbon and clean energy proposals in the Grangemouth area. So far c.100 enquiries have been received.

HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) is a fuel developed from oils or fats, such as used cooking oil. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate caps the amount of HEFA that can be used to meet the main obligation under the Mandate to encourage the development of more advanced fuels. The suggested delay to the HEFA cap would undermine this approach and is not being considered.

To ensure the Mandate remains aligned with technological and commercial developments, it will be continuously monitored. 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, what her planned timetable is for tackling pavement parking.

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 steps her Department is taking to improve access to electric vehicle charging facilities in the North East.

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

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). Public chargepoint numbers are increasing and, as of 1 November 2025, Government and industry have supported the installation of 86,798 publicly available charging devices, up 22% on this time last year.

The North East region was allocated over £25m through the Government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to leverage significant private investment and increase the number of local public chargepoints across the region.

The £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant is also available, which is intended to empower local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging solutions. The North East was allocated over £1.6m to support the installation of pavement channels alongside public chargepoints.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on establishing sector-specific mobility arrangements for UK professional drivers engaged in international (a) freight and (b) passenger transport.

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

There have been no recent discussions with the EU regarding sector-specific mobility arrangements for UK road freight and coach drivers. The Government will continue to listen to concerns raised by sectors affected by existing rules and will advocate for British citizens abroad.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the regulatory framework for vehicle number plate suppliers to tackle (a) the production of ghost plates and (b) number plate cloning.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

The DVLA is currently considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

The DVLA is also part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes are currently subject to a public consultation that closes on 13 December 2025 and can be found online at https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2025-01059.

No estimate has been made of the administrative costs incurred by motorists when resolving cases of (a) cloned and (b) misused registration marks.

The table below shows the number of occasions where members of the public have contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties that they have received from third parties about the use of vehicles which they do not recognise or accept responsibility for. The table also includes the number of replacement vehicle registration numbers the DVLA has issued following receipt of these notifications. Replacement registration numbers are provided free of charge but the purchase of new number plates is the responsibility of the registered keeper. It is important to note that potential cloning is just one of the possible reasons why someone might receive such correspondence. A proportion of these cases will have been made as a result of errors for example, where a vehicle registration number has been entered incorrectly. Information about how many of these cases resulted in penalties, fines or enforcement action being withdrawn from affected motorists is not held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorists have paid for replacement vehicle registration plates as a result of (a) number plate cloning and (b) number plate misuse in each year since 2020.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

The DVLA is currently considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

The DVLA is also part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes are currently subject to a public consultation that closes on 13 December 2025 and can be found online at https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2025-01059.

No estimate has been made of the administrative costs incurred by motorists when resolving cases of (a) cloned and (b) misused registration marks.

The table below shows the number of occasions where members of the public have contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties that they have received from third parties about the use of vehicles which they do not recognise or accept responsibility for. The table also includes the number of replacement vehicle registration numbers the DVLA has issued following receipt of these notifications. Replacement registration numbers are provided free of charge but the purchase of new number plates is the responsibility of the registered keeper. It is important to note that potential cloning is just one of the possible reasons why someone might receive such correspondence. A proportion of these cases will have been made as a result of errors for example, where a vehicle registration number has been entered incorrectly. Information about how many of these cases resulted in penalties, fines or enforcement action being withdrawn from affected motorists is not held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cases of number plate cloning reported to the DVLA have resulted in (a) penalties, (b) fines and (c) enforcement action being withdrawn from affected motorists since 2020.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

The DVLA is currently considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

The DVLA is also part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes are currently subject to a public consultation that closes on 13 December 2025 and can be found online at https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2025-01059.

No estimate has been made of the administrative costs incurred by motorists when resolving cases of (a) cloned and (b) misused registration marks.

The table below shows the number of occasions where members of the public have contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties that they have received from third parties about the use of vehicles which they do not recognise or accept responsibility for. The table also includes the number of replacement vehicle registration numbers the DVLA has issued following receipt of these notifications. Replacement registration numbers are provided free of charge but the purchase of new number plates is the responsibility of the registered keeper. It is important to note that potential cloning is just one of the possible reasons why someone might receive such correspondence. A proportion of these cases will have been made as a result of errors for example, where a vehicle registration number has been entered incorrectly. Information about how many of these cases resulted in penalties, fines or enforcement action being withdrawn from affected motorists is not held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the administrative costs incurred by motorists when resolving cases of (a) cloned and (b) misused registration marks.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

The DVLA is currently considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

The DVLA is also part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes are currently subject to a public consultation that closes on 13 December 2025 and can be found online at https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2025-01059.

No estimate has been made of the administrative costs incurred by motorists when resolving cases of (a) cloned and (b) misused registration marks.

The table below shows the number of occasions where members of the public have contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties that they have received from third parties about the use of vehicles which they do not recognise or accept responsibility for. The table also includes the number of replacement vehicle registration numbers the DVLA has issued following receipt of these notifications. Replacement registration numbers are provided free of charge but the purchase of new number plates is the responsibility of the registered keeper. It is important to note that potential cloning is just one of the possible reasons why someone might receive such correspondence. A proportion of these cases will have been made as a result of errors for example, where a vehicle registration number has been entered incorrectly. Information about how many of these cases resulted in penalties, fines or enforcement action being withdrawn from affected motorists is not held.

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 allowing bus pass use on weekdays before 9:30 am.

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

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, extending the times travel passes can be used.

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.  East Sussex County Council has been allocated £10.4 million of this funding. 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, whether the environmental impact assessment for the review of the Airports National Policy Statement will include Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

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

The review of the Airports National Policy Statement will include a Strategic Environmental Assessment as part of the Appraisal of Sustainability. This will include consideration of greenhouse gas emissions.

A scheme promoter will then be responsible for producing an environmental impact assessment as part of the development consent order process and this will be considered as part of the Secretary of State’s decision on planning consent.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Mayor of the West Midlands on reinstating funding for Aldridge train station.

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

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87314 on 11 November 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars were registered for the first time in the (a) Birkenhead Central, Wirral, (b) Rhyl North, Denbighshire, (c) Little Layton & Little Carleton, Blackpool, (d) Seacombe, Wirral, (e) Grimsby East Marsh & Port, North East Lincolnshire, (f) Everton East, Liverpool and (g) South Promenade & Seasiders Way, Blackpool Middle layer Super Output Areas in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested level of geographic granularity.

Information on licensed vehicles at the upper and lower tier local authority and lower super output area (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new cars were registered in the (a) Central Blackpool, Blackpool, (b) Bootle South, Sefton, (c) Grangetown, Redcar and Cleveland, (d) Hartcliffe, Bristol, (e) Townhill, Swansea, (f) Ely East, Cardiff and (g) Penderry, Swansea Middle layer Super Output Areas in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested level of geographic granularity.

Information on licensed vehicles at the upper and lower tier local authority and lower super output area (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish a (a) draft access and usage policy for Great British Railways and (b) consultation for this policy.

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

It is our intention for a consultation on a draft Access and Use Policy to be launched during Bill passage to support implementation of rail reform.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new cars were registered in the (a) West Yorkshire Combined Authority, (b) Cardiff Capital Region (Combined Authority), (c) Swansea Bay City Region and (d) North of Tyne Combined Authority in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested level of geographic granularity.

Information on licensed vehicles at the upper and lower tier local authority and lower super output area (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new cars were registered in the (a) West of England Combined Authority, (b) Sheffield City Region, (c) Tees Valley Combined Authority, and (d) Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested level of geographic granularity.

Information on licensed vehicles at the upper and lower tier local authority and lower super output area (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether manufacturers who have not signed up to the (a) Science Based Targets Initiative and (b) Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration will be eligible for the Electric Car Grant.

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

The Electric Car Grant requires manufacturers to hold a verified Science Based Target (SBT) from the Science Based Target Initiative. Vehicles made by manufacturers who do not hold either a verified near-term or net-zero SBT will not be eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG).

The Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration is not a specific requirement of the ECG. The Science Based Target Initiative is an independent body responsible for setting the requirements for new SBT targets and accreditation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of bus franchising on community connectivity in rural villages.

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

The Government is committed to delivering better bus services, including in rural areas. We have set out a plan to achieve this based on giving local leaders the powers they need and empowering them to choose the service model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, strengthened Enhanced Partnerships, or local authority bus companies.

Under franchised bus services, local authorities can assume responsibility for all elements of the bus network, including routes, timetables and fares. This can lead to improved levels of connectivity. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to franchising, and Government is engaging with Local Transport Authorities to identify potential alternative models of franchising that could be adopted and used by smaller or more rural authorities.

The Government has also allocated funding to five different areas to take forward bus franchising pilots. The pilots will test different franchising models to investigate how they can be implemented and deliver improved bus services for passengers, including in more rural locations. The pilots will provide funding, guidance, and practical resources to local transport authorities to identify the most suitable approach to bus franchising and wider bus reform measures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) she and (b) the Minister for Rail has had with the rail freight industry on the Railways Bill.

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

Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations, including those with rail freight stakeholders, are published every quarter and this information can be accessed on the Gov.uk website via the following link: Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects to make a decision on proposals for improvements to the A17 Pullover Junction in King’s Lynn; and what the next stages are in the consideration of those proposals.

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

The A17 Pullover Junction scheme forms part of the Department’s Major Road Network (MRN) programme. The Secretary of State announced a review of the programme in July 2025, as part of which local authorities were asked to confirm whether or not they wished to proceed with each individual scheme. In its response to the review, Norfolk County Council has said that it will have to withdraw the scheme from the programme, because it can longer afford its local funding contribution to the scheme and because of impending local government reorganisation.

Henceforth any decision on the future of the scheme is likely to become the responsibility of the new Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, following the election in May 2026, or the successor unitary authority covering King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for improvements to the A17 Pullover Junction in King’s Lynn.

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

The A17 Pullover Junction scheme forms part of the Department’s Major Road Network (MRN) programme. The Secretary of State announced a review of the programme in July 2025, as part of which local authorities were asked to confirm whether or not they wished to proceed with each individual scheme. In its response to the review, Norfolk County Council has said that it will have to withdraw the scheme from the programme, because it can longer afford its local funding contribution to the scheme and because of impending local government reorganisation.

Henceforth any decision on the future of the scheme is likely to become the responsibility of the new Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, following the election in May 2026, or the successor unitary authority covering King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether funding has been allocated for improvements to the A17 Pullover Junction in King’s Lynn.

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

The A17 Pullover Junction scheme forms part of the Department’s Major Road Network (MRN) programme. The Secretary of State announced a review of the programme in July 2025, as part of which local authorities were asked to confirm whether or not they wished to proceed with each individual scheme. In its response to the review, Norfolk County Council has said that it will have to withdraw the scheme from the programme, because it can longer afford its local funding contribution to the scheme and because of impending local government reorganisation.

Henceforth any decision on the future of the scheme is likely to become the responsibility of the new Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, following the election in May 2026, or the successor unitary authority covering King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions has she had with HM Treasury on reinstating funding for Aldridge train station.

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

Officials from the Department for Transport and HM Treasury have regular discussions on a range of transport issues. The designs are being funded by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) via its devolved City Region Sustainable Transport settlement fund.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that key stakeholders are involved in the (a) planning and (b) decision-making of works on junctions connecting to critical national infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Ahead of planned roadwork closures National Highways (NH) engage with local authorities' and key local stakeholders to inform them of the work which may impact on them and plan a suitable schedule. NH inform customers through its website, project information events, letter drops and local media to support road users in areas facing a significant impact from the works.

National Highways currently have no planned schemes in Surrey Heath during 2025/26 and have some renewals work planned during 2026/27.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure that vehicles fitted with illegal emissions defeat devices are (a) recalled and (b) rectified at no cost to the vehicle owner.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.

Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles. In the event of non-compliance, work to bring the vehicle into compliance will be done at no expense to the owner.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) single sex and (b) gender neutral bathroom facilities her Department provides in its premises.

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

The Department for Transport’s main Whitehall building, Great Minster House, has 112 individual self-contained lockable toilet rooms which contain a toilet, washbasin and hand-drying facilities. This is in addition to 20 wheelchair accessible toilets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 85919 on South Western Railway: Personnel Management, whether the same company continues to manage payroll services for South Western Railway following its transfer into public ownership; and what the company's name is.

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

South Western Railway (SWR) has managed its payroll services internally following the transfer to public ownership. It is not outsourcing this service, therefore it is SWR that is responsible for its payroll services.

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 future levels of funding on Great British Railways' service provision.

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

SR25 and CP7 set budgets up to and including 2028/29. Future Spending Reviews and the next Periodic Review will determine funding levels, and what outputs that is expected to deliver, beyond 2028/29.

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 grade separation to alleviate congestion at the A17 Pullover Junction in King’s Lynn.

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

The A17 Pullover Junction scheme forms part of the Department’s Major Road Network (MRN) programme. The Secretary of State announced a review of the programme in July 2025, as part of which local authorities were asked to confirm whether or not they wished to proceed with each individual scheme. In its response to the review, Norfolk County Council has said that it will have to withdraw the scheme from the programme, because it can longer afford its local funding contribution to the scheme and because of impending local government reorganisation.

Henceforth any decision on the future of the scheme is likely to become the responsibility of the new Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, following the election in May 2026, or the successor unitary authority covering King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the (a) use of postal communication and (b) lack of digital alternatives at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on service users.

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

The large majority of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s services are available digitally.

To reduce the use of postal communications, the DVLA has introduced digital reminders alongside existing options for both vehicle excise duty and driver licensing through its Driver and Vehicle Account. The DVLA has future plans to provide further secure communications through the account. These will be introduced following customer insight testing to ensure that they meet customer needs and are fully effective.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled First-time buyers to benefit from 40,000 new homes on brownfield railway land, published on 30 June 2025, whether these properties will be earmarked for first-time buyers.

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

First time buyers will be amongst those to benefit from the 40,000 homes unlocked over the next decade on a mix of surplus Department for Transport land and third-party land. Platform4 is committed to providing a mix of housing, including affordable and build to rent. Planning policy on first time buyers will be locally led.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to provide more resources to Bedfordshire Police for increased enforcement against illegal usage of e-scooters.

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

The Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation, including those relating to offences involving e-scooters.

The police are operationally independent and decide how resources are deployed across a range of road policing priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people travelled by bus in Greater Manchester for each year from 2010 to date; and what assessment has her Department made of trends in the level of bus travel during the current spending period.

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

The Department does not hold data on the number of people that travelled by bus in Greater Manchester.

The Department does publish statistics on the number of bus journeys in Greater Manchester in the Annual Bus Statistics. These are available in Table BUS01e: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#local-bus-passenger-journeys-bus01.

The Government knows that local bus services are not delivering for all in many areas of the country, and we are committed to improving services and growing usage. That is why we have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders to enable them to deliver better bus services that meet the needs of their communities. 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. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has emergency contingency plans in the event of remote de-activation of buses by a foreign manufacturer.

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

The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systematic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including vehicles. The Department works closely with the transport sector, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and other government departments to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has made on reducing driving test waiting times in the South East since April 2025.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency fully acknowledges car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this continues to have on learner drivers. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times, and announced further actions. The government remains committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including in the Southeast to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Between June - October 2025, DVSA has conducted an extra 56,336 total tests when compared to the same period in 2024. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduce in June 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new cars were registered in (a) Blackpool South, (b) Birkenhead, (c) Bootle, (d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, (e) Rhondda and Ogmore, (f) Hartlepool and (g) Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituencies in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested geographic level.

Information on licensed vehicles broken down by Upper and lower tier local authorities and lower super output areas (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new cars were registered in (a) Liverpool Walton, (b) Easington, (c) Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, (d) Aberafan Maesteg and (e) Knowsley constituencies in each of the last five years.

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

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested geographic level.

Information on licensed vehicles broken down by Upper and lower tier local authorities and lower super output areas (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support local councils in dealing with emergency road closures by utilities companies; and whether she plans to allow highways authorities to extend working hours in such situations.

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

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that emergency street works by utilities companies are managed efficiently and with minimal disruption to local communities. Highway authorities already have effective powers under the current legislative framework to coordinate and oversee such works, including emergency road closures. We continue to review and strengthen these regulations to ensure they remain proportionate and effective, and we remain committed to working closely with local authorities, utilities, and stakeholders to deliver a modern and accountable street works regime.

Emergency works are undertaken under an immediate permit to address or prevent circumstances that are existing or imminent and pose a risk to people or property. These works must commence without delay, at any time, and are exempt from the standard working hours that apply to planned works.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide (a) additional funding and (b) guidance to local authorities to support the expansion of School Streets schemes across England.

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

On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. This can be found on the government website.

Funding for School Streets Schemes is available from a variety of funding sources, including the Consolidated Active Travel Fund which was announced in February 2025 as part of £222.5 million of funding being made available for local authorities for 2024/25-25/26. Additionally, the Spending Review of June 2025 allocated £616 million over the next four years to build and maintain walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure. Further funding is available from wider transport funds, such as Transport for City Regions settlements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for care leavers in England.

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

The Government knows how important affordable bus services are in enabling young people to get to education, work and access vital services.

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 the eligibility criteria to include care leavers, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government confirmed 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 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 care leavers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87421 on Rolling Stock: Leasing, on what terms South Western Railway’s rolling stock leasing arrangements were transferred into public ownership; and what the cost to the public purse is of those arrangements.

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

South Western Railway’s (SWR) rolling stock leases had the same end dates as the operator’s National Rail Contract, 25 May 2025. Rolling stock leases were negotiated and awarded alongside the transfer of SWR’s operations into public ownership. Details can be found on the Government’s Find a Tender website.

The Department had been aware of the details of SWR’s rolling stock leases from when they were first put in place. The expected costs of renewing the lease were therefore already recognised in expected future budget requirements for SWR.

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, how much the DVLA has received from (a) Oxford City Council and (b) Oxfordshire County Council, or their agents who operate their car parks, in payments for personal details relating to number plates, to date in (i) 2023-4, (ii) 2024-25 and (iii) to date in 2025-26.

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

Some local authorities use intermediary companies which request data on behalf of the local authority and pass on the cost. While limited information may be available about intermediary companies that may request vehicle keeper data on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council or Oxford City Council, it can only be extracted and provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to ensure interoperability between its ticketing systems and those operated by (a) devolved and (b) regional authorities.

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

Once GBR is established, it will deliver a high-quality website and app to customers, gradually replacing the 14 different DfT train operator websites that currently retail tickets. GBR will compete on a fair and open basis with independent retailers — as well as with open access operators and devolved operators, who will also be able to retail to passengers, just as they do today. The government looks forward to working with all stakeholders on the delivery of its reforms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86738 on Great British Railways: Finance, from which areas the Department expects to realise the over £1.2 billion reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period.

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

The reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period will be primarily driven by passenger ridership and revenue continuing to recover post COVID-19 and efficiencies and savings being made through public ownership.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average monthly pass rate for practical driving tests in the South East has been since May 2025.

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

The national pass rate for car practical driving tests in October 2025 was 49.9 percent.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency publish data online including data on car practical driving test pass rates broken down by test centre, including those in the South East: drt122a-car-driving-test-by-test-centre.ods

This data is updated annually and was last updated on 14 August 2025 with data to March 2025. The next update is due to be published in June 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of rural roads on self-driving vehicles.

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

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (AV Act) sets out a comprehensive legal framework with safety at its core.

The Act introduces a new authorisation process that will test self-driving capability and identify a corporation to be held accountable for vehicles behaviour. Companies applying to authorise their vehicle under the AV Act will have to set out the area in which the vehicle intends to operate, known as the operational design domain (ODD). This could include the area or road type the vehicle intends to operate in, such as motorways or rural roads.

During the authorisation process, it must be demonstrated that the vehicle is capable of operating to the safety standard required in all areas of the planned deployment.

We recognise the opportunities automated vehicles can bring in providing new freedoms to those who may be unable to drive. For example, through improving transport links in rural and isolated areas.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the environmental benefits of decarbonising refrigerated transport.

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

Delivering greener transport is a priority for the Department for Transport and why we are developing an Off-Road Machinery Decarbonisation Strategy with the Departments for Energy Security and Net Zero and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Diesel-powered transport refrigeration units (TRUs) remain a significant source of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Clean solutions will remove these harmful emissions and improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to balance safety considerations with efficiency requirements in Great British Railways’ statutory duties.

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

GBR’s general duties, including the duty to ensure efficient use of taxpayers’ money, will not negate GBR’s statutory obligations under the safety regime. The Railways Bill will not change the safety regime from the existing model that keeps the travelling public and workers safe, a regime that is well understood, that works and has made Britain’s railways one of the safest in Europe.

Question to the Department for Transport:

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

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

The Department for Transport is working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop an Off-Road Machinery Decarbonisation Strategy, the scope of which includes transport refrigeration units (TRUs). This strategy will set out how off-road machinery can further decarbonise while maintaining competitiveness, attracting investment and supporting growth. To support this, we are currently reviewing the findings of a multi-year research project commissioned to ZEMO Partnership into the emissions from diesel-powered auxiliary engines, including from TRUs used on heavy goods vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance she plans to issue on Great British Railways’ responsibilities for (a) national ticketing, (b) fare setting and (c) the administration of discount schemes for (i) young, (ii) elderly and (iii) disabled passengers.

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

The Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation has confirmed plans for the future of the rail retail market once Great British Railways (GBR) is established. It also set out GBR's and the Secretary of State's roles in relation to fares setting, and the continued safeguarding in legislation of discount schemes for young people, older people and disabled people. This is an important step in providing further clarity on how ticketing and fare setting will operate under GBR, and the Government looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders on the delivery of its reforms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of diesel vehicles in the UK that are fitted with illegal defeat devices.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is investigating a range of Euro 5 and early Euro 6 diesel vehicles where potential non-compliance has been identified.

There are currently 95 vehicle models from 28 brands under investigation. Manufacturers with a vehicle model under investigation have received a notification of this. For legal and operational reasons, the DVSA does not publish case-specific figures during active investigations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost of repairing all potholes in England; and how much funding her Department has made available in each financial year where data is available.

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

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network. This is why the Government announced a funding uplift of £500 million for the 2025/26 financial year, bringing the total to almost £1.6 billion. It is estimated that this funding will enable councils to cover the cost of filling 7 million potholes which goes well beyond our manifesto commitment to fill an additional million potholes each year.

More widely, at the Spending Review the Chancellor confirmed that the Government will provide £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, the Department has allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England.

This includes a range of funding sources including the Highways Maintenance Block, the Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).

The figure is exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use.

The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements.

Further information on these funding streams is available online, at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-transport-block-allocations/integrated-transport-block-itb-allocations-2025-to-2026

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-grant-allocations/local-transport-grant-ltg-allocations-2025-to-2026

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of School Streets schemes on (a) reducing air pollution and (b) improving child health outcomes.

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

Provision of school streets is a matter for local traffic authorities to consider. The Department and Active Travel England published guidance for local authorities last year, which included information and research on air quality and traffic impacts. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the adequacy of public transport accessibility for assistance dog users in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.

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

The Government recognises the importance of accessible public transport to enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all, including assistance dog users in Surrey.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. Among others, we are requiring local authorities to publish a Bus Network Accessibility Plan, assessing the existing accessibility levels of local bus services in their area and specifying any planned improvements to it.

Assistance dogs can travel on all UK trains for free and are permitted to be on the train with their handler at all times. There is also an Assistance Dog Travel Scheme, which provides a personal, highly visible and reusable Assistance Dog Under Seat card, that creates a ‘protected space’ for assistance dogs and lets other customers know the seat and the space under it should be kept free. As these are national policies, they also apply to the Surrey Heath constituency and Surrey.

We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will aim to set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys and what to do when standards are not met, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has received the feasibility study for the reopening of the Antrim to Lisburn rail line from the Northern Ireland Minister of Infrastructure.

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

I can confirm that my officials have received a copy of the feasibility study from Translink. The Department will continue to contribute constructively to devolved transport priorities, fully respecting the devolved settlement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the total value of (a) debts, (b) leases and (c) other liabilities per railway operator the Government will be taking on following completion of the railway nationalisation programme.

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

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government implemented emergency contractual arrangements which involved taking on all revenue and the vast majority of cost risk from the train operating companies. Therefore, public ownership of these rail services is not expected to change the Government’s financial exposure. For example, it is expected that future transfers into public ownership will see existing rolling stock leasing arrangements novate to the new public sector operator on existing terms, and so we do not expect changes to current cost estimates as a result of the transfer of operations into public ownership. Relatedly, to drive value for passengers and taxpayers, the Department is working on a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, which will be the first for over 30 years, both to give certainty to the manufacturing and assembly market and to pursue modern standards of carbon-friendly traction and passenger comfort and accessibility.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of electric vehicles currently registered in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

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

At the end of June 2025, the number of licensed vehicles that were battery electric was 3,313 in Newcastle, 5,220 in Northumberland, 35,438 in the North East and 1,464,860 in England.

We do not readily hold the respective figure for Hexham constituency.

It is important to note, vehicles are allocated to geographic location according to the postcode of the registered keeper. The address does not necessarily reflect where the vehicle is located. This is especially true for large fleets kept by companies involved with vehicle management, leasing or rentals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish guidance on the Office of Rail and Road's enforcement actions for safety breaches.

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

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent railway safety regulator for the UK. Its enforcement powers derive from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and range from giving advice and information through to prosecution in the courts. The ORR has issued a policy statement that explains how it enforces health and safety law and has developed an Enforcement Management Model, which sets out the factors to be considered when deciding whether to take enforcement action, to ensure a consistent approach is taken by its inspectors.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 73726 on Passenger Standards Authority, what is her expected timetable for the delivery of the Passenger Watchdog.

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

The passenger watchdog will be stood up as soon as practicably possible following Royal Assent for the Railways Bill.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential environmental impact of proposed rail network expansion under the Railways Bill.

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

The Railways Bill does not propose any additional network expansion. However, the environmental impact of any future network expansion would be considered during development of such a proposal as per the legal requirements for such projects

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring Great British Railways to publish its (a) board minutes and (b) key decision papers.

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

We expect Great British Railways to be transparent in its decision-making and the way in which the Board holds the Executive to account. The full details of how that will be achieved will be set out in due course as the organisation is stood up.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants are working on rail reform.

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

This information is already published as part of the Q2 Government Major Projects Portfolio Return.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number Yutong buses ordered for operation in the UK by operator.

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

The Department holds partial information on the number of Yutong buses ordered for operation in the UK. The information in the table below is correct as of November 2025 for England only, taken from projects which the Department has funded. This includes buses which are in service and those which have been ordered. We do not hold data on any Yutong buses ordered outside of these schemes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86324 on DfT Operator: Standards, if she will publish copies of all written instructions issued by her Department to DfT Operator train operating companies since April 2024.

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

The Department does not routinely publish instructions made to train operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 85911 on Railways: Fares, what estimate she has made of the percentage of passengers travelling from (a) London, (b) York, (c) Newcastle and (d) Edinburgh who would experience fare increases under the demand-based pricing model trialled by LNER.

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

The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) ‘Simpler Fares’ trial is running on routes from the London area to stations between and around Newcastle and Edinburgh. York is not a station in the trial.

The trial aims to address the situation where some ‘peak’ trains run nearly empty while some ‘off-peak’ trains are overcrowded by adjusting pricing to reduce crowding, making travel more comfortable for passengers.

The trial allows passengers to benefit from increased flexibility at lower prices than before, and LNER reports that, as of July 2025, around a third of the new Semi-Flexible (70 minutes Flex) fares sold in the preceding four weeks cost less than the old Super Off-Peak fare.

The results of this trial will be carefully considered before taking any further decisions.

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 track access charges for operators outside Great British Railways following the implementation of the Railways Bill on applications for (a) new and (b) renewed access rights.

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

The Government is fundamentally reforming the track access charging framework by transferring the responsibility for who sets charges from the ORR to GBR. This is so the body who maintains the infrastructure (GBR) will be able to set charges appropriately to recover those costs associated with running services on its network.

Regarding existing rights, the charges already in place will be honoured for the current control period (until April 2029).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessments she has made of potential duplication of functions between Network Rail and Great British Railways, and their (a) cost and (b) impact, during the transition period.

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

Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up. The GBR design process is underway, considering how all functions in Network Rail, DfT Operator, publicly-owned train operating companies (TOC) and parts of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) should transfer to GBR. The costs of implementation are being considered as part of the business case for GBR setup.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish data on (a) permanently cancelled services and (b) decisions to withdraw particular routes.

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

GBR's planned services will be a matter of public record. GBR will continue to be subject to the closures regime for rail services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish Great British Railway’s (a) Access and Use Policy and (b) Draft Licence.

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

A consultation on a draft Access and Use Policy is to be launched during Bill passage to support implementation of rail reform. Under the Railways Act 1993, the Department is required to publish and consult on a draft licence, and this will not change with the Railways Bill. We intend to consult on the draft GBR licence during the Bill Passage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77641 on Railways: Facilities Agreements, if she will publish (a) the terms of reference, (b) the memorandum of understanding and (c) associated documents which set out the role of DfT Operator Limited in operation of the railways, (i) prior to and (ii) subsequent to renationalisation.

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

The Framework Document is being reviewed and updated following the change of role from the DfT Operator of Last Resort to the Operator of First Choice. The Framework Document will be published on the Government website in due course.

As the rail public sector owning group, the DFTO is a co-signatory to Services Agreements alongside the Department and public sector operators. Services Agreements set out the Secretary of State’s requirements and will also be made available on the Government’s website in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £104 million government investment to deliver faster, more reliable travel for millions, published on 2 September 2025, how much funding has been allocated for Councils in Bedfordshire.

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

Local Transport Grant resource funding allocations totalling £104m for the years 2026/27 to 2028/29 were published on gov.uk in September. This funding is in addition to the Local Transport Grant capital funding allocations totalling £2.2bn, which were published on gov.uk in June.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of potential conflicts of interest arising from Great British Railways acting as both infrastructure manager and passenger service operator.

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

Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways, which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. Beyond the specific requirements of the Railways Bill, GBR will be subject to legal obligations such as public law requirements to act transparently and fairly, and competition and subsidy control legislation, all of which helps ensure that GBR will act fairly, transparently and in the public interest.

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 Railways Bill on fare affordability for passengers on low incomes.

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

The government recognises the importance of balancing the affordability of rail fares for passengers and the cost to taxpayers of contributions to the railway. As set out in the Railways Bill and the government’s recent consultation response, in the future GBR will have significant responsibility for setting and managing individual fares, reflecting its role as the directing mind for the railway.

The new framework will be balanced by the Secretary of State’s role in setting overall parameters for fares, and will also ensure continued safeguarding of existing statutory discount schemes, including those for disabled, senior, and younger passengers, currently delivered as railcards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in her Department are working on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

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

The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.

EACE will be kept under review. It is a worthy scheme that will be considered for potential progression in the future as funding becomes available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the affordability of motor insurance in areas of higher deprivation.

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

The Government is committed to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October 2024, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.

This taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums.

The taskforce’s final report is expected to be published shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to set statutory response times for complaints made under the Great British Railways passenger complaints system.

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

We expect that the establishment of GBR will mean that there will be a single complaint process for passengers for the majority of rail services.

GBR will have to follow the minimum standards set by the passenger watchdog on complaint handling when setting up its complaint handling system. ORR currently sets this standard and guides licenced operators to provide a full response to at least 95% of all complaints within 20 working days. It will be up to the watchdog to determine if this guidance is updated once it takes over this function from ORR.

The passenger watchdog will also ensure all passengers have access to a fair and independent alternative dispute resolution service (the Rail Ombudsman) to resolve disputes with operators where passengers have been let down.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting people to use electric vehicles.

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

Officials from the Department for Transport regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on initiatives to support the use of zero emission vehicles (ZEV). Minister Lightwood met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British Irish Council meeting, and the Secretary of State met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure earlier this month [November] as part of the Interministerial Group for Transport. Both meetings included discussions on the ZEV transition.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of public procurement reforms on the long-term competitiveness of the UK bus manufacturing sector; and what steps her Department is taking to maximise procurement opportunities for UK manufacturers.

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

The Government is committed to supporting UK jobs and industry, including the UK bus manufacturing sector. As part of this, we have consulted on further procurement reforms to boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses, including the UK bus manufacturing sector.

Additionally, we are supporting Combined Mayoral Authorities to coordinate the procurement of buses through a Crown Commercial Service commercial agreement; supplemented by the soon to be published ten-year pipeline of future bus orders, which will provide much needed certainty to the UK manufacturing sector. This includes providing advice on using social value criteria that play directly to the strengths of domestic suppliers when procuring new buses, such as creating and retaining jobs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking through the forthcoming 10-year bus procurement plan to support UK (a) bus manufacturers and (b) UK businesses in the bus manufacturing supply chain.

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

On 13 March 2025 I launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, bringing together industry experts and local leaders to ensure that the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. The Panel is a forum to enable collaboration between Government, manufacturers and the wider industry.

The Panel has been developing a pipeline of future zero emission bus orders to provide better planning certainty to the sector – for both manufacturers and their supply chain. Data has been gathered on potential bus orders over the next ten years and will be published on GOV.UK shortly.

The procurement of zero emission buses is led by Mayoral Combined Authorities, Local Transport Authorities and bus operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of (a) the potential merits of establishing a regulatory framework for the registration and road use of three- and four-wheeled electric bicycles, (b) the adequacy of road safety standards to ensure that these vehicles can operate safely alongside other road users and (c) the potential impact of the wider adoption of properly regulated three- and four-wheeled e-bikes on the environment, accessibility and congestion.

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

The existing regulatory framework for electric cycles is comprised of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 and the Pedal Cycle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983. These regulations apply to cycles with two or more wheels and are therefore applicable to three and four-wheeled electric cycles.

These cycles must be constructed to meet the standards in the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. European Standard EN15194 is the industry standard which can contribute to meeting these regulations.

No assessment concerning the environment, accessibility or congestion is planned in respect of these cycles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Active Travel England has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

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

Since its establishment in 2020, Active Travel England has not incurred any expenditure on translation and interpretation services.

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Found: and Trade, Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office, Department for Education, Department for Transport

Found: The Department for Transport (DfT) is critical for securing additional rail and road capacity, adjusting

Found: value-for-money—underperform when theft risk is high and investigations stall; realised benefits fall short of DfT

Found: Justice 7 S.I. 2025/909 7 The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Department for Transport

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Found: following the Gatwick and Heathrow shutdowns, it was the Home Office (in conjunction with the Department for Transport

Found: self-sufficiency in renewable energy; • DCMS—representing the need for access to nature and tourism; and DfT—representing

Found: Effectively, the Department for Transport went rogue on the Climate Change Act.

Found: That is co-ordination between DESNZ, DEFRA and the Department for Transport, when you think about electrification

Found: physical activity, or whether this should be something that is mainstreamed across DCMS, DHSC and DfT

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Transport on (a) plans to achieve and (b) progress on compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits on all roads.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) is a joint DEFRA/DfT division that is responsible for delivering compliance with NO2 targets set out in the Air Quality Plan 2017. DfT and Defra work together on progress and compliance with targets.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve helipad access at hospitals in the Midlands Air Ambulance region.

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

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

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Point of Order of 30 October 2025, Official Report, Column 350-351, by the Right Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay, on Written Parliamentary Questions, if the Leader of the House will raise this issue with Ministers in the Department for Transport.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The government's position regarding the relationship between the treatment of requests for information through parliamentary questions and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - as set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work - is unchanged.

Following the Point of Order from the Hon. Member, I understand the Minister for Roads and Buses has written to him on this matter. The Department for Transport has issued an apology, provided the relevant information released through an FOI request and corrected the initial Written Parliamentary Question.

More widely, I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 29 August 2025, to Question 69015, on Government Department: Official Cars, whether the Cabinet Office has released information on expenditure on Ministerial cars through the Government Car Service under the Freedom of Information Act since 4 July 2024.

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

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

Since 1st April 2025, information on expenditure has been released by the Cabinet Office in response to FOI requests, where appropriate, and in line with the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77649 on Parking: Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether the Government allows requests from (a) Patrol, (b) the British Parking Association and (c) the Local Government Association for the use of ANPR for civil parking enforcement in off-street parking; and if he will publish responses by his Department to representations made by those bodies on this issue since July 2024.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As stated in my response of 13 October to Question 77649, local authorities can use ANPR for civil parking enforcement. However, the Deregulation Act 2015 restricts the use of any surveillance technology by local authorities as the sole means of enforcing parking contraventions. In practice, this means that local authorities cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices by post following the detection of a parking contravention through surveillance technology, except in the limited circumstances set out in Regulation 10(2) of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022.

In addition to the use of ANPR by local authorities, the 2024 letter from Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL), the British Parking Association, and the Local Government Association raised other topics covering policy responsibilities of both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the MHCLG. At that time, my department issued a holding response, committing to provide a more substantive reply following a review of private parking charges. This response has not yet been provided as the department is still considering its response to the consultation on the Code of Practice for private parking which included proposals on private parking charges.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 86664, on Ministers: Official Cars, how much has been invoiced to each department in each month since July 2024; and how much has been paid through an internal transfer for the Cabinet Office in each month since July 2024.

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

The Government Car Service (GCS) transferred to the Cabinet Office from the Department of Transport, as a result of a machinery of government change, on 1st April 2025. Therefore all invoicing data prior to that date remains with the Department for Transport.

Invoicing data post April 2025 is included below. A significant proportion of invoicing activity was paused during the transition period which resulted in two invoicing runs for April 2025 with costs normalising in subsequent months.

Charges to the Cabinet Office include services provided to No10, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leaders of the House of Commons and House of Lords, and the Cabinet Secretary, in addition to core Cabinet Office ministers.

The figures provided represent total charges to departments, inclusive of all associated costs such as Transport for London (TfL) congestion charge, as well as travel and subsistence claims submitted by drivers in the delivery of the service.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86746 on Roads: Accidents, whether her Department has received requests from the Department for Transport for data on (a) drug and (b) drink driving tests since July 4th 2024.

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

As a part of the Annual Data Requirement, the Home Office collects information on roadside breath tests for alcohol, carried out by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales.

The Home Office makes all information collected on roadside breath tests for alcohol publicly available as a part of its annual “Police powers and procedures: Roads policing” statistical publication. The latest release is available here:
Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

Publication of this data makes it accessible for use by Other Government Departments, external organisations, and members of the public.

The Home Office does not collect data on tests conducted by police for drug driving.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.

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

Since 4 July 2024 neither the Department nor its arm’s length bodies have centrally purchased electric vehicles for their owned fleet. There has been no departmental investment in charging facilities for the central Government estate in this period, though arm’s length bodies have spent £100,000 on such assets.

With regard to National Health Service budgets and estate, the Department has not allocated any national programme capital to the NHS for investment in electric vehicles or charging infrastructure. However, in line with the ambitions of the NHS’s Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy, NHS trusts continue to use their operational capital allocations for investment in electric vehicles, including ambulances, where this aligns with local priorities. This spend data is held locally.

The Department is also working with NHS England and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to support the rollout of charging infrastructure across the NHS estate through the £8 million NHS Chargepoint Accelerator Scheme, which is funded by the Department for Transport.

The Department has not made an estimate of the difference in capital cost between electric vehicles and comparable petrol or diesel models. However, the NHS Travel and Transport Strategy has previously noted that transitioning to zero-emission vehicles in the NHS could deliver operational savings of £59 million per year through reduced fuel and maintenance costs.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/12575, published on 5 September 2025. whether Ministerial flights on the (a) Envoy IV, (b) Voyager are carbon-offset.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Air Force (RAF) report emissions for all domestic and overseas Ministerial flights under the UK, EU and CH Emissions Trading Scheme for the Envoy and Voyager aircraft that are above the 1000T CO2 threshold, to purchase and surrender carbon credits for those flights. The RAF are exempt under the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme (CORSIA) for additional carbon offsetting as they are below the annual 10,000T CO2 emissions threshold.

All Ministerial flights comply with the Department for Transport (DfT) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate which requires fuel suppliers to provide ready blended fuel at 2% SAF to 98% Jet A-1 fuel. The RAF is committed to reducing its carbon footprint through the Air Mobility Fuel Efficiencies and Emissions Reduction Programme, the Defence Aviation Net Zero Strategy and compliance with the UK DfT SAF Mandate.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Clean energy jobs plan, published on 19 October 2025, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of sustainable aviation fuel production at the Grangemouth industrial cluster.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government on options for investment in Grangemouth supported by the Office for Investment and Scottish Enterprise. This is backed by £200 million from the National Wealth Fund for co-investment with the private sector, so far we have received over 100 enquiries.

In line with the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, the Grangemouth Training Guarantee will support the transition for refinery workers into in-demand industries including into clean energy sectors and future project at Grangemouth.

The Department for Transport is supporting the UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry through the SAF mandate, providing revenue certainty for SAF producers and the £63 million Advanced Fuels Fund available for SAF producers.

Together these measures will give investors confidence to support commercial scale production of SAF in the UK, creating green jobs and developing skills.

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