Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many DVLA-registered number plate suppliers are based in (a) West Bromwich and (b) Sandwell.

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

The tables below show the number of registered number plate suppliers based in West Bromwich and Sandwell by postcode area. As postcode boundaries do not always align with administrative borders, two postcodes appear in both tables. Postcode areas may also extend beyond West Bromwich and Sandwell.

West Bromwich

Sandwell

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps has she taken to review the current status of land for environmental mitigation along the A14.

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

National Highways has assessed the status of the land and is taking steps to improve its condition, including replanting substantial numbers of trees, protecting ecological sites and creating new wildlife habitats.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that open access rail services continue to be available in Bassetlaw constituency.

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

We are clear that there will remain a role for are Open Access on the reformed railway. Existing Open Access operators will be able to continue their operations in line with existing access contracts, serving constituencies such as Bassetlaw.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered the potential merits of including the York Area Capacity Scheme works in the TransPennine Route Upgrade.

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

A decision to pause activity on the York Area Capacity and Performance Project was taken at the Spending Review. The decision was only taken after appropriate consideration of the project’s benefits and its interdependencies with other programmes of activity. Work is now underway with Network Rail and industry colleagues to develop a sustainable long-term strategy for the area.

There are currently no plans to include this paused scheme as part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade Programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an impact assessment was made before the suspension of the York Area Capacity Scheme.

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

The decision taken at the Spending Review to pause activity on the York Area Capacity and Performance project taken after appropriate consideration of the project’s benefits and its interdependencies with other programmes of activity. Work is now underway with Network Rail and industry colleagues to develop a sustainable long-term strategy for the area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the reliability of train services in the East of England.

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

The December 2025 timetable changes for the East Coast Main Line have increased capacity on the network and improved connectivity. The Rail Minister has met with the Managing Directors of train operators and their Network Rail counterparts in the East of England, to ensure continued focus on delivering good performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with driving instructor bodies such as National Associations Strategic Partnership on the consultation on Improving car driving test booking rules.

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

The changes to driving test booking rules follow a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the driving instructor industry responded to.

In addition to reviewing the consultation responses, an options assessment was conducted. This provides a structured approach to decision making by evaluating the potential benefits, risks, and implications of different choices, in line with the better regulation framework guidance. The Options Assessment process is based on the ‘Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation, Feedback’ policy cycle and uses options analysis to ensure good practice in developing policy based on robust evidence.

Further details of the options assessment will be published alongside amendments to The Motor Vehicles Regulations 1999 at a later date.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) knows that some learners might need help with the online booking process when these measures are introduced. Before they are implemented, DVSA will

• make sure the booking system continues to meet government digital accessibility standards
• provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to book and manage tests
• offer telephone support through our customer service centre
• review what additional support may be needed for learners with disabilities or limited digital skills

DVSA will provide further information on this before the change is implemented.

DVSA has engaged with driving instructor representative bodies, including the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP), and large driving schools, before, during and after the consultation on improving car driving test booking rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure changes to driving test booking rules mean booking driving tests will be accessible to everyone.

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

The changes to driving test booking rules follow a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the driving instructor industry responded to.

In addition to reviewing the consultation responses, an options assessment was conducted. This provides a structured approach to decision making by evaluating the potential benefits, risks, and implications of different choices, in line with the better regulation framework guidance. The Options Assessment process is based on the ‘Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation, Feedback’ policy cycle and uses options analysis to ensure good practice in developing policy based on robust evidence.

Further details of the options assessment will be published alongside amendments to The Motor Vehicles Regulations 1999 at a later date.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) knows that some learners might need help with the online booking process when these measures are introduced. Before they are implemented, DVSA will

• make sure the booking system continues to meet government digital accessibility standards
• provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to book and manage tests
• offer telephone support through our customer service centre
• review what additional support may be needed for learners with disabilities or limited digital skills

DVSA will provide further information on this before the change is implemented.

DVSA has engaged with driving instructor representative bodies, including the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP), and large driving schools, before, during and after the consultation on improving car driving test booking rules.

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 changes to driving test booking rules on intensive driving schools.

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

The changes to driving test booking rules follow a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the driving instructor industry responded to.

In addition to reviewing the consultation responses, an options assessment was conducted. This provides a structured approach to decision making by evaluating the potential benefits, risks, and implications of different choices, in line with the better regulation framework guidance. The Options Assessment process is based on the ‘Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation, Feedback’ policy cycle and uses options analysis to ensure good practice in developing policy based on robust evidence.

Further details of the options assessment will be published alongside amendments to The Motor Vehicles Regulations 1999 at a later date.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) knows that some learners might need help with the online booking process when these measures are introduced. Before they are implemented, DVSA will

• make sure the booking system continues to meet government digital accessibility standards
• provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to book and manage tests
• offer telephone support through our customer service centre
• review what additional support may be needed for learners with disabilities or limited digital skills

DVSA will provide further information on this before the change is implemented.

DVSA has engaged with driving instructor representative bodies, including the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP), and large driving schools, before, during and after the consultation on improving car driving test booking rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 117027, whether her Department plans to review highways maintenance funding formulas alongside the review of highways maintenance best practice.

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

The government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads. However, the government cannot commit to any changes to the allocation methodology until each option has been assessed for feasibility and deliverability, in line with the normal policy making process. The government would also expect to engage with local highway authorities about any methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.

The Department’s review of the highways maintenance guidance it provides to local highway authorities in the Well Managed Highways Infrastructure Code of Practice will progress in addition to this and will be completed by the end of 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency exercises over the International Parking Community (IPC) as an accredited trade association whose members access DVLA vehicle keeper data; whether the DVLA requires accredited trade associations to maintain publicly available contact details, including an office address; whether the DVLA has made an assessment of the governance and ownership arrangements of the IPC, including any transfer of ownership or control; and what criteria the DVLA applies when determining whether an accredited trade association remains eligible to access DVLA vehicle keeper data on behalf of its members.

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

The law permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to disclose the contact details of registered keepers of UK vehicles for a number of lawful purposes. Information needed to manage parking on private land is provided only to private parking operators that are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The two ATAs for the private parking sector set and enforce their own codes of practice and private parking companies must meet these requirements to retain their membership. This helps ensure motorists are treated fairly.

The DVLA meets regularly with both ATAs to discuss their effectiveness and relevant issues. Contact details for each ATA are available on their respective websites and there is no requirement for an office address. The Department for Transport does not regulate the private parking sector and is not responsible for determining the governance or ownership arrangements of the ATAs. The ATAs do not themselves request or receive vehicle keeper details from the DVLA.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117436 on Buses: Electric Vehicles, when she expects officials to complete their investigation into reports on Chinese-manufactured electric buses; which month she expects to (a) publish the findings and (b) update the Transport Committee; and whether she has made an interim risk assessment in relation to ongoing and planned publicly funded zero-emission bus procurements.

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

The Transport Secretary remains committed to updating the Transport Select Committee on the reports on ‘Yutong’ electric buses.

It would not be appropriate to disclose any information before first updating the Committee.

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, whether the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has set any key performance indicators for recruitment campaigns for driving examiner roles.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) monitors the performance of recruitment campaigns, including:

• monitoring pass rates for each of the stages in the recruitment process and comparing these between campaigns
• average times between advert and job offers being made, and offers being made and start date.

The performance in these areas have improved in the past 12 months. For example, before November 2025, the average time DVSA took to advertise and onboard potential driving examiners (DE) into training was 16 weeks. In December 2025, DVSA improved its recruitment process and the average time DVSA now takes to onboard potential DEs is 13 weeks. Further proposals should see this reduce by another 2-3 weeks for future campaigns.

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 is limited and 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. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data she collects from local authorities on roads awaiting adoption.

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

The Department for Transport does not directly collect detailed data from local authorities on roads awaiting adoption. We collect basic information on the number of private streets through Street Manager, our digital service for planning and managing roadworks. However, this does not include more specific information such as whether an adoption application is underway. That information is held by local planning authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the DVSA's fees strategy.

