Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation National Highways has undertaken with (a) local authorities, (b) businesses and (c) residents regarding the proposed closure of junction 38 of the M6.

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

Since 2023, National Highways has undertaken extensive engagement on the Lune Gorge project, including plans for M6 Junction 38, to understand its impacts and identify ways to reduce disruption. This has included meetings with Members, local authorities, industry bodies, residents and local businesses. National Highways has held over 60 engagement meetings and events, including four public information events in May and August 2025.

In addition, National Highways has established a Stakeholder Engagement Group to support ongoing communication with local stakeholders as the scheme progresses. The Department and National Highways recognise the importance of meaningful engagement for schemes of this scale and duration.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to use intelligent speed assistance for repeat speeders.

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

The Government keeps the motoring offences framework under review but does not currently have any plans to introduce intelligent speed assistance for those convicted of speeding offences.

We do, however, want to ensure that the motoring offences framework is fit for purpose and that is why, as part of our road our new Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January 2026, we are consulting on changes to the motoring offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104661, what estimate National Highways has made of the cost of constructing temporary slip roads at M6 junction 38.

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

National Highways is currently assessing the latest proposals for temporary slip roads at M6 Junction 38 and will feedback on this in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the M6 Lune Gorge works on (a) freight movements and (b) connectivity between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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

For most of the M6 Lune Gorge works, traffic, including freight, will continue to use the M6 via a contraflow arrangement, which has been assessed as providing sufficient capacity to avoid significant delays. National Highways does not anticipate significant changes to freight movements as a result.

A limited number of overnight and weekend full closures of the M6 will be required for safety reasons. For full closures between junction 38 and 39, traffic will use a fully signed diversion route via Junction 36 and the A6, A591 and A590, as agreed with relevant local highway authorities. This approach is intended to maintain connectivity between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout the works.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122264, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the six-day minimum hire threshold on value for money for Departments using short-term hire vehicles; whether guidance has been issued to Departments on balancing value for money with the objective of increasing the proportion of zero emission vehicles under the Government Fleet Commitment; and what steps she is taking to ensure that efforts to meet the Government Fleet Commitment do not lead to increased costs.

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

The Government's policy is that all official travel must be efficient and cost-effective. Value for money of short-term vehicle hires is ensured through standard Government procurement and contract management processes.

Guidance on the GFC can be found on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, What recent assessment she has made of the employment conditions of seafarers at ferry operators who are signatories to the Voluntary Seafarers Charter; and if she will list the ferry operators who have signed the voluntary charter since July 2023 to date.

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

The Department has received evidence from a number of ferry operators in support of their applications for Verified Charter Status under the Seafarers’ Charter. In due course we will publicly confirm which operators have met the required standard.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the road haulage industry in Yeovil constituency with fuel costs.

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

The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of critical supply chains and is actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department will continue to work with industry to understand the pressures and options to mitigate any risks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of rail journeys used fully digital tickets in each month since January 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

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

The approximate proportion of tickets fulfilled as Digital Tickets for February and March 2026 are:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122594, on what basis her Department determined that the delayed appointment of Chiltern Railways as operator for East West Rail Services was caused by the General Election in July 2024, and whether her Department has commissioned an independent assessment of the cause of the delay to that appointment.

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

The appointment of the operator for the first phase of EWR services was paused during the General Election campaign in July 2024. This Government then appointed Chiltern Railways as the operator in March 2025. The department has not commissioned an independent assessment of this specific delay to the programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with industry stakeholders on the potential impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on future investment in the UK market.

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

My officials have been in contact with the industry since the decision to close the grant was shared with them in February 2025. The Government will continue to work with industry to monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2026 to Question 125758, and with reference to the Answer of 19 October 2019 to Question 2677, what information the British Transport Police hold on the number of (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions for railway trespass offences.

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

The British Transport Police (BTP) record this data, however due to data recording methods and the extended time period the request applies to, they have not been able to extract the information within the timeframe. I have asked the Rail Minister to write to the Honourable Member with the data requested by the end of the month of April 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122316, whether Network Rail plans to publish the further timetabling analysis and modelling referred to in that Answer; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

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

The Department has worked extensively with Network Rail and stakeholders on development and design of a scheme to deliver a third line between York North Throat and Skelton Junction. The scheme remains under review to ensure it can be delivered in the most effective way as part of a holistic strategy of investment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any lessons from the previous Rapid Charging Fund have informed the design of the new fund; what methodology will be used, as part of the new fund, to assess connection costs within applications; and what timetable has been set for the new fund to open to applicants.

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

A reliable, accessible public charging network to support electric vehicle drivers on long journeys is essential to support the electric vehicle transition.  The market has changed significantly since the £950 million Rapid Charging Fund was announced in 2020, with over 6,400 open-access, rapid and ultra-rapid charge points within one mile of the Strategic Road Network – more than quadrupling in the last three years (July 2022 – Oct 2025, Zapmap).

We’re adapting our approach to meet the needs of industry today. We are using lessons from the Rapid Charging Fund pilot and continue to work with industry to deliver the right financial support, targeted where it is needed most. For example, improving provision at some motorway service areas where high connection costs have made charging infrastructure rollout uncommercially unviable.

We expect to share more information later this year via a targeted industry consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the M6 junction 38 closures on (a) local businesses, (b) tourism and (c) employment in Cumbria.

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

The M6 Lune Gorge bridge works are being undertaken to avoid future emergency interventions, such as unplanned closures or restrictions, which would have greater adverse impacts on local businesses, tourism and employment in Cumbria. These works will maintain the M6 as a safe and dependable corridor for freight, commerce and local communities for years to come.

National Highways has undertaken over 60 engagement sessions since 2023 to understand the local impact. National Highways is planning the works to minimise impact as far as possible and will continue to engage with local stakeholders to seek further mitigations where feasible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total duration in hours was of (a) partial and (b) full closures as a result of the M6 Lune Gorge project.

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

Between 1 September 2025 and 14 April 2026, all recorded closures associated with preparatory works were partial closures only, affecting a single northbound or southbound carriageway, or lane closures. There were 18 overnight carriageway closures, each operating within a standard nine hour window (8pm – 5am), giving up to 162 hours of partial closures. In addition, lane closures from January 2026 total up to 270 hours. There were no full closures affecting both directions simultaneously during this period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason she plans to transfer staff to Department of Transport Operator Ltd prior to the completion of the Railways Bill.

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

On 1 April 2026, an important milestone in delivering Great British Railways (GBR) was reached, as a significant part of the functions and staff responsible for the operational railway transferred from DfT to the DFT Operator (DFTO), the Government’s public sector rail owning group.

This move is a practical step towards creating a simpler, more accountable railway that delivers better outcomes for passengers, communities and taxpayers. It ensures the right capabilities sit in the right place now to maintain the strong progress we have already made to improve rail services. It also reduces the risk associated with simultaneous transfer of the organisations, functions, teams and operational capabilities that will form GBR in 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has reviewed the design of the Government Fleet Commitment to ensure that short-term vehicle hire is captured within its targets.

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

Short term vehicle hires, which can happen at short notice, are subject to vehicle availability at the time and the policies of each hire company. The previous Government did not include vehicles hired for fewer than six days within the Government Fleet Commitment, when it established the commitment, and the Department is not considering changing this.

Departments are expected to continue to take action to reduce their impact on the environment, including for example working with lease operators and hire companies to minimise the carbon intensity of their fleets and rental vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce a strategy for motorcycle safety.

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

By miles travelled, motorcyclists are over 40 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than someone travelling by car. That is why motorcyclist safety was included in the new Road Safety Strategy.

Although there are no plans for a separate motorcycle strategy at this time the Road Safety Strategy announced a consultation on an ambitious package of reforms to the training, testing and licensing regime for Category A moped and motorcycle licences in Great Britain. That consultation closes on May 11th.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she intervened in negotiations between Northern Trains and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers on (a) a driver open conductor close procedure and (b) other matters.

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

Negotiations take place between train operating companies and trade unions on a range of matters, including working practices, within mandates issued by the Department for Transport. The Secretary of State has not intervened in Northern’s door operation negotiations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, how many applications for driving examiner roles were received by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each of the last three years.

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

The table below shows the number of completed applications received for driving examiner (DE) roles in the years 2023 to 2025.

This data includes only completed application forms on Civil Service Jobs. It does not include those started but not completed.

For any recruitment campaign a candidate must complete the application on Civil Service Jobs by the application deadline. If a candidate starts the initial application but does not complete it, this application will not be considered as part of the final sift of applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the funding allocation for the Zero Emission Truck and Van represents a capped budget; and what estimate she has made of the total potential liability.

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

The Zero Emission Van and Truck Grants are subject to a set budget of £877 million to 2030 and will close when available funding has been allocated for this period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 123507 on Electric Vehicles, where the remaining amount of the committed £7.5 billion funding will be spent.

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

The Government is investing more than £7.5 billion in the transition to zero emission vehicles, as follows:

£4 billion on DRIVE35 to support zero emission vehicle manufacturing and R&D in the UK, to 2035.

£2 billion on the Electric Car Grant to cut to cost of new, affordable, and sustainably manufactured zero emission vehicles for consumers, to 2030.

£877 million for the Zero Emission Truck Grant and Zero Emission Van Grant to reduce the cost to businesses of buying new zero emission commercial vehicles, to 2030.

£600 million to support charging infrastructure, to 2030.

£120 million for the former Plug-in Van Grant in 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department has assessed the potential merits of constructing (a) the Bordesley Chord West (b) the Bordesley Chord East at the same time.

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

Network Rail awarded a contract for detailed design for the Western phase of Midlands Rail Hub (including both Bordesley Chords) in December 2025. Progressing to delivery is subject to securing necessary consents and a final investment decision, which will consider the value for money and affordability of constructing both chords at the same time.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's targeted staff headcount reduction was prior to 31 March 2026.

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

Over financial year 2025/26, DfT(central) had an 8% headcount reduction target which was achieved by March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122543, what assessment the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has made of the adequacy of conversion rates from application to appointment for driving examiner roles by recruitment channel.

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

As with any recruitment in the Civil Service, all applications must be made through Civil Service Jobs. There are several stages candidates must progress through before being offered employment, and consequently there will be candidates unsuccessful at various stages of the process.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) must ensure appointments are made based on merit following fair and open competition. As well as parts of the application process common to other Civil Service roles – eligibility checks, application forms, interviews, DBS checks - there are elements that are unique to the recruitment process for driving examiners (DE) when compared to other roles.

Upholding road safety standards underpins everything DVSA does, and the recruitment process has to ensure those employed as DEs can determine if a candidate is ready and safe to take to the road alone.

Candidates successful at interview will undertake an assessment of their driving ability, which they must pass. Further details of what this assessment entails can be found on GOV.UK.

Candidates who successfully pass recruitment and are offered employment must undertake and pass a training programme before conducting tests.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding available to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to process medical driving licence applications.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the number of driving licence applications delayed due to medical evidence requirements.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

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 delays in medical driving licence decisions by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the ability of affected people to (a) access employment and (b) education and (c) training in (i) rural and (ii) semi-rural areas.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of average processing times for medical driving licence applications by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 119471 on the Vehicle Certification Agency, what internal efficiency measures are being undertaken by the Vehicle Certification Agency; what the estimated annual savings from those measures are; and over what timeframe those savings are expected to be realised.

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

The Vehicle Certification Agency is taking forward a number of measures, including service digitisation, and updating legacy systems. This is estimated to deliver circa £1-1.5m in additional efficiency savings in the 2026/27 financial year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122545 on the Vehicle Certification Agency, whether her Department has set a target date for the Vehicle Certification Agency to eliminate its deficit.

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

The VCA is currently analysing responses to its recent consultation on increasing certain fees, which would support deficit reduction. If taken forward, any fee changes require the consent of this House through a fee order. We are therefore unable to set out a specific timeframe for elimination of the deficit at this stage. As is the standard practice, I will update the House in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what protections are in place for staff transferring to the Department of Transport Operator Ltd in respect of a) civil servant status, b) terms and conditions and c) occupational pension.

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

Staff were transferred from DfT to DFTO on 1st April 2026. In terms of a) DFTO is a public corporation and therefore staff are Public Servants. This means staff transferred to DFTO have not retained Civil Servant status. Regarding b), Terms and Conditions of staff transferring to DFTO are protected by TUPE regulations. All relevant issues arising from DFTO on transferring employees’ Terms and Conditions were presented and consulted on formally with Trade Unions, as staff representatives, ahead of transfer. Regarding c), staff transferred to DFTO retained their membership of their existing pension scheme. This includes those who are members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme and Rail Pension Scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 110890, what estimate her Department has made of (a) the total number of HGV parking spaces originally expected to be delivered under the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Matched Funding Scheme and (b) the revised number expected to be delivered following project withdrawals and scope changes.

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

The HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme was initially estimated to have the potential to create up to an additional 1500 spaces. These figures were based on information provided to the Department by operators as part of the application process for projects where reconfiguration and expansion were taking place.

To date 16 projects have been withdrawn by operators with an estimated reduction of up to 177 parking spaces, reducing the initial estimate to up to 1,323 spaces.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy 3 tackles barriers preventing women from cycling.

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

The Government does of course recognise how important it is that we tackle such barriers. My Department is reflecting on how best to address this within the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which we expect to publish in the Spring.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120920, what estimate she has made of the conversion rate from application to appointment in Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving examiner recruitment campaigns since July 2024; and what steps her Department is taking to improve conversion rates at each stage of the recruitment process.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has run 22 driving examiner recruitment campaigns since early 2021, nine of these have been launched since June 2024. DVSA analyses the success rates for each campaign and adapts its approach for the next one to improve the quality of candidate attracted initially, make sure it is selecting those with the necessary skills and minimise any aspects of the process which are causing applicants to drop out.  The process has been modified several times in the intervening period to maximise the numbers of people with the right skills and aptitudes being made a job offer.

DVSA attracts large numbers of applicants to the role of a driving examiner who are not always suited to it.  DVSA has a high drop out rate during the application process and the sift and selection process also removes significant numbers due to candidates not demonstrating the appropriate level of driving ability.

Across the nine campaigns since June 2024, DVSA received 16,331 completed applications and has made 1,139 job offers so far, with 724 people starting their training with DVSA and more with start dates agreed.

DVSA continues to make job offers from reserve lists from campaign 16 (March 2025) up to campaign 21 (December 25) and has yet to start making offers for people from campaign 22 as the assessments are still ongoing.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on a) drivers of extending the electric car grant; and b) motorcyclists of the planned cessation of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

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

The £2 billion Electric Car Grant has been extended to 2030 to support drivers to purchase electric vehicles by reducing upfront costs. More than 90,000 people have already benefited from grants of up to £3,750 across 45 models.

In February 2025, we announced the decision to close the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant, which closed at the end of the 2025/26 financial year. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will continue to monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for the consultation on the introduction of new battery health measures for electric vehicles.

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

On 13 April 2026, the Department launched a public consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7. As part of these proposals, manufacturers would be required to fit electric vehicles with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors. The consultation will remain open until 25 May 2026.

The Government is seeking views on these proposals through that consultation. No final decisions have been taken, and the timetable for introducing any new battery health measures will be determined following careful consideration of the responses received.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the level of demand electric vehicles; and whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of aligning the ZEV mandate trajectory with the 2035 European transition timeline in the light of current consumer and business rental demand.

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

According to industry figures, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent 22.4% of new car sales in the year to date. In March, new BEV volumes were up 24.2% on March last year, with 86,120 BEV sales, the highest month of BEV sales by volume ever in the UK. New BEV sales increased by almost a quarter in 2025 compared to 2024, while BEVs showed the strongest growth on the second-hand market, up by 45.7%.

The Government continues to monitor regulatory approaches to support the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) in other countries and in the EU. These vary depending on economic, market, and geographic circumstances.

Transitioning to ZEVs is essential to meeting the UK’s objectives on air quality, energy security and industrial policy, and to delivering on our climate commitments. The Government has a long-standing commitment to publish a review of the ZEV Mandate by early 2027, with preparations beginning this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she plans have discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (b) the Local Government Association and (c) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of potholes on roads on ambulance waiting times.

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

Ministers regularly engage with colleagues across government, local government partners, and relevant stakeholders on a range of issues relating to the condition, management and performance of the transport network, including its wider social and economic impacts.

The Department recognises that maintaining a safe and reliable local road network is important for all road users, including emergency services. Local highway authorities have a statutory duty to maintain their networks and are best placed to manage local issues, including those affecting response times.

The Government is providing a record £7.3 billion of funding for local highway maintenance between 2026‑27 and 2029‑30, giving authorities greater funding certainty to enable them to move away from reactive repairs and invest in preventative maintenance to support safer, more dependable journeys.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to help facilitate the installation of pavement gullies for at home EV charging.

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

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions. The Department will publish its response shortly. This expands on the £25m grant funding for local authorities, supporting the installation of cross-pavement channels.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on implementing United Nations Global Technical Regulation No.22 on EV battery health.

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

On 13 April 2026, the Department launched a public consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7. As part of these proposals, manufacturers would be required to meet the requirements of United Nations Global Technical Regulation No.22 by fitting electric vehicles with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors. The consultation will remain open until 25 May 2026.

The Government is seeking views on these proposals through that consultation. No final decisions have been taken, and the timetable for introducing any new battery health measures will be determined following careful consideration of the responses received.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in i) January 2026, ii) February 2026 and iii) March 2026.

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

The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for the months January 2026 and February 2026 respectively.

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026.

* - Includes those who are in training to be a driving examiner.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122543 on Driving Tests: Recruitment, what workforce planning model the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency uses to determine when to initiate recruitment campaigns for driving examiner roles in specific locations.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses learner postcode mapping to guide workforce planning and recruitment strategies. The DVSA will continue to assess the recruitment needs of all test centres in the UK and will continue to launch further recruitment campaigns to address demand.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of jet fuel availability and pricing; what discussions she has had with airlines and industry stakeholders on fuel costs; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those factors on passenger airfares.

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

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.

There is no immediate cause for concern relating to fuel stocks, and speculation will not help airlines or passengers. Many airlines lock in fuel prices in advance, to help protect tickets from spikes in price. We encourage all airlines to do what they can to ensure tickets remain fairly and appropriately priced for passengers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has held discussions with the Royal Aeronautical Society since July 2024.

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

My officials routinely engage with a broad range of aviation stakeholders, including the Royal Aeronautical Society, to support strong and effective collaboration between government and industry on aviation related matters.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the value for money of the decision by National Highways to block up the Queensbury Tunnel in the Bradford Metropolitan District.

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

Sustrans (now called Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust) produced a report for Bradford Council that assessed the Benefit Cost Ratios (BCR) of the active travel route options. The options included routes that would use the Queensbury Tunnel. The report made clear that the BCR scored for the routes were all very close indicating that none of them represented significantly better value for money over the others. Funding for an Active Travel route is the responsibility of the Local Authority. Therefore, without a clear commitment from either Bradford Council or West Yorkshire Combined Authority to provide funding for an active travel route utilising the tunnel, the difficult decision was taken to close the tunnel, subject to the appropriate planning approvals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

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

In 2024 there were 8 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’.  Of these 8 cases, less than 5 resulted in Final Written warnings or First Written Warnings.

In 2025 there were 6 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’.  Of these 6 cases, less than 5 resulted in Dismissal or First Written Warnings.

Due to the small number of cases which have been identified in some outcomes, a further breakdown is withheld as it could lead to identification of individuals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the procurement of the Washwood Heath Depot for HS2 to conclude.

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

The Department is going through their governance approval to conclude the procurement for Washwood Heath Depot (WWH). We expect to award the contract in the coming weeks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what assessment she has made of progress towards delivering an additional one million pothole repairs per year; b) whether the Government is currently on track to meet that target in (i) 2025–26 and (ii) 2026–27; c) what steps she plans to take if delivery is below the level required to meet that commitment.

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

The Government’s record £7.3 billion investment over the next four years will bring annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes to over £2 billion annually, doubling annual funding by 2029-30 compared to 2024-25 levels. This funding increase is enough to enable local authorities to fill millions of additional potholes in each year of this Parliament when compared to 2024-25. At the same time, the Department is also expecting local highway authorities to adopt best practice in highways maintenance, which includes a greater focus on preventative maintenance so that fewer potholes form in the first place and a greater focus on permanent pothole repairs to reduce the need for repeated and more costly temporary repairs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116554, whether her Department has corroborated the findings of Thatcham Research; whether any UK fire and rescue services have provided data on hybrid vehicle fire incidence rates; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that policy is based on transparent and independently verifiable evidence.

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

The Department has not corroborated the findings of Thatcham Research, nor has it received data on hybrid vehicle fire incidents from Fire & Rescue Services. The Chief Scientific Advisors at the Department for Transport and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government co-chair a regular Technical Steering Group, attended by Government officials, industry representatives, Fire & Rescue Service representatives, and academic experts to review current scientific literature relating to electric vehicle fires, identify gaps in understanding, and advise on how these may be addressed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff are employed by the HS2 Ltd Helpdesk.

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

Twenty FTE (Full Time Equivalent) staff are employed on the HS2 Ltd helpdesk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government will take to ensure that the sale of properties acquired by HS2 minimises disruption to existing tenancies and safeguards the housing of current tenants.

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

We recognise the concern regarding disruption to existing tenants due to the sale of HS2 properties that are no longer required. We are committed to ensuring that sales are delivered in a sensible and sensitive way. We will provide updates to tenants as the programme develops and, wherever possible, properties will be sold where tenancies have run to the end of their term.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

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

Performance Action Plans are an informal tool managed within the line management chain. Department for Transport therefore does not hold any central data on how many civil servants have a performance management plan in place.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current average waiting time is for car driving tests in Wales; how many driving test centres in Wales have an average waiting time of (a) over 12 weeks, (b) over 18 weeks, and (c) over 24 weeks; and what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on reducing driving test waiting times in Wales.

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

The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Wales in February 2026 was 16.8 weeks. The table below shows the average waiting time in February 2026 for a car practical driving test at driving test centres in Wales:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122525, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of click-throughs from (a) social media advertising and (b) DVSA job alert emails that resulted in (i) started and (ii) completed applications for driving examiner roles in the last 12 months.

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

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. At the point of submitting an application on Civil Service Jobs no applicant source information is recorded.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, provides details of subsequent surveys that might be completed by applicants.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, also provided information on click through rates, but notes that it is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122543 on Driving Tests: Recruitment, what data the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency collects on the source of applications for driving examiner roles at the point of application submission.

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

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. At the point of submitting an application on Civil Service Jobs no applicant source information is recorded.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, provides details of subsequent surveys that might be completed by applicants.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, also provided information on click through rates, but notes that it is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 121310 on Roads: Closures, what plans her Department to make a formal national assessment of the potential impact of long-term road and bridge closures on small businesses; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on this issue.

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

The impacts of long‑term road or bridge closures on small businesses vary significantly depending on local circumstances and the mitigation measures put in place. Responsibility for managing and mitigating these impacts sits with local highway authorities, which are best placed to understand local conditions.

The Department for Transport’s Structures Fund will inject cash into repairing run down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels across England, mitigating the need for road and bridge closures in the future.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122545 on the Vehicle Certification Agency: Fees and Charges, whether her Department has produced internal estimates of the additional annual revenue expected from the proposed fee increases.

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

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) recently consulted on changes to certain fees. As part of the fee setting process the government considers all the evidence provided as well as long standing principles included in Managing Public Money. Any fee changes require the consent of this House through a fee order. As is the standard practice, I will update the House in due course

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to driving test waiting times in Scotland, a) what the current average waiting time is for car driving tests in Scotland; b) how many driving test centres in Scotland have an average waiting time of (i) over 12 weeks, (ii) over 18 weeks, and (iii) over 24 weeks; and c) what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland regarding reducing driving test waiting times in Scotland.

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

The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Scotland in February 2026 was 22 weeks. The table below shows the average waiting time in February 2026 for a car practical driving test at driving test centres in Scotland.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of demand for additional pilots resulting from airport expansion; how many UK commercial airline pilots are set to reach mandatory retirement age in the next five years; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability and retention of qualified flight instructors; and what consideration her Department has given to reducing financial barriers to entry for aspiring pilots.

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

As of 26 March 2026, Civil Aviation Authority (the Regulator) records indicate that 1315 commercial pilots aged 60 to 64 are expected to reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 within the next five years.

The UK aviation sector operates predominantly in the private sector, and it is for individual airlines to recruit and train the pilots and flight instructors needed to meet both current and future demand. However, supporting the UK’s aviation workforce remains a priority for this Government. I welcome the steps taken by British Airways and Jet2.com to strengthen the future pilot pipeline, including through periodically offering partly or fully funded training programmes.

Ministers and officials continue to engage regularly with industry and with representative bodies, including the British Airline Pilots’ Association, on aviation skills issues. A major training organisation has now been approved to deliver the First Officer apprenticeship, which will enable young people to train as pilots at no personal cost. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England to encourage airlines to take up and deliver this apprenticeship.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118042, what alternative methods the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency uses to identify the source of applications for driving examiner roles.

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

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK.

Whilst the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) cannot get details of applicant referral sources from the Government Recruitment Service, for campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the civil service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, DVSA introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. DVSA will cross-reference the data from these two surveys going forward, but for now DVSA has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 23 March 2026 on Rail Infrastructure, HCWS1433, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the operating speed of HS2 on passenger capacity.

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

The Secretary of State has requested that Mark Wild look at ways to remove gold plating and complexity from the HS2 project, and if a slightly reduced specification could save time and money. We will not make the same mistakes of the past of making changes to scope without understanding all of the impacts, including on passenger capacity. We will not take any decisions until this work is complete.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many social and affordable homes are planned as part of the redevelopment of land at and around Euston associated with the HS2 programme.

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

We are working at pace with our Master Development Partner, Lendlease, on a Masterplan for Euston, with an emphasis on growth and delivering much needed housing, and will set out a clear plan in due course.

Further, the government has appointed Bek Seeley as the Chair to the Euston Housing Delivery Group, to understand the opportunities for thousands of new homes in the wider Euston area.

The Euston Housing Delivery Group is not pre-supposing the number of homes achievable but will robustly assess the scale of opportunity for housing around Euston.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling concessionary bus pass holders to use services before 9am.

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

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, between 9.30am and 11.00pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays. The duration of the concessionary period was set out in the Transport Act 2000. The ENCTS costs around £795 million annually in reimbursement to operators. Any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the times of use, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

However, local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending travel times.

The Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to the end of the Spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across England to improve bus services. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will be allocated £17.1 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £6 million they are already receiving this financial year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, which could include extending discretionary concessions locally.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of the methodology used to estimate Vehicle Excise Duty evasion rates.

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

The Department for Transport has assessed the accuracy of the methodology used to estimate Vehicle Excise Duty evasion through the quality assurance, assumptions and limitations set out in the published Background Information and Notes and Definitions accompanying the statistics, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-excise-duty-evasion-statistics-2023/vehicle-excise-duty-evasion-statistics-2023#background-information.

Further detail and historical information regarding the methodology is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicles-statistics-guidance

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 rail reform on the availability of discounted rail travel schemes for (a) members of the armed forces and (b) veterans.

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

There are no plans to change or remove availability of discounted rail travel for members of the armed forces or veterans. The Railways Bill gives Great British Railways the flexibility to update and expand the concessionary offers in line with passenger needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2026 to Question 123240, what contribution improved cycling facilities will make to balancing aviation sector growth.

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

Airports and their local stakeholders consider all transport options as part their surface access strategies, which cover staff as well as customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to respond to Question 123167 from the Hon. Member for Maidstone and Malling.

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

I refer the Right Honourable Member to the answer given on 31 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered in what way the UK's operational responsibility for providing air traffic services in the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area could help support operational trials of contrail-mitigation routing.

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

The Government recognises that aviation has non-CO2 impacts such as contrails which may have significant warming impacts on the climate, although significant scientific uncertainties remain.

The Government has funded 14 projects as part of our Non-CO2 R&D Programme to better our understanding of aviation’s non-CO2 impacts and to identify and develop potential mitigation options.

The Department also established a Contrail Impact Mitigation Task and Finish Group under the Jet Zero Taskforce which assessed the UK’s capability to undertake contrail avoidance manoeuvres as a means of reducing aviation’s non‑CO₂ climate impacts.

The report highlighted that the atmospheric conditions in the North Atlantic make it prone to forming persistent warming contrails. The report was published on 17 March 2026 and one of the key recommendations from this report was for the UK to undertake large-scale trials in the North Atlantic. The Department is carefully considering all the recommendations and is currently exploring options to fund a large‑scale trial in UK controlled airspace.

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 using the atmospheric and geographic features of the North Atlantic to support contrail-mitigation measures to reduce aviation's climate impact.

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

The Government recognises that aviation has non-CO2 impacts such as contrails which may have significant warming impacts on the climate, although significant scientific uncertainties remain.

The Government has funded 14 projects as part of our Non-CO2 R&D Programme to better our understanding of aviation’s non-CO2 impacts and to identify and develop potential mitigation options.

The Department also established a Contrail Impact Mitigation Task and Finish Group under the Jet Zero Taskforce which assessed the UK’s capability to undertake contrail avoidance manoeuvres as a means of reducing aviation’s non‑CO₂ climate impacts.

The report highlighted that the atmospheric conditions in the North Atlantic make it prone to forming persistent warming contrails. The report was published on 17 March 2026 and one of the key recommendations from this report was for the UK to undertake large-scale trials in the North Atlantic. The Department is carefully considering all the recommendations and is currently exploring options to fund a large‑scale trial in UK controlled airspace.

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 contrail-mitigation measures in reducing aviation's climate impact.

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

The Government recognises that aviation has non-CO2 impacts such as contrails which may have significant warming impacts on the climate, although significant scientific uncertainties remain.

The Government has funded 14 projects as part of our Non-CO2 R&D Programme to better our understanding of aviation’s non-CO2 impacts and to identify and develop potential mitigation options.

The Department also established a Contrail Impact Mitigation Task and Finish Group under the Jet Zero Taskforce which assessed the UK’s capability to undertake contrail avoidance manoeuvres as a means of reducing aviation’s non‑CO₂ climate impacts.

The report highlighted that the atmospheric conditions in the North Atlantic make it prone to forming persistent warming contrails. The report was published on 17 March 2026 and one of the key recommendations from this report was for the UK to undertake large-scale trials in the North Atlantic. The Department is carefully considering all the recommendations and is currently exploring options to fund a large‑scale trial in UK controlled airspace.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of independent MOT testing stations that have closed since 2010; and whether she has had discussions with the DVSA on the potential impact of the Class 4 MOT fee on local testing capacity in rural and remote areas.

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

The Department understands that rising inflation and operational costs have put pressure on garages.

It is not possible to determine the number of MOT testing centres that have ‘closed’ since 2010 as sites might cease testing and then resume testing at a later date, sometimes under new ownership.

The Department keeps the MOT regime, including the fee and the provision of service in all areas of Great Britain under review. Any consideration of changes must balance the needs of garages and their ability to invest against the interests of drivers in receiving value from the MOT.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of motorcycles to road wear compared with cars.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the contribution of motorcycles to road wear compared with cars.

Guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage. The Department is currently reviewing the Code of Practice, including to ensure it considers the implications of different vehicle types, their increasing weights, and traffic composition on road maintenance. An updated version will be published by the end of this year.

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 the installation of dynamic roadside electric vehicle charging pricing totems, including on the functioning of the market, the level of competition, and the potential impact on consumers.

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

The Department for Transport has not made such an assessment.  However, Government is modernising electric vehicle charging signage on major A-roads. Changes now allow larger electric vehicle charging hubs to be signposted from major A-roads. We are also working with local authorities to make it easier to provide signage to and about charging facilities on local roads and to ensure drivers have the best possible information at the roadside.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to WPQ 121808, what proportion of the Customer and Communities Designated Fund within the Road Investment Strategy 3 is allocated to (a) HGV parking capacity and (b) driver welfare facilities; and what targets have been set for delivery of additional HGV parking spaces over the RIS3 period.

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

Further detail on RIS3 funding allocations will be set out by National Highways in its Delivery Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to respond to Question 122529 from the Rt Hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay.

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

Question 122529 was answered on 2 April 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration the Government has given to the potential merits of introducing legislation aimed at making electric vehicles more affordable, in the context of increases in the cost of oil.

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

The Government is reducing the upfront costs of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by providing grants for zero emission cars, vans, trucks, and wheelchair accessible vehicles; this includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already helped over 90,000 drivers to choose an electric vehicle (EV). Drivers of ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives, and can save up to £1,400 a year on running and maintenance costs compared to a petrol car if they can charge at home using off-peak tariffs. A breakdown of how this is calculated is available here: https://cleanenergy.campaign.gov.uk/electric-vehicle/.

The Government provides grants to support the rollout of domestic and workplace chargers, while the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant will ensure that more people without off-street parking can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging.

The Government recognises that high charging costs could pose a barrier to widespread EV adoption, especially for those reliant on public networks. In response, the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of public charging costs, examining the drivers behind price increases and measures to make public charging accessible and affordable for all users.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116574, what minimum number of public electric vehicle chargepoints her Department considers necessary by 2030 to meet anticipated demand; and how she will determine whether delivery is on track in the absence of a defined benchmark.

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

An estimate of potential future demand for chargers was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and was updated in 2024 to a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that charge point rollout is on track.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 123517 on Electric Vehicles: Costs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing requirements for standardised battery state of health information on the (a) regulatory burden on (i) manufacturers and (ii) sellers and (b) used electric vehicle prices.

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

On 13 April 2026, the Department launched a public consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7.

Assessment of the impact of introducing these requirements will be included within the regulatory impact assessment accompanying any proposed legislation. Responses to the public consultation will be taken into account when completing this assessment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Government has made in 2026 to date on incorporating permanent greenhouse-gas removals into the Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate.

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

The Government has welcomed the Independent Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) Review, in which the incorporation of permanent GGRs in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate was recommended. Government is considering the recommendations and will respond in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce a licensing regime for e-bike hire operators operating in public spaces.

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

Yes. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently at Report Stage in the House of Lords, will empower our local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. Licences will also include minimum standard conditions to ensure a consistent national baseline of safety and operability. We will implement licensing through a combination of regulations and guidance following detailed public consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Approved Driving Instructor Part 2 and Part 3 tests.

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

The two-year validity period of a theory test certificate, including for approved driving instructors (ADI), is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. DVSA is recruiting additional examiners in its ADI team and has also increased its capacity to train new examiners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's complaints procedures for candidates who experience inappropriate behaviour from driving examiners.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a published complaints process which enables driving test candidates to raise concerns about the standard of service they have received, including the behaviour of driving examiners. Complaints about driving tests and the conduct of examiners are considered and investigated in line with this procedure.

Candidates who are dissatisfied with DVSA’s response after completing the final stage of the Agency’s complaints process may ask for their complaint to be reviewed by an Independent Complaints Assessor.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to review the legal requirements for e-bike identification and rider accountability, in light of the challenges in prosecuting riders involved in serious collisions with pedestrians.

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

Only e-bikes that comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads.

While the Government has no plans to introduce new rider identification requirements for road legal bikes, it is the case that e-bikes which do not comply with the EAPC Regulations are classed as motor vehicles. This means they must be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence. The police have the powers to seize such e-bikes that have not been appropriately registered as motor vehicles.

In addition, new offences for cyclists who cause the death or serious injury of another person are being introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill. This will mean that cyclists will face the same penalties as those who commit motoring offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered extending the validity period of theory test certificates for Approved Driving Instructor candidates whose certificates are at risk of expiring before they can sit the Part 2 test due to limited appointment availability.

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

The two-year validity period of a theory test certificate, including for approved driving instructors (ADI), is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. DVSA is recruiting additional examiners in its ADI team and has also increased its capacity to train new examiners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that autonomous vehicles use does not adversely affect bus reliability, active travel and access to essential services.

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

The Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme will facilitate the rollout of small-scale commercial pilot deployments.

For an APS permit to be granted, local consent is required from the relevant licensing authority or franchising body. My department has recently published guidance on the consenting process, setting out a range of considerations for applicants and consenting authorities. These include, but are not limited to, the extent to which proposed services align with local transport plans and wider strategic priorities. As a result, issues such as bus reliability, active travel, and access to essential services may appropriately form part of early engagement with the consent authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of social media, email alerts and in-centre advertising for driving examiner roles by conversion to (a) completed applications and (b) successful hires.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to Question 122595, 30 March 2026.

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 reviewing the methodology used to estimate Vehicle Excise Duty evasion rates.

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

The Department for Transport regularly keeps the methodology used in its official statistics under review, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and considers opportunities to improve methods where this is proportionate and supported by evidence.

As part of ongoing analytical work to inform the development of Vehicle Excise Duty evasion estimates, the Department works closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which holds the relevant administrative data, to explore potential methodological developments and data improvements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will consider expanding of the use of further equipment in MOT tests to accurately assess the noise level of motorcycles and their silencers.

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

Exhaust noise is currently tested subjectively during the MOT test. The tester must consider if exhaust noise from the vehicle is unreasonably above the noise level you’d expect from a similar vehicle with a standard silencer in average condition. If they believe it is unreasonably above the expected decibel level the vehicle should be failed.

In 2023 the Department published a call for evidence about potential updates to the MOT test including the use of a decibel meter to measure exhaust noise. Although there was some support for introducing such a test a number of issues were also raised. These included the cost of additional testing machines, identifying the appropriate noise level for each vehicle, and the difficulty of testing consistently in a noisy garage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to promote the use of regional airports.

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

Regional airports are vital in addressing transport inequity by connecting all regions of the UK to national and international opportunities. They serve our local communities by supporting thousands of jobs while maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations.

Government supports connectivity across the union through our joint funding of two Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes into London from Dundee and Derry/Londonderry.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes.

Ministers and officials at the Department meet regularly with regional airports to discuss issues such as regional air connectivity.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the decision was first taken to withdraw Class 455 units from the South Western Railway network; and how many such units were withdrawn in each month from the date that decision was taken until the final unit was removed from passenger service.

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

As part of the 2017 South Western refranchising competition, First MTR announced on 20 June 2017 that it would procure a new fleet of Aventra trains to operate on the Waterloo suburban routes over which Class 455 units operated. The Class 455 units were originally intended to be returned to their owner by December 2020, however delays to the introduction of the replacement units under SWR’s previous ownership meant that withdrawals commenced later than planned with the first Class 455 being returned in May 2022 and the final unit being returned in March 2026. In the intervening period, units were returned progressively to their owner on a flexible basis as new Class 701 units were introduced.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government's press notice entitled Shadow fleet set to be interdicted in UK waters in latest blow to Russia, published on 25 March 2026, how many of the Russian shadow fleet vessels under UK sanctions have transited through the English Channel since the US operation to seize tanker Bella 1.

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

Deterring and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet, including those subject to sanctions, is a priority for the UK.

The UK Government constantly monitors UK waters to ensure the safety of mariners, protect the marine environment and uphold the UK’s national security, which includes monitoring sanctioned tankers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to improve the (a) accessibility and (b) affordability of at home EV charging.

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

The Government continues to offer grant funding for those living in flats and rented accommodation, with up to £500 per charge point socket.

The Government is also continuing to support drivers to access cheaper, flexible charging tariffs, both at home and in public. The Government set out a range of steps to support this as part of its Clean Flexibility Roadmap 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to expand permitted development rights to include pavement gullies for at-home EV charging.

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

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions. The Department will publish its response shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department will respond to the consultation entitled Changes to various permitted development rights for EV charging.

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

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions and equipment housing. The Department will publish its response shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120940, on what date the update to the road freight values of time in the Transport Analysis Guidance will be published.

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

We are planning to publish the road freight value of travel time updates as definitive changes to the Transport Analysis Guidance on 28th May.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of driver training and testing in preparing drivers to undertake safe overtaking of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on (a) rural roads and (b) motorways; what information her Department holds on the involvement of unsafe overtaking manoeuvres in collisions involving HGVs; and whether she plans to change the DVSA (i) theory test, (ii) hazard perception test, and (iii) practical driving test to improve assessment of safe overtaking and lane discipline on multi-lane carriageways.

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

The Department publishes several data sets on collisions that can be viewed on GOV.UK. The RAS0503: Vehicle type and manoeuvre report includes figures on the number of vehicles that were overtaking another vehicle at the time of their collision. However, this does not specify what type of vehicle they were overtaking, or if the collision was a result of an unsafe overtaking manoeuvre.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires approved driving instructors (ADI) and approved training bodies (ATB) to train learner driver and riders to the National Standards. This includes teaching learners to recognise and manage the additional risks when overtaking HGVs, including on rural roads and motorways. DVSA has no current plans to change how learners are trained or how the agency examines learner drivers and riders on their practical tests.

Both the multiple-choice and hazard perception elements already include questions on safely following, and overtaking, HGVs in a range of situations. DVSA keeps the driving and riding theory and practical test under continuous review.

The agency also encourages ADIs to include motorway driving as part of their instruction to learner drivers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of (a) Australia’s National Freight Data Hub, (b) the United States’ Commodity Flow Survey and (c) the Republic of Korea’s Transport Database on (i) monitoring driver welfare, (ii) rest provision and working conditions and (iii) fatigue-related risk across the freight and logistics system.

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

As noted in the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120682, the Department for Transport recognises the value of international comparisons for its work, including (a) Australia’s National Freight Data Hub, (b) the United States’ Commodity Flow Survey and (c) the Republic of Korea’s Transport Database.

No formal assessments of the type described have been made for the comparators listed, but they are important parts of the Department's broad evidence base for policy making that supports freight and logistics and the wider transport system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to the potential merits of road-user charging receipts supporting local transport infrastructure.

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

Local Traffic Authorities have the power to introduce road charging schemes to address issues such as congestion and poor air quality, where they decide that is the best solution. They do not require Ministerial or Parliamentary approval to do this. Net revenue from such schemes are retained by the relevant local transport authority or authorities and must be used for transport purposes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 121180 on Network Rail: Assets, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decline in the Composite Sustainability Index for rail assets on long-term network resilience; and what steps her Department is taking to address the deterioration in underlying rail infrastructure condition.

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

The Government is clear that Network Rail must ensure that network resilience is either maintained or improved during the current Control Period to an extent that is reasonable.

Network Rail assesses the resilience of the railway network on a continuing basis, under the oversight of the independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road and has had a Weather Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation strategy in place since 2017.

Objectives for Great British Railways (GBR) in the next Funding Period regarding the condition of railway infrastructure will be a key element of Government’s considerations during the coming Funding Period Review. The impact of rail infrastructure condition on its resilience will be a part of this work. The condition of the network as assessed via the composite sustainability index metric does not necessarily correlate directly with levels of resilience.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people are currently engaged by her Department in roles providing political advice or support to Ministers; and how many such individuals are classified as (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial or other political appointees outside the special adviser classification, including those not formally designated as special advisers but undertaking equivalent functions.

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

The Department currently has (a) 5 special advisers, and (b) no ministerial or other political appointees.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's report entitled Department for Transport annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025, published on 22 July 2025, what expenditure is included under the category entitled Science, research and support functions, and if she will provide a breakdown of this spending by programme, activity, and delivery body for each year listed.

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

‘Science, Research and Support Functions’ is an Estimate Line descriptor shown in the Statement of Parliamentary Supply within the 2024-25 Annual Report & Accounts. All costs recorded on this Estimate line are incurred by the Core department. A breakdown of the spending recorded in this Estimate Line for 2024-25 and 2023-24 is provided below.

Spending in 2024-25

Individual programmes incurring more than £5m spending in 2024-25, were:

• Bus Open Data Service (£11m, Capital DEL). This is the Department for Transport’s national digital platform that enables bus operators and certain local authorities to meet their legal obligations to publish bus service data. https://www.bus-data.dft.gov.uk/
• Road statistics survey and collection (£7m, Resource DEL) https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/
• National Travel survey (£5m, Resource DEL)
  https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-travel-survey-statistics

Spending in 2023-24

Individual programmes incurring more than £5m spending in 2023-24, were:

• Bus Open Data Service (£13m Capital DEL).
• Road statistics survey and collection (£7m Resource DEL).
• National Travel Survey (£5m, Resource DEL).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date her Department will publish its annual report and accounts for the financial year 2025 to 2026.

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

The Department plans to publish its 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts ahead of the Parliamentary summer recess.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the level of waiting times for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructor tests; and what steps she is taking to ensure trainees can complete the qualification process within the validity period of their theory test certificates.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold data on the current waiting time for an approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 or part 3 test at any of its test centres. ADI examiners are a national team and are not assigned to specific test centres.

There are currently 36 full time equivalent driving examiners employed by the DVSA who can conduct ADI part 2 and 3 tests. DVSA has ongoing training and recruitment with its next training course starting in May for six new driving examiners, with two further courses planned later in the year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safety regulations governing dockless e-bike hire schemes operating in urban areas.

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

Shared cycle schemes can have huge benefits but for them to be a success across the country we must minimise negative impacts such as obstructive parking or antisocial behaviour. I know that these negative impacts are not just an inconvenience for many people, but rather a real safety issue. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable our local leaders to license these schemes and why all licences will include minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State, with safety being a core consideration.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to publish her Department’s economic forecast on the impact of Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Liverpool–Manchester Railway on (a) regional productivity, (b) labour market access and (c) job and skills creation in the North-West.

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

The Northern Growth Strategy: Case for Change set out this Government’s ambitions for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which will deliver a turn-up-and-go railway along the Northern Growth Corridor from Liverpool to York and forms a key part of the strategy to realise up to £40bn in Gross Value Added by bringing the economic output of the North’s biggest cities to the UK average. Detailed work to develop the Programme Business Case for NPR is underway and the Government intends to publish this later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Approved Driving Instructor Part 2 and Part 3 practical assessments; what the average waiting time is for these tests in all regions; how many examiners are (a) currently employed and (b) being recruited and trained to increase capacity; what her planned timeline is to reduce Part 2 and Part 3 waiting times to levels that help ensure trainee instructors can complete their qualifications within the two-year window; and what steps she is taking to (i) ensure increased access to assessment slots and (ii) prevent (A) the misuse of and (B) fraudulent bookings.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold data on the current waiting time for an approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 or part 3 test at any of its test centres. ADI examiners are a national team and are not assigned to specific test centres.

There are currently 36 full time equivalent driving examiners employed by the DVSA who can conduct ADI part 2 and part 3 tests. DVSA has ongoing training and recruitment with its next training course starting in May for six new driving examiners, with two further courses planned later in the year.

ADI examiner tests are not booked in the same process as driving tests have been previously. DVSA recommends potential driving instructors use the ‘book-to-hold’ service. By doing this they can advise DVSA when and where they would like to sit tests within their 2-year qualification period. This enables DVSA to deploy examiner resource accordingly. Therefore, test allocation is largely controlled within DVSA. On occasion, short notice cancellations would be open for candidates to book directly. Due to this, DVSA does not have high volumes of test swapping, misuse or fraudulent bookings.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the A47/A1101 Elm Road Junction scheme from the Road Investment Strategy pipeline on the level of road safety, congestion, and economic growth.

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

As part of development work between 2020 and 2025, all of the proposals within the pipeline of future enhancement schemes listed in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) were assessed against a range of factors, including their affordability, deliverability and value for money. They were also assessed and tested as part of an objective impact analysis against their broader alignment to Government objectives including impacts on road user safety and wider economic growth.

In 2023, improvements to the A47 at the Elm Road Junction were overall assessed as not representing value for money. The decision was therefore taken to remove them from the future Pipeline. National Highways will continue, however, to work closely with the relevant local authorities to consider options for improving the performance of this section of the A47.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms her Department has put in place to consult and communicate with the North’s (a) mayoral combined authorities, (b) local authorities and (b) local stakeholders and communities on the planning and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail and associated regional transport networks.

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

This government recognises the importance of local knowledge and expertise in successful delivery of major infrastructure projects and is committed to delivering NPR in partnership with Mayors and local leaders.

As agreed in the compact agreements with Mayoral Authorities, we will continue to work in close collaboration with Mayors partners through existing structures, such as the Liverpool – Manchester Railway Board, and the White Rose Agreement in Yorkshire.

We will continue to engage with petitioners and the wider local community about how the proposals in the hybrid Bill will impact them. Where relevant, public consultations covering the programme and route alignment will take place as the programme develops.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has made with the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the potential merits of piloting targeted road user charging schemes for autonomous vehicles to manage demand.

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

No such considerations have been made. Early deployments of automated vehicles are likely to be relatively small-scale. Impacts on the transport network will be kept under review as the regulations for automated vehicles are implemented.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the time taken to (a) renew and (b) reinstate driving licences involving medical conditions in the last 12 months.

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

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently reviewing the content of the medical questionnaires sent to doctors and healthcare professionals to streamline and simplify them where possible. The DVLA is also considering opportunities to streamline existing processes to reduce the need for GP involvement where appropriate and safe to do so.

The DVLA offers a webform service for applicants seeking updates on their application and plans to enhance the online information available to customers, to provide customers with application progress updates via the DVLA’s driver and vehicle account. The online platform will also enable more customers to transact online and allow the DVLA to increase the use of secure emails, reducing the time to respond to customers and improving turnaround times.

However, the DVLA recognises that not all customers can or want to access services online. Customers will be able to continue to contact the DVLA by telephone or in writing and paper application facilities remain available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve communication between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and medical professionals in the processing of driving licence applications.

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

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently reviewing the content of the medical questionnaires sent to doctors and healthcare professionals to streamline and simplify them where possible. The DVLA is also considering opportunities to streamline existing processes to reduce the need for GP involvement where appropriate and safe to do so.

The DVLA offers a webform service for applicants seeking updates on their application and plans to enhance the online information available to customers, to provide customers with application progress updates via the DVLA’s driver and vehicle account. The online platform will also enable more customers to transact online and allow the DVLA to increase the use of secure emails, reducing the time to respond to customers and improving turnaround times.

However, the DVLA recognises that not all customers can or want to access services online. Customers will be able to continue to contact the DVLA by telephone or in writing and paper application facilities remain available.

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 autonomous vehicles on trends in the level of congestion in the next five years.

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

The introduction of the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme will facilitate small-scale pilots of commercial deployments.

For an APS permit to be granted, local consent is required from the relevant licensing authority or franchising body. My department has recently published guidance on the consenting process, setting out a range of potential considerations for applicants and consenting authorities. These include, but are not limited to, the extent to which proposed services align with local transport plans, environmental strategies and wider strategic priorities. As a result, issues such as congestion may appropriately form part of early engagement with the consent authority.

The Government’s consultation on the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme included questions relevant to congestion impacts. The Government response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing legal provisions relating to road traffic collisions involving horses; and whether she has considered introducing legislation to recognise horses and their riders as vulnerable road users for the purposes of criminal liability.

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

The Department already recognises that horse riders are vulnerable road users with safety needs. Accordingly, the Highway Code covers horse riders and the need for drivers to exercise special care in relation to them.

There are a range of offences which create criminal liability for bad driving and the harm that results. Those offences include dangerous or careless driving. The offences apply where a pedestrian or another road user, including horse riders are involved. The independent Sentencing Council provides guidelines to the courts for sentencing driving offences which also list as an aggravating factor, that is a factor meriting an increased sentence, the fact that the “victim was a vulnerable road user, including pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists etc.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for applicants seeking updates on medical driving licence cases.

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

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently reviewing the content of the medical questionnaires sent to doctors and healthcare professionals to streamline and simplify them where possible. The DVLA is also considering opportunities to streamline existing processes to reduce the need for GP involvement where appropriate and safe to do so.

The DVLA offers a webform service for applicants seeking updates on their application and plans to enhance the online information available to customers, to provide customers with application progress updates via the DVLA’s driver and vehicle account. The online platform will also enable more customers to transact online and allow the DVLA to increase the use of secure emails, reducing the time to respond to customers and improving turnaround times.

However, the DVLA recognises that not all customers can or want to access services online. Customers will be able to continue to contact the DVLA by telephone or in writing and paper application facilities remain available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is available to businesses affected by disruption arising from maintenance works on the strategic road network.

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

National Highways has a duty to maintain highways under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. It is a publicly funded body and is not obliged or required to pay compensation for disruption, inconvenience, costs or loss of business caused by roadworks.

National Highways recognises the importance of minimising impacts on businesses during maintenance works. It engages with businesses, local authorities and other stakeholders, to plan and communicate works and diversion routes, with the aim of reducing impacts as far as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the need for (a) station upgrades and (b) improved integration between national rail services and devolved transport systems in order to support increased capacity and reliability across the North-West rail network.

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

Greater integration between national rail and devolved transport systems like Manchester’s Bee Network is key to improving connectivity within, and between, our great cities in the North. Our newly published Better Connected national transport strategy sets the direction for a more joined-up transport network that works better for passengers, drivers and communities across England.

Additionally, the £1.5 billion Manchester & Northwest Transformation Programme is already delivering station upgrades at Salford Crescent, with more planned at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in each month since January 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

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

The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026.

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026.

* Includes those who are in training to be a DE

The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below.

The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave.

April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test for each month since January 2026.

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

The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026.

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026.

* Includes those who are in training to be a DE

The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below.

The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave.

April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.

Found: London SW1P 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: Heidi.Alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft

Found: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, incorporating contributions from FCDO, Department for Transport

Found: The Council hopes to engage proactively with NISTA and the Department for Transport to explore how any

Found: We are continuing to engage with industry alongside DfT to monitor the situation.

Found: Letter from Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Found: DfT expects to complete the programme business case in summer 2026.

Found: TfN provides statutory strategic advice to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Found: On the first issue facing the Committee, DfT progress with NPR since 2014, we conclude that DfT has

Found: We therefore remain committed to working collaboratively with the Department for Transport and delivery

Found: only did an independent review but asked for an external review by Dame Bernadette Kelly, formerly of DFT

Found: . • The Department for Transport, in partnership with devolved governments, local authorities and transport

Found: diverse programmes to ensure line‑ups, spaces and timings reflect their communities.7 • The Department for Transport

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the most frequently used European airports by UK travellers between January and April 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office has not made an estimate of the most frequently used European airports by UK travellers between January and April 2026. Border Force’s systems are designed to manage arrivals to the UK and do not routinely record or report the European airport used by UK travellers when departing for Europe. Official statistics on passenger movements are published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, an arm’s‑length body of the Department for Transport, including monthly UK airport statistics for 2026.

UK airport data January 2026 | UK Civil Aviation Authority

Table_10_1_EU_and_Other_Intl_Pax_TrafficPDF.rdl

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that publicly funded electric bus procurement schemes support domestic manufacturing supply chains.

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

DBT works closely with DfT, the Cabinet Office and Crown Commercial Service to ensure publicly funded electric bus procurement supports UK manufacturing where possible, within procurement and trade rules. This includes through setting up the DfT UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, the recent publication of a zero emission bus order pipeline and promoting stronger, more consistent use of social value to reflect UK jobs, skills and supply chain resilience.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on funding for accessibility improvements at railway stations from Section 106 agreements.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages regularly with the Department for Transport on a range of issues.

Alongside highways contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy, Section 106 agreements are a well-established mechanism for making development acceptable in planning terms.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to support development in sustainable locations, including around train stations, and to increase certainty in respect of planning obligations. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help implement the recommendations of the Cranston inquiry to help prevent avoidable deaths in the channel.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The loss of life from the fatal incident of 23/24 November 2021 was an appalling tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the survivors, the victims and loved ones who suffered as a result.

The response to the Cranston Inquiry report is being led by the Department for Transport (DfT). The Home Office is engaging with the DfT on the response to those recommendations which are pertinent to its area of policy.

Found: group (for example, the strategic road network managed by National Highways within the Department for Transport

Found: o Road – Sectoral road petroleum and bioenergy & waste consumption is estimated using Department for Transport

Found: Electric car sales continue to grow, with data from the Department for Transport showing 549,905 plug-in

Found: Coast Protection Act 1949 (CPA) in relation to offshore energy activities on behalf of the Department for Transport

Found: , the purchase of military equipment is routine for the Ministry of Defence but for the Department for Transport

Found: DfT and MCA maritime passenger accessibility survey 2024

Found: RPC-DFT-25053-OA(1) 1 26/06/2025 Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting Lead department

Found: She served as Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport from July 2021 to October 2025

Found: If the customer makes their application online using the DFT service, they must pay an extra fee and

Found: Coast Protection Act 1949 (CPA) in relation to offshore energy activities on behalf of the Department for Transport