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

As DVSA’s fees are set out in legislation, any changes require a statutory process, including public consultation and subsequent legislative amendments. DVSA will publish details of any fee changes when consulting as part of the statutory process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to align compensation available to people affected by roadworks with other forms of transport.

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

We are focused on tackling the cause of delays. We have raised fines for overruns to up to £10,000 a day. We have recently approved 7 lane rental schemes to charge those who dig up the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the number of Notice of Impending Prosecution farms operating in the UK.

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

The Department for Transport does not issue Notice of Intended Prosecutions and is not responsible for enforcing against any illegal activity related to this process. These are matters for the police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the impact of the train capacity through York train station as a result of the TransPennine Route Upgrade on the level of timeliness at Skelton Junction.

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

Train capacity through York Station is the subject of the York Area Capacity and Performance Project which was paused at the Spending Review. The scope of the TransPennine Route Upgrade Programme excludes York Station itself. Network Rail are undertaking further timetabling analysis and modelling as part of continuing train planning activity including in the Skelton Junction area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the conflict in the middle east on uk aviation due to aviation fuel prices and supply disruption.

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

The UK fuel system is built on diverse international supply chains, with multiple import routes and suppliers, ensuring resilience.

My Department and I are working closely with the industry to monitor supply and understand their mitigations and alternative sourcing options. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with airlines and airports to understand mitigations, should any disruption arise.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120878, whether those efficiencies will contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy in 2026–27.

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

The Government expects efficiencies made through public ownership to contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy during the Spending Review period of 2026-27 to 2028-29, inclusive. This includes £395m of efficiencies from corporate initiatives as part of the Departmental Efficiency Plan, £52m of which are forecast to be delivered in 2026-27.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of adjustments to sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing on increasing UK aviation fuel resilience in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.

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

The Government is monitoring the impact of conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including its impact on the manufacturing of sustainable aviation fuel.

The UK fuel system is built on diverse international supply chains, with multiple import routes and suppliers, ensuring resilience.

My Department and I are working closely with the industry to monitor supply and understand their mitigations and alternative sourcing options. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with airlines and airports to understand mitigations, should any disruption arise.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 120647, what estimate she has made of the net saving once the costs of expanding DfT Operator Limited, including staffing and administrative overheads, are accounted for.

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

Scaling up DFTO staffing in anticipation of establishing GBR is critical to building DFTO’s present capability to manage its growing number of operators and allow DFTO to maximise efficiencies during the transition to GBR. We expect the costs associated with expanding DfT Operator Limited - expansion that is key to delivering public ownership - to be offset in full by efficiency savings and reductions in the net subsidy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they plan to introduce maritime obligations under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from July before pursuing linkage with the EU ETS; and what assessment they have made of the risks of implementing a standalone scheme before linkage with the EU scheme, in particular the risk of misalignment, double-charging at berth, impact on competitiveness and regulatory divergence for UK shipping operators.

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

As set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, emissions pricing is an effective policy lever to reduce emissions. The Government set out its intention to include domestic maritime emissions in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2022 and confirmed expansion by 2026 in the Government response to the consultation in 2023. This was followed by a further consultation in November 2024 detailing the Government's proposed policy approach.

The Government have confirmed that we will be expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) to domestic maritime from July 2026. The draft Statutory Instrument on the expansion of the ETS to maritime has now been laid and approved across the UK Parliaments, providing certainty ahead of the expansion in July. Further guidance is available from the Environment Agency.

The final policy design of the ETS has been based on the best available evidence and responses to these consultations, with the aims of incentivising investment in decarbonisation and avoiding competitive disadvantages for UK shipping operators.

There will be no double-charging of emissions when ETS is expanded to domestic maritime in July 2026, as the UK ETS will apply to voyages beginning and ending in the UK, and to emissions at berth within the UK. These emissions are not in scope of the EU ETS.

In May 2025, the UK and the European Union (EU) agreed to enter into negotiations on an agreement linking the UK ETS and the EU ETS. Linking ETS’s is about making life easier for operators and aims to minimise the administrative burdens and unlock greater access to a larger market, supporting economic growth and decarbonisation. Continuing negotiations will determine the details and extent of alignment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given in the introduction of maritime obligations under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to mirroring the EU's phased maritime ETS introduction and targeted exemptions for island connectivity routes to maintain competitiveness and prevent modal or port diversion effects.

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

The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy (MDS), published in 2025, sets out how we will decarbonise UK maritime transport, including through the inclusion of domestic maritime sector in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from July this year.

The draft Statutory Instrument on the expansion of the ETS to maritime has now been laid and approved across the UK Parliaments, providing certainty ahead of the expansion in July. Further guidance is available from the Environment Agency.

Given the long lifespan of shipping vessels, action needs to be taken now to meet the goals of the MDS, helping the sector move towards a lower carbon future and contribute to UK net zero obligations.

In recognition of this change, the Government will give maritime operators until the end of the first two scheme years to familiarise themselves with the UK ETS and its digital systems before they must surrender allowances for those years.

Exemptions will apply to ferry services to Scotland’s islands and certain peninsular communities. These are based on the unique and pressing challenges faced by these communities due to exceptional reliance on ferries for essential goods, healthcare, education, and employment, as well as additional legal duties under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. We have assessed that these criteria are not met for other UK islands.

The Government will monitor the impacts of the scheme and has committed to review the effectiveness of the scheme, including the exemptions, in 2028.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many car driving tests were taken by people (a) taking it for the first time (b) taking it for the (i) second time and (ii) third or more times in 2025.

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

The table below shows how many car driving tests were taken for the first, second, third or more times in 2024 and 2025. Please note this data is up to 31 March 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency publishes data on the number of people taking their test on their first attempt on GOV.UK The data in report DRT121D is updated annually. The next update is due to be published in August 2026.

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, whether the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has considered introducing additional tracking mechanisms to identify which recruitment channels generate successful applicants.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Civil Service recruitment service for all of its recruitment.

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 is limited and 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. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the physical and mental health of lorry drivers.

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

The Department for Transport has been raising awareness among road freight sector trade associations, businesses and unions of the driver health training module, developed by Loughborough University and approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. This is available as part of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training for HGV drivers.

As part of the Men’s Health Strategy, the Department for Health and Social Care is working with the road freight sector to increase uptake of free NHS Health Checks by HGV drivers.

In addition, the Department for Transport, National Highways and industry are investing in improved facilities, additional parking spaces and security measures at lorry parks and truck stops which can contribute to the better physical and mental health of HGV drivers at work.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is he taking to improve the availability of secure, well-lit, and gender-appropriate rest facilities for HGV drivers.

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

Through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, the Government and industry are delivering up to £35.7 million of joint investment to upgrade truck stops in 30 counties across England, improving both safety and working conditions for drivers.

The scheme is supporting better welfare and rest facilities such as improved gender-appropriate toilets and showers, rest areas, and increased HGV parking capacity for all drivers.

This funding is also helping operators to deliver security improvements including enhanced CCTV coverage, perimeter fencing, improved lighting, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and new and upgraded security barriers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the safety and security of lorry driver roadside facilities.

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

Through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, the Government and industry are delivering up to £35.7 million of joint investment to upgrade truck stops in 30 counties across England, improving both safety and working conditions for drivers.

This funding is helping operators to deliver security improvements including enhanced CCTV coverage, perimeter fencing, improved lighting, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and new and upgraded security barriers. The scheme is also supporting better welfare and rest facilities, such as improved showers, rest areas, and increased HGV parking capacity.

In addition, National Highways and industry are investing up to £30 million to enhance facilities on the Strategic Roads Network, including investment in security measures.

The Department has developed the Road Transport Security Standards (RTSS) to support the commercial freight sector in improving the security of vehicles, drivers and operations. The RTSS provides a voluntary, industry‑led framework that promotes good practice to reduce risks such as vehicle theft, hijack and misuse, including risks that can arise when drivers are operating or resting away from base locations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120007, how much of the average annual real-terms reduction in HS2 capital spending between 2025-26 and 2029-30 will be achieved through (a) efficiency savings, (b) reprofiling of expenditure, (c) changes to project scope and (d) changes to the delivery timetable.

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

The HS2 Spending Review settlement reflects the scope of work that the HS2 programme plans to deliver over the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. The average annual real-terms growth rate of -7.9% detailed in the Spending Review report reflects changes in annual spend over this period, based on the expenditure profiles HS2 Ltd agreed with the Department for Transport to deliver Phase 1 scope. It reflects the stages of the programme and supports the reset of the programme Mark Wild is conducting.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the consultation on the draft ANPS will include community engagement events across a) London and b) the wider regions.

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

Engagement during the consultation on any revised Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) draft will be proportionate to the amendments that are made. This will be considered as part of the ANPS review process.

In line with the Planning Act 2008, any consultation on a revised ANPS will be appropriately publicised ensuring that affected communities and authorities are properly notified and able to engage in the consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative costs, reliability and operational performance of hydrogen fuel-cell buses compared with battery-electric buses; what analysis has been undertaken of hydrogen fuel supply risks and infrastructure costs; and what role the Government expects each technology to play in the future decarbonisation of bus fleets.

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

Buses are procured directly by bus operators or local transport authorities (LTAs) who would make an assessment on the type of zero emission bus (ZEB) to purchase and deploy. The Government’s approach to ZEB competitions has been technology neutral. LTAs have been able to apply for funding for both battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses.

However, in ZEBRA 2, LTAs and bus operators demonstrated a clear preference for battery electric buses, which they have calculated are significantly more cost-effective than hydrogen at this time.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has here department made of the adequacy of safeguards governing the release of motorists’ personal data by the DVLA to private parking companies; and what steps she is taking to ensure that data belonging to motorists who have not committed an offence is not shared inappropriately and deleted within a timely manner.

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

The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards. Organisations receiving this data must comply with their obligations under data protection law.

Where a private parking management company makes electronic requests for vehicle keeper data, the data is provided subject to strict contractual terms. Data may only be used the purposes set out in the contract and must be deleted once no longer needed.

All private parking companies are audited to help ensure that the information is requested and used appropriately. The safeguards in place to protect personal data are kept under review to ensure they continue to provide appropriate protection.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include transport cost as a proportion of household income, service frequency, journey times and reliability in assessments of transport poverty in rural areas.

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

The Department for Transport recognises that rural communities face particular transport challenges. As announced in the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, the Department is developing a new transport poverty tool to help national and local bodies in England identify where transport connectivity and affordability may be barriers to people’s access to employment and essential services. In developing this tool, officials are considering a range of data sources, together with the perspectives of academics, local transport authorities, community organisations and residents through targeted research, to understand better the transport issues people, particularly those in low-income households, experience.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 119492, if she will publish details of the (a) month and (b) year she expects the reset of the High Speed Two programme to be completed.

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

The HS2 programme reset is underway and we are committed to updating parliament on progress on the reset in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s response of 8 January 2026 to the Pavement parking: options for change consultation, whether the research commissioned by her Department will include (a) measurement of physical damage to footways attributable to pavement parking and (b) an estimate of the annual cost to local authorities of repairing such damage.

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

The research announced on 8 January 2026 focuses on measuring the current prevalence and impacts of pavement parking, providing a baseline against which the effects of future legislation can be measured.

This study will include a measure of public satisfaction with pavement condition, but not a direct measure of physical damage attributable specifically to pavement parking. We are also working with a sample of local authorities to collect data on the financial impacts to local authorities, including the annual costs of pavement maintenance arising from pavement parking.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that major regional transport infrastructure projects are delivered on schedule and within budget; what oversight mechanisms exist for monitoring project delivery; and what lessons have been learned from delays to major urban transport schemes.

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

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that delivery of large infrastructure projects is underpinned by prudent spending, taxpayer value for money, and efficiency. Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and Mayoral Combined Authorities are primarily responsible for delivering major regional transport infrastructure projects using devolved funding. The Department maintains oversight through established governance and assurance processes, including reporting on progress, risks, costs and delivery performance.

For the largest and most complex projects the Department retains investment decision-making and works closely with the LTAs to bring projects forward and monitor progress. The Department also provides funding to support LTA capacity and capability to develop and deliver schemes. In addition, the department continues to apply lessons from previous major urban transport schemes, including strengthening project governance, improving risk management, and ensuring clearer sequencing and accountability throughout delivery - to inform both current schemes and the design of future programmes.

The Department also published the James Stewart Review (June 2025), which identified lessons from delivery challenges, including delays to complex schemes. All recommendations have been accepted and are being implemented across the Department’s portfolio to improve consistency and delivery performance. The Department for Transport is using key findings to strengthen oversight of major transport infrastructure delivery, with a focus on improving cost estimation, scheduling, governance, assurance, and commercial delivery.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120007, whether any elements of the HS2 programme’s scope, specification or associated works are expected to change in order to align the programme with the Spending Review settlement for FY2025-26 to FY2029-30.

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

The Spending Review settlement profiles reflects the scope, specification and associated works that the HS2 programme plans to deliver over the period. The HS2 programme reset work that Mark Wild is currently undertaking is underpinned by the Spending Review settlement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120007, whether any elements of the HS2 programme’s scope, specification or associated works are expected to change in order to align the programme with the Spending Review settlement for FY2025-26 to FY2029-30.

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

The Spending Review settlement profiles reflects the scope, specification and associated works that the HS2 programme plans to deliver over the period. The HS2 programme reset work that Mark Wild is currently undertaking is underpinned by the Spending Review settlement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that e-bikes sold in the UK comply with the legal requirements for electrically assisted pedal cycles; and what enforcement action is being taken against the sale of non-compliant e-bikes.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency have market surveillance powers to tackle the supply of e-bikes where users are being deliberately misled about where they can and cannot be used.

According to the most recent data available (for 2024), the DVSA’s market surveillance programme identified 39 suppliers of e-bikes. 21 of these suppliers were found to be selling e-bikes that were compliant with the relevant Regulations.

Subsequent mystery shopper exercises, carried out by the DVSA and involving 18 suppliers, found 2 suppliers to be selling non-compliant e-bikes for use on the roads. One of these suppliers has since brought their selling practices into compliance while the other is being investigated further. In addition, over 400 listings of non-compliant e-bikes have been removed from online marketplaces following intervention by DVSA.

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 steps the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is taking to improve the collection and use of recruitment data for driving examiner vacancies.

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

For driving examiner recruitment campaigns up to November 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) used data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates; however, the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, the agency 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.

For DVSA social media advertising, the current click through rate as of February 2026 was 1.4%. For DVSA direct communications that have been sent to subscribers of jobs at DVSA over the last 12 months, the average click through rate was 4%. It is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed or successful applications.

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 assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of click-through rates on the number of successful appointments to driving examiner roles.

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

For driving examiner recruitment campaigns up to November 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) used data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates; however, the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, the agency 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.

For DVSA social media advertising, the current click through rate as of February 2026 was 1.4%. For DVSA direct communications that have been sent to subscribers of jobs at DVSA over the last 12 months, the average click through rate was 4%. It is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed or successful applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the unrestricted sale of e-scooters and e-bikes that do not meet the legal requirements for road use; and what steps they plan to take to prevent such vehicles entering circulation.

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

E-bikes and e-scooters must comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 to be placed on the UK market.

While it is not illegal to sell an e-scooter for use on private land, retailers are breaking the law if they knowingly mislead a buyer or do not make the legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear. To provide a more proportionate and agile process for regulating e-scooters, the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform when parliamentary time allows.

Regarding e-bikes, those that do not comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are treated as motor vehicles. They cannot therefore be legally used on the road unless they are approved and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, taxed and insured.

It is for the police to take enforcement action where such vehicles are used on the road illegally, and the Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the analysis commissioned to inform the motorcycles in bus lanes consultation.

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

The Department will publish the report on the Department’s website as soon as is practical and will place a copy in the libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support sustainable transport initiatives.

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

Delivering greener transport is a departmental priority and we are focused on supporting a range of sustainable travel choices for people using public and private transport. More opportunities to walk, wheel and cycle will create happier and healthier communities and supporting the transition to electric vehicles will make our transport system cleaner and more resilient. Recent actions include:

• Announced on 25 March, the multi-year Depot Charging Scheme and Zero Emission Van and Truck Grants are providing a £1 billion boost for British businesses to roll out clean trucks and vans and install new electric vehicle chargers at depots – helping to build resilience against fuel price uncertainty.
• The Electric Car Grant has already helped over 80,000 drivers to choose an electric vehicle since launching last year.
• A £4 million boost to the NHS chargepoint scheme has helped modernise the health service, will decarbonise 460 million journey miles a year and save millions in fuel costs.
• In March 2026 we announced up to £73 million in additional funding to support the delivery of approximately 484 zero emission buses across 10 projects in England, on top of £38 million announced last April.
• The Bus Services Act 2025 will place a requirement on bus operators not to use new diesel buses on local bus routes in England. It will not take effect prior to 2030 so that the sector has time to plan a smooth transition. We are currently engaging with the bus sector as to the date.
• A freeze on rail fares, saving passengers £600 million and easing cost‑of‑living pressures as we rebuild a better and more reliable railway with passengers at its heart through Great British Railways.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the implications for its policies of findings from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency indicating that hybrid vehicles experience approximately 3,475 fires per 100,000 vehicles compared to around 1,500 per 100,000 for petrol and diesel vehicles; and what discussions her Department has had with international counterparts on comparative vehicle fire risk data.

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

The safety of hybrid-electric vehicles is of paramount importance to the Government and is kept under regular review.

According to data from Thatcham Research, 2022, which compares claims data from the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register against the number of that powertrain on the roads, hybrids are on average less likely to be involved in a fire than their petrol or diesel counterparts. The proportion of hybrids involved in fires per year is reported by Thatcham as 3 per 100,000, compared with petrol at 7 per 100,000 and diesel at 11 per 100,000.

There are stringent requirements already in place for hybrid vehicles (as there are for all road vehicles). UNECE Regulation No. 100, as applied in GB Type Approval, ensures hybrid EV (fire) safety through requirements to minimise fire risks associated with high-voltage components. The United Kingdom, along with international partners, plays an active role in the development of these regulations, which are informed by research and data from across the world.

The same research indicates that the risk of fire is lower still in battery electric vehicles - 1 per 100,000 per year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the six-day minimum hire threshold on the proportion of zero emission vehicles counted towards the Government Fleet Commitment.

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

The scope of the Government Fleet Commitment relates to vehicles that are owned or leased by HMG, and to hire vehicles used for six days or more. 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 Greening Government Commitments, which include the GFC, are currently under review to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities. Departments are expected to continue to take action to reduce their impact on the environment, including 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, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116584 on Aviation: Colour Vision Deficiency, what independent analysis reported that only the CAD test and anomaloscopes when used correctly have 100% sensitivity and specificity when assessing colour vision.

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

The analysis in question is a paper from a French research group that was published in a peer reviewed journal in 2018. The reference is:

Marechal M, Delbarre M, Tesson J et al. Color vision tests in pilots’ medical assessments. Aerosp Med Hum Perform August 2018; 89(8): 737-743.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s processes for handling anonymous third-party medical reports relating to driving licence holders.

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

The law requires driving licence holders or applicants to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any medical condition that may affect their fitness to drive. The DVLA also considers relevant notifications received from third parties including the police, healthcare professionals and concerned relatives and friends.

Where appropriate, the DVLA will assess the information provided and if required, carry out a medical investigation. If an investigation is to be carried out, this will include asking the driver to complete a medical questionnaire and to provide authorisation for their medical professional(s) to provide information to the DVLA if necessary. A licensing decision will only be made after sufficient clinical evidence has been obtained.

When information is provided anonymously, the DVLA reviews it carefully before taking any action and no steps are taken without informing the driver.

The DVLA treats all third-party notifications in confidence and does not disclose the identity of the individual who provided the information. Acting on these notifications helps address situations where individuals may fail to notify the DVLA of a relevant medical condition themselves, either deliberately or due to a lack of awareness about their ability to continue to drive safely.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is taking to reduce the time taken to process driving licence renewal applications referred to its medical department.

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.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

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. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.

To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to list the (a) individuals and (b) organisations that her Department is consulting as part of its research to better understand the adoption process under the Highways Act 1980 and how it might be improved in the future.

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

Ipsos UK has been commissioned by the Department for Transport to conduct research into the operation of sections 37 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980 and to assess whether the current road adoption system remains fit for purpose. As part of this work, Ipsos are engaging a range of organisations, including house builders of varying sizes, local highway and planning authorities, councillors, and residents.

Residents have been sampled from areas including Cambridge, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Northumberland, Barnsley, Cheshire East, Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes. Interviews have also been conducted with several local authorities including Warwickshire, Barnsley, Cambridge, Cheshire East, Leicestershire, Kent and Shropshire.

Ipsos UK was commissioned to deliver anonymous qualitative interviews. To honour the confidentiality promised to participants, Ipsos has not shared the detailed list of individual housebuilders with the Department, and therefore DfT does not hold this information.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled £271 million to clean up shipping and power coastal communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy regional distribution of funding from the £271 million clean maritime investment.

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

Regional investment levels will be assessed as part of the project bidding process, which operates through fair and open competition and is independently assessed. Since 2021, the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) has allocated £260 million in funding to over 200 projects in all 12 regions and nations of the UK, and we expect similar coverage for the recently announced £271m.

To ensure the funding is widely communicated and all regions benefit from the competitions, we are working through Innovate UK to host industry events across the country. Innovate UK hosted a national briefing event online on the 19th of March, where details of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 7 were shared. This event is open to all organisations who are interested in applying to the CMDC7 competition. Further events will be held for the Zero Emission and Vessel Infrastructure scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled £271 million to clean up shipping and power coastal communities, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in (a) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) Essex expected to be created and supported as a result of the £271 million investment in clean maritime technologies and infrastructure.

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

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled £271 million to clean up shipping and power coastal communities, what proportion of projects funded through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure Fund are expected to involve small and medium-sized enterprises.

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

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled £271 million to clean up shipping and power coastal communities, how much of the £271 million has been allocated to ports in Essex.

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

All UK SHORE funding, including the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure scheme, is allocated through fair and open competition. Assessments of the bids will be made once the application window closes, 15 July for CMDC Round 7 and 16 September for ZEVI Round 2.

To date, UK SHORE funding has supported eleven different organisations in Essex, eight of which were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is out of a total of 500 businesses across the UK, including 250 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The first two Clean Maritime Decarbonisation Competition (CMDC) rounds alone supported over 750 new and existing jobs. Ports in Essex have received £129,152 of UK SHORE funding to date.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 119493, what roles and functions the 210 staff transferring to DfT Operator Ltd on 1 April 2026 will undertake; from which directorates and business units within her Department those staff are being transferred; how many of those staff are employed in rail policy, rail operations and rail contracting functions; what proportion of those roles are newly created as part of the transition to public ownership; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of those transfers on staffing capacity within the core Department.

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

The functions in scope to transfer from DfT to DFTO include the majority of the Rail Services Group, as well as a small number of teams in the Rail Reform and Strategy Group and the Corporate Delivery Group.

The majority of roles transferring relate to rail policy, rail operations and rail contracting functions, with the exception of a few supporting and administrative roles. The final number of people transferring may change before 1 April due to new joiners and leavers in the 210 roles currently in scope to transfer.

None of the roles in scope to transfer are newly created, as the transition to public ownership is delivered through existing teams, including the Public Ownership Programme Directorate.

In preparation for the transfer the Department has mobilised a new sponsorship model and team, ensuring capacity in the Department and a simplified interface with DFTO.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that data belonging to motorists who have incorrectly received a parking fine, either from a Council, Private Parking Companies, or any other parking provider, is not retained by any such parking provider or the DVLA.

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

The law allows vehicle keeper information to be released to local authorities and private parking companies to allow them to follow up alleged parking contraventions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provides the information as a first point of contact to help the local authority or parking company establish where liability may lie. Controls are in place to help ensure that the information is requested and used appropriately.

When a local authority or parking company has been provided with vehicle keeper information, they become the controller of the personal data and are responsible for complying with their data protection obligations. This includes the requirement not to retain data for longer than is necessary.

The DVLA also maintains record of disclosures from the vehicle record in order to fulfil its own data protection obligations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to protect transport workers a) jobs b) pay c) pensions d) conditions and e) travel facilities in the context of the transition to Great British Railways.

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

In accordance with TUPE regulations, existing train operator staff transferring to the public-sector operator do so with their contractual terms and conditions protected. The trade unions (TUs) will be consulted at the earliest opportunity, if any changes to their members’ terms and conditions are being proposed as part of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR). In the meantime, we are keeping TU leaders informed on matters through the Rail Engagement Group.

Regarding pensions under GBR, I can confirm that we plan for the Railways Pension Scheme to continue to be the primary vehicle through which most rail employees build up their pension provision. The protections within the 1993 Railways Act remain unchanged by the Railways Bill currently going through parliament.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 111871, whether any net financial efficiency savings are expected to be attributable to Network Rail from the technology and systems investments, after accounting for their up-front and ongoing costs; and what estimate her Department has made of the net cost or benefit of those investments.

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

Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances of cars being illegally unclamped have been reported to the Police by the DVLA since 1st March 2025.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold a record of instances reported to the police. However, since 1 March 2025, just under 28,000 immobilisation devices were unlawfully removed from a vehicle before the wheelclamping company returned to impound it and the vehicle was no longer present.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 102105 on Network Rail: Assets, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Network Rail’s calculation of the Composite Sustainability index for each railway asset; and what assessment she has made of rail asset (a) age and (b) condition in (i) Control Period 4 (ii) Control Period 5 (iii) Control Period 6 and (iv) Control Period 7.

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

The methodology for the composite sustainability index (CSI) calculations is developed by Network Rail and is recognised by the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, as being a reliable and effective means to monitor the changing remaining life of railway infrastructure.

Rail asset age and condition, as determined via CSI and service affecting failures (SAFs) respectively, are shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1: CSI shift across Control Periods

Table 2: SAF shift across Control Periods

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support the transition required under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that public charging provision, grid capacity, and local authority support keep pace with the increased number of electric vehicles expected as a result of the zero emission vehicles mandate on the automotive industry.

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

As of March 2025, there are over 118,000 public chargers across the UK. 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.

The majority of public chargepoints will be delivered by industry, who have already committed £6 billion of private sector investment before 2030. The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities in England to leverage significant private investment and is expected to deliver over 100,000 further local public charge points.

We are confident that the Grid can support the transition to EVs. The National Energy System Operator is investing over £58 billion to modernise and expand the electricity network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120280, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of electric vehicle battery replacement outside manufacturer warranty.

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

The Department does not hold data on average or individual replacement battery costs for electric vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support consumers to switch to electric vehicles.

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

The Government has committed £7.5 billion over the next decade to support industry and the public as they transition to zero emission vehicles.

This includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already supported over 80,000 drivers who have benefited from discounts of up to £3,750 across more than 40 models. This also includes the £600 million funding to support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with 118,321 public chargers installed already as of 1 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether funding to tackle water pollution caused by highways will be included in the budget of Road Investment Strategy 3.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) includes funding to enable National Highway to continue delivering on its 2030 Water Quality Plan, and to mitigate pollution from a total of 190 – 250 drainage assets (outfalls and soakaways) that pose the greatest pollution risk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the haulage sector on the safety of drivers using overnight facilities.

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

Department for Transport ministers and officials hold regular discussions with representatives from the logistics and haulage industry to understand the sector’s priorities, including the safety of drivers and overnight facilities.

Recent engagement with the sector includes the Road Haulage Association’s (RHA) parliamentary reception on the 10 February, where I met with industry representatives and heard about their concerns, including the safety of drivers.

I also chaired the Freight Council on the 11 February where industry representatives had the opportunity to raise concerns, including the safety of HGV drivers using overnight facilities.

More recently, on the 25 February I jointly hosted a freight roundtable with the Minister for Policing and Crime, which was attended by haulage sector, trade bodies and police representatives. Both the Minister for Policing and Crime and I heard directly from the sector on their concerns relating to freight crime, including at overnight HGV parking facilities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 19th March 2026 to Question 120277, Electric Vehicles: Costs, what assessment she has made of the impact of battery degradation on the used electric vehicle value.

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

The latest data on electric vehicle (EV) battery degradation suggests the majority of EV batteries comfortably exceed warranty thresholds. The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and the Government’s Electric Car Grant require manufacturers to provide battery warranties of at least eight years or 100,000 miles, ensuring EVs and their batteries have long useable lives, including in the second-hand market.

The Government recognises public perceptions around battery health have impacted consumer sentiment relating to used EVs. To strengthen consumer confidence, particularly in second-hand EV purchases, the Government is exploring options to adopt regulations which would provide consumers with standardised, consumer accessible information on EV batteries’ state of health.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

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

The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of passenger services to Reddish South railway station.

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

The Department, through the Rail North Partnership (RNP), has regular discussions with Northern Trains and stakeholders on the adequacy of services. We expect operators, in this case Northern, to develop timetables that best match capacity and frequency to passenger demand, taking into account operational sustainability and value for taxpayers.

RNP would be happy to look at any proposal around services based on local or regional priorities put forward by the Mayoral Authority as part of their Local Transport Plans. RNP will also contact the Hon Member for a meeting to discuss services to Reddish South.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to reopen or replace the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme for new applicants in 2026.

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

The Government is not planning to re-open the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator to new applications.

On 25 March, Government announced £1 billion in funding to support the rollout of zero emission HGVs up to 2030, including the Zero Emission Truck and Van grants and the Depot Charging Scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding from the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions will extend to Northern Ireland and be available to companies for their work in Northern Ireland.

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

UK SHORE funding is open to organisations in all four nations of the UK. There has been at least one project involving businesses from Northern Ireland in each round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions, and we anticipate Northern Irish businesses will apply for both the seventh round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC7) and second round of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition (ZEVI2). Prospective applicants can seek further information from Innovate UK who are running roadshow events on the funding across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse report published in June 2025, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regulations.

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

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse committed to legislate to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national standards for taxi and PHV licensing and to enable the suspension, with immediate effect, of any licence issued by any authority in whose area it is being used if such action is needed to protect public safety.

If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England and provide licensing authorities with greater powers to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.

The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.

The Government is currently consulting on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering licensing across larger areas would further increase consistency in licensing and enable better resourced authorities to make better use of their current and proposed enforcement powers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they plan to take to promote cross pavement channels to support electric vehicle adoption.

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

Over 80% of eligible local authorities have applied to the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, launched in August last year, and nearly all grants have been issued. Local authorities are beginning to launch schemes for their residents. Over time the funding will support the installation of thousands of pavement channels across England, helping residents benefit from convenient charging and domestic electricity tariffs. Government will continue to support local authorities to deliver through guidance, promotion of best practice and one-to-one support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the electric vehicle pavement channels grant to date; how many local authorities have received funding from that grant; and what estimate they have made of the number of households who have been assisted by that grant.

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

Over 80% of eligible local authorities have applied to the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, launched in August last year, and nearly all grants have been issued. Local authorities are beginning to launch schemes for their residents. Over time the funding will support the installation of thousands of pavement channels across England, helping residents benefit from convenient charging and domestic electricity tariffs. Government will continue to support local authorities to deliver through guidance, promotion of best practice and one-to-one support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the UK Cruise Growth Plan, published on 16 September 2025, does not increase (1) the levels of air pollution and other factors that damage public health in port cities, (2) environmental impacts on the sea, and (3) the climate impact of the cruise industry.

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

Whilst the UK Cruise Growth Plan is focused on boosting the cruise industry’s economic impact, it sits alongside the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, through which we will work together with the cruise industry on shared ambitions and policy development.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether agreement has been reached with relevant trade unions on driver and operator arrangements for services on East West Rail; and, if not, what assessment they have made of the impact that has had on the project timetable.

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

The Department understands that discussions continue between Chiltern Railways and the relevant trade unions on the operational arrangements for the first phase of East West Rail. Once this has been resolved, and other preparatory works on the trains and infrastructure have been completed, it will be possible to determine an expected start date for the new services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to issue a Safeguarding Direction to protect the full width of the original track bed of the former Lewes to Uckfield rail line to facilitate its future use; and whether they will give further consideration to re-examining the potential value of the former Lewes to Uckfield rail line.

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

The case to build or restore railway services over this alignment should first be assessed and supported by the local transport authority, who should relate the proposal to growth, jobs and homes in the area. As part of that assessment, whether the previous route is available for reuse and to what extent should be assessed at a high level. The local transport authority can then take a view about the practicability of using the route. My Department would only safeguard the route if there was a reasonable long-term prospect of the scheme having a business case and being funded.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide training or other safety provisions for British Merchant Navy crews to deal with GPS jamming and spoofing; and what measures they are taking to ensure the safety of British waters in the face of those risks.

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

UK seafarers are trained to use back up navigation systems, including celestial navigation for deep sea voyages and radar and visual fixing techniques in coastal waters, along with all other standard navigational aids. Training on recognising and responding to GPS jamming and spoofing is also an integral part of the competency requirements for those working toward a UK Certificate of Competency.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they have taken to carry out targeted outreach to increase the number of women in the rail industry.

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

The Government continues to work with arm’s length bodies and industry partners to deliver targeted outreach to increase women’s participation in rail careers. This includes early career engagement programmes, apprenticeship pathways, and outreach in schools and universities to promote rail as an appealing career choice.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of workers within the rail industry are women; and what steps they are taking to encourage women into that industry.

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

According to the National Skills Academy for Rail 2025 Annual Workforce Survey, 18.9 per cent of the UK rail workforce is female.

The rail industry is expanding access for women through school and university outreach, targeted recruitment, improved welfare and facilities and more inclusive policies. There are also industry initiatives to help attract, retain, and progress women into skilled and leadership roles, including apprenticeship schemes and mentoring and leadership programmes from Women in Rail and Rail Unites for Inclusion, which continue to see record engagement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of women who leave the rail workforce before retirement, and (2) the reasons why women leave the industry.

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

We do not hold official data on attrition of women in the rail industry. However, industry insights highlight a range of factors that can influence retention including representation in senior roles, inclusive workplace culture and access to flexible or job share opportunities.

Through the creation of Great British Railways, we are actively establishing a more inclusive, modern culture, increasing representation to better attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the range and traction power requirements of non-electrified rail services; and how these factors are informing technology choices where full electrification is not currently planned, particularly where battery-powered trains may face operational constraints.

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

Officials from the Department for Transport are working closely with Network Rail to produce their new 'Future Electric Railway' strategy. This strategy will include an examination of the whole life costs and technological capability of each option to remove diesel traction in order to set out a realistic, affordable, and deliverable approach to a net zero railway. This strategy will also complement the Department’s ‘Rolling Stock and Infrastructure’ strategy to identify the correct solution for upgrading both track and train as required. We anticipate both strategies being published mid-2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the integration of voice-activated AI systems in consumer vehicles; and what steps they are taking to ensure that regulatory frameworks relating to safety, data protection and consumer protection are effective.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment of integration of voice-activated Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in consumer vehicles. Applicable legislation concerning safety, data protection and consumer protection still applies irrespective of the use of AI. The Department recently bolstered this by mandating internationally recognised requirements for vehicle cyber security that it helped develop. It also continues to work internationally to understand the risks from AI in automotive applications and how they could be managed or mitigated.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of why women are less likely to enter the rail industry.

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

Yes, working with the industry the Government has assessed the factors influencing women’s participation in the rail industry and has identified areas to broaden participation. Areas include, for example, representation in leadership roles, flexible working patterns and increasing awareness of the range of rail careers available. Research in this area continues to guide the Government’s work with the rail sector to ensure a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

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 applicants were appointed to driving examiner roles in each of the last three years.

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

The Government Recruitment Service does not hold information on whether an applicant was successful as a result of a referral, as such the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has had no discussions regarding this.

The table below shows the number of applicants who successfully passed training, to become a driving examiner conducting tests, in each of the last three years:

The above is the total number for the calendar year, and does not necessarily represent when applicants entered the recruitment process. For example, an applicant might have been recruited onto a training course in 2022 but did not pass the training course until 2023.

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, whether she has had discussions with the Government Recruitment Service on enabling the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to access applicant referral source data.

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

The Government Recruitment Service does not hold information on whether an applicant was successful as a result of a referral, as such the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has had no discussions regarding this.

The table below shows the number of applicants who successfully passed training, to become a driving examiner conducting tests, in each of the last three years:

The above is the total number for the calendar year, and does not necessarily represent when applicants entered the recruitment process. For example, an applicant might have been recruited onto a training course in 2022 but did not pass the training course until 2023.

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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Government Recruitment Service applicant tracking system on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's ability to access applicant referral source data.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Government Recruitment Service's applicant tracking system, but this does not provide information on how applicants learned about vacancies.

DVSA advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs(opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. DVSA also uses posters in driving test centres and external online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants.

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 is limited and 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. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.

For DVSA social media advertising, the current click through rate as of February 2026 was 1.4%. For DVSA direct communications that have been sent to subscribers of jobs at DVSA over the last 12 months, the average click through rate was 4%. 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 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, what assessment the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has made of the effectiveness of different recruitment channels used to attract applicants for driving examiner vacancies.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Government Recruitment Service's applicant tracking system, but this does not provide information on how applicants learned about vacancies.

DVSA advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs(opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. DVSA also uses posters in driving test centres and external online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants.

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 is limited and 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. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.

For DVSA social media advertising, the current click through rate as of February 2026 was 1.4%. For DVSA direct communications that have been sent to subscribers of jobs at DVSA over the last 12 months, the average click through rate was 4%. It is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government which company will provide the new electric buses for Sheffield.

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

On 12 March it was announced that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will receive a grant of £33.4m to help improve air quality in Sheffield by replacing diesel buses with new zero-emission buses. It is for SYMCA to procure these buses.

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 the estimated financial deficit of the Vehicle Certification Agency is in monetary terms and as a percentage of full cost recovery; what assessment her Department has made of the causes of that deficit; whether the Vehicle Certification Agency should operate on a full cost recovery basis.

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

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) reported a net deficit of £8.778m in its accounts for the 2024/25 financial year. Income was reported at £22.252m against costs of £31.031m

The hourly rate charged by the VCA for technical work has not increased since 2006.

Chapter 6 of Managing Public Money, instructs government agencies that the standard approach is to “…set charges to recover full costs”, the intention of which is to “…make sure that the government neither profits at the expense of consumers nor makes a loss for taxpayers to subsidise it.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to provide guidance to bus manufacturers on the legislative requirements on size and location of wheelchair space, in the context of the consultation on the Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations.

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

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to announce new legislative standards for vehicle accessibility requirements, in the context of the review of the Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations .

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

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase wheelchair accessibility on buses.

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

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish a response to her Department's consultation on Public Service Vehicles Access Regulations, which closed on 4 September 2023.

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

The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all.

Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. This includes requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are also providing nearly £700 million a year to local transport authorities through the Local Authority Bus Grant over the next three years to maintain and improve local bus services. These allocations include capital funding for most areas, which can be used to improve the accessibility of transport infrastructure.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set accessibility minimum standards for physical features on board buses and coaches designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. These include requirements for the size and location of the wheelchair space. In 2023 the Department undertook a Call for Evidence to understand the efficacy of PSVAR, and we continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of the Regulations and how they can support accessible journeys sustainably. We will announce any next steps on PSVAR in the coming weeks.

In March 2025, we launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. Over 12 months, this panel brought together industry experts and local leaders to support UK bus manufacturing, develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector, and to prioritise passenger-centric bus design. The last meeting of the Panel took place on 18 March, during which we secured agreement from Mayors on a set of commitments, including on adopting standards and driving continuous improvement on accessible and inclusive zero emission bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what steps she is taking to support councils to lower speed limits.

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

Local authorities are responsible for managing the roads under their jurisdiction, drawing on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities. This includes the power to set local speed limits. Authorities may introduce 20mph limits in areas where people and traffic mix, such as outside schools, and they may also apply enforceable part‑time 20mph limits during specific periods, including school drop‑off and pick‑up times.

Authorities will have our full backing when implementing measures that respond to the concerns of local people.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ and the ‘guidance on the use of speed and red‑light cameras’, to further support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their networks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help mitigate changes in construction costs and land prices linked to anticipated HS2 development in Crewe; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on local public projects.

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

As part of the Northern Growth Strategy, the government set out its intention to ultimately deliver a North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. This is not a reinstatement of HS2 and the government is yet to determine exactly what will be delivered and to what specification. Significant further work is required to develop plans before such decisions are made. We will engage with stakeholders, including Local Authorities, as this work takes place.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprentices her Department recruited in 2025, compared to i) 2022 ii) 2023 and iii) 2024.

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

The Department for Transport (central), excluding its executive agencies, recruited the following number of external apprentices:

• 2025: 3
• 2024: 8
• 2023: Data cannot be provided. Our recruitment system (Oleeo VX) retains only two years of data in line with our recruitment retention policy; therefore, we cannot supply accurate figures for 2023.
• 2022: Data cannot be provided for the same reason.

The figures reflect candidates at the ‘ready to hire’ stage, having completed pre‑employment checks and accepted formal offers via the Civil Service recruitment portal.

Source of data: These figures are sourced directly from the Department for Transport’s recruitment platform, Oleeo VX, which feeds applicant information into the Civil Service Jobs system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 102105 on Network Rail: Assets, what estimate she has made of the level of expenditure required to redress the predicted Composite Sustainability Index (CSI) rail asset sustainability reduction of 2.6%.

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

The objectives and funding for GBR in the next funding period (running from April 2029 to March 2034) will be determined via the coming funding and objective-setting process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reconnecting London to the Marches by rail on the economy.

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

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the economic impact of reconnecting London to the Marches by rail. Any future proposals would be considered in accordance with established Department appraisal guidance, including analysis of effects on connectivity, regional development and the wider economy. The Department has also responded to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on current applications submitted by open access operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rail connectivity in North Shropshire.

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

Services in North Shropshire are provided by Transport for Wales (TfW) in accordance with its Train Service Requirement which is agreed with the Department with respect to services at stations in England. The Department keeps the performance and connectivity of the rail network under continual review including through regular engagement with TfW. There are no active proposals to increase services on this route.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish a long-term strategy for improving driver welfare facilities.

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

There are no current plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities.

Work is underway in the Department to improve understanding of lorry parking capacity and demand and driver welfare needs, including a national survey of lorry parking. The survey will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision and is scheduled to be published in the autumn.

The survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the design of the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme. Working with industry, this scheme is delivering up to £35.7 million in joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. The scheme is helping to improve driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security and decarbonisation.

This investment is on top of up to £30 million in investment by National Highways and industry at truck stops and motorway service areas along the strategic road network.

The government is also prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.

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 she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the analysis conducted by Thatcham Research on behalf of the insurance industry.

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

The findings of Thatcham Research’s analysis align with the Department's wider understanding of the issues considered. The Department will continue to consider this analysis, and wider evidence sources, in its ongoing work to develop future policy and uphold the highest vehicle safety standards.

The research indicates that the risk of fire is comparatively the lowest in battery electric vehicles - 1 per 100,000 per year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an impact assessment regarding safety on trains following Royal Assent of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership Bill) has been undertaken.

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

The Department has not undertaken a specific impact assessment of the safety implications of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill following Royal Assent, as the safety regime is not changing. However, the Government continues to monitor safety across the rail network, tracks emerging issues, and conducts five-yearly post-implementation reviews of rail safety regulations to ensure these remain fit for purpose. As we establish Great British Railways, arrangements are in place to ensure that this transition is managed and implemented safely. These include rigorous validation processes overseen by the Office of Rail and Road, supported by expert advice from across the industry, to ensure that any changes are introduced safely and effectively.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department held discussions with representatives from the motorbike industry on the Motor Insurance Taskforce Final Report prior to its publication.

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

The taskforce secretariat met regularly with interested parties, including consumer groups and industry representatives. However, the taskforce did not meet with motorcyclist stakeholders specifically.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that local authorities repair potholes in Sussex.

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

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Found: Some key levers affecting air quality sit outside DEFRA with other departments including Department for Transport

Found: efforts to coordinate air pollution activities across departments have included Defra, DESNZ, DHSC and DfT

Found: Pre-Emptive Action) Order 2026 Instruments not reported 6 Annex 6 Appendix 1: Memorandum from the Department for Transport

Found: Department for Transport Working towards quantifying whole-life carbon emissions in BAU, but not other

Found: AIR0144 - Air Pollution in England Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Transport

Found: dismantling the longstanding Joint Air Quality Unit, a cross departmental initiative comprising Defra and DfT

Found: prices as well as securing investment in the British automotive industry.5 A new ZEV mandate for HGVs DfT

Found: DfT is involved in supporting reduced emissions from road transportation but there is scope to go further

Found: (DfT), for policy measures to reduce air pollution from transport;  the Joint Air Quality

Found: quality governance spans multiple departments:  DEFRA leads but depends on coordinated action from DfT

Found: Responsibility for air quality spans multiple departments including Defra, DfT and NHS, yet there is

Found: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env01-emissions-of-air-pollutants v Department for Transport

Found: departments beyond Defra as responsible departments or delivery partners for taking action (including also DfT

Found: The Department for Transport, MHCLG, and DESNZ all have critical roles to play in lessening air pollution

Found: In recent years Defra have delivered a joint programme with the Department for Transport to address

Found: A cross‑government approach is vital, with stronger leadership required across DEFRA, DHSC, DESNZ, DfT

Found: ),  DLUHC (planning),  Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (heating policy),  Department for Transport

Found: and inclusive engagement, enabling communities to reduce traffic exposure around schools (Department for Transport

Found: The Department for Transport has the greatest influence on NO2 and significant influence on PM2.5, given

Found: In our experience there is a disconnect between DfT and National Highways and LAs.

Found: The Department for Transport also has a key role to play in promoting sustainable travel, a transition

Found: Given that air quality is a cross-cutting issue, the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department

Found: The Healthy Air Coalition received a letter from Defra and DfT dated 16 December 2025 stating that the

Found: Government departments including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Department of Transport (DfT

Found: could be achieved through better local scale traffic data, such as GPS speeds and traffic counts, that DfT

Found: potential effect and likewise limits the potential effects of any subsequent air quality guidance. 3 DfT

Found: for monitoring and enforcement; and (4) joined-up policy across local authority departments, Defra, DfT

Found: Department’s remit, including with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Department for Transport

Found: Further recognition can be seen in the 144 publication of the Department for Transport (DfT) and Active

Found: The Department for Transport (DfT) has a major influence because road transport remains a key source

Found: departments beyond Defra have significant influence over air pollution levels, including the Department for Transport

Found: DLUHC and DfT enable pollution via planning and traffic policies. ### c.

Found: established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and nationally are affected by decisions from DfT

Found: the UK. o Adopt a coordinated, cross-government approach to air quality, including DHSC, DEFRA and DfT

Found: DESNZ (clean heat; energy pricing; heat-pump scale),  DLUHC (planning; building regs; retrofit),  DfT

Found: of the RSSB’s air Quality Monitoring Network (AQMN) 2022 – 2023, which had been commissioned by the DfT

Found: The Department for Transport (DfT) acknowledges the impact of transport on air quality, as outlined

Found: Department for Transport (DfT).

Found: Responsible: DfT’ (Page 42) Why is it only TOCs and Network Rail that will be required to implement Air

Found: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Transport can impact

Found: Department for Transport can make policies affecting vehicle miles travelled, freight movement, road

Found: Defra holds primary responsibility but many of the most impactful policy levers sit elsewhere: DfT (

Found:  DfT, DHCLG, DESNZ, HMT, exert substantial influence over the structural drivers of air pollution.

Found: Joined-up government Air quality policy sits across DEFRA, DfT, DLUHC, and DHSC, yet no single department

Found: It is relevant for DHSC, DESNZ, MHCLG, DfE, Defra and DfT.

Found: Action is also needed from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport

Found: Department for Transport - Promotion of low emission vehicles generally contributes to emission reduction

Found: joint Defra-DHSC accountability framework for air quality and health; or a statutory duty requiring DfT

Found: Invisible_Threat_FINAL_compressed.pdf [Accessed February 2026] v Department for Environmental Food & Rural Affairs & Department for Transport

Found: . [7][13] Key recommendations (citable: who, what, when, how to check) ● Cabinet Office with Defra, DfT

Found: few dealings with Defra to date, we mostly liaise with the Mayor of London’s office, DESNZ, DBT and DFT

Found: York and is currently: Chair of the Defra Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) Chair of the Department for Transport

Found: Some departments with considerable influence are the Department for Transport (DfT) - traffic reduction

Found: Department for Transport (DfT) has a huge potential to impact through vehicle standards / transport

Found: Part of the strategy does talk about the Department for Transport taking on more of a poverty lens—I

Found: Part of the strategy does talk about the Department for Transport taking on more of a poverty lens—I

Found: I wonder about the extent to which the Department for Transport is now thinking about applying environmental

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the proposed creation of new permitted development rights.

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

The government recently amended existing permitted development rights in respect of electric vehicle (EV) charging points through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025.

The Department for Transport recently consulted on a series of other changes to various permitted development rights for EV charging. That consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department provides to UK companies developing synthetic hydrocarbons as alternatives to conventional fossil fuels; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of synthetic hydrocarbon fuels in the UK’s transition to lower-carbon energy sources.

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

Given that low carbon fuels will find their primary application in transport decarbonisation, this policy area is led by the Department for Transport. Low carbon fuels, including synthetic hydrocarbons produced from sustainable biomass and other renewable energy sources, will play a critical role in meeting legislated carbon budgets and the Net Zero 2050 target. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate provide support for low carbon fuel supply in surface transport and aviation, respectively. The Advanced Fuels Fund has allocated over £198 million to support UK alternative fuel production, including synthetic hydrocarbons, with 21 projects supported.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the potential risk posed to British shipping in the Bab el Mandeb Strait by the Houthis.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The UK Government regularly assesses the security situation in the region including the Bab el Mandeb Strait.

The Department for Transport, supported by the Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation, continues to provide UK and Red Ensign flagged shipping with advice on the risk posed by the Houthis to merchant vessels.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of court cases delayed in 2025 as a result of the failure of custody transport services to deliver the defendant at the correct time.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Data on the number of trials declared ineffective due to the non-production of defendants can be found here: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK (trial effectiveness at the criminal courts tool).

In 2025, the non-production of defendants by the Prisoner Escort Custody Service (PECS) accounted for 176 (2%) of ineffective trials in the Crown Court and 885 (4%) of ineffective trials in the magistrates’ courts.

Sir Brian Leveson made a number of recommendations to address the late arrivals of prisoners to court in his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. We recognise the problems we inherited in prisoner transfer with delays occurring at prisons, en route between prison and court, and at courts themselves in bringing prisoners to the dock. We are gripping this – along with the Minister for Prisons, I am establishing an oversight body to review prisoner transfer from end to end. This will monitor and drive performance improvements in prisoner transfer across the country.

We are also working with the Department for Transport and local authorities to expand the number of areas where PECS vans can use bus lanes to reduce traffic delays, and in London we are working with Transport for London to retime the traffic signals to prioritise PECS vans so they are more likely to receive a green light.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of current electricity costs on the rate of electric vehicle uptake; and what assessment he has made of the effect of electricity pricing mechanisms on those costs.

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

On electric vehicle uptake, the Department for Transport has not assessed the potential impact of current electricity costs on the rate of uptake, and it is too early to determine how changes in fuel and electricity prices may influence electric vehicle adoption. The Department for Transport will monitor closely and remains fully committed to the ZEV transition.

On energy pricing, Ofgem are reviewing how we could recover energy system costs from consumers (including consumers who own electric vehicles) in ways that are fairer and more efficient through their Cost Allocation and Recovery Review. DESNZ are working closely with the regulator on this.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Aviation Industry Skills Industry Board on the value of ongoing funding during the transition from Apprenticeship Level to the Growth and Skills Levy for Level 3+ Leadership and Management Apprenticeship Standard Apprenticeships.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Skills is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The Department for Transport regularly attends Aviation Industry Skills Board meetings, where they provide government updates alongside colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and Skills England. Skills England recently discussed the Growth and Skills levy with this group and government will continue to engage as we deliver this reform.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards. Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in opportunities for young people. Over the past 10 years, apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen sharply. Starts for 16–24-year-olds have declined by 40%, and over half of all apprenticeship starts are now by learners aged over 25, many of which are at higher levels. To support our ambition of 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, introducing an incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees, and launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people.

Found: of the surge in oil prices driven 8 OBR, Public finances databank – February 2026 9 Department for Transport

Found: to SGC and thereby reduces a need to travel outside of it or further afield. 7.73 The Department for Transport

Found: sharing previous roles as Directors General at the Department for Culture Media and Sport and Department for Transport

Found: Fright, Institute for Government Robert Colbourne, HM Revenue and Customs Robert Hart, Department for Transport

Found: transport, Warehousing and transport support activities, Postal and courier services. 46 Department for Transport

Found: A joint research project between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport

Found: govuk-table__cell">SPS BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES

Found: The distance travelled to a local authority centre is proxied by the Department for Transport ‘Travel

Found: A.3 Consultation Within Government Consultation with the Department for Transport, Ministry of

Found: disabled or infirm (%) ~22 Reference value of a life £2,209,537 Reference Table A 4.1.1: Source: DfT

Found: [18] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: [18] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: [20] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: [18] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: [Accessed 29 October 2024]. [19] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024.

Found: disabled or infirm (%) ~22 Reference value of a life £2,209,537 Reference Table A 4.1.1: Source: DfT

Found: [18] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: [18] Department for Transport, “Value for Money Framework,” 2024. [Online].

Found: Q1 Breakfast Clubs DFE DFE_0018_2021-Q3 School Rebuilding Programme DFE DFT_0040_2021-Q1 HS2 Phase I DFT

Found: This document sets out the tax policy for DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) and its subsidiary companies (the

Found: (DfT) Sunderland Local Street Lighting ENGLAND North East In operation 2001-03-01 00:00:00

Found: The AAIB is part of the Department for Transport (DfT), and our purpose is to improve aviation safety

Found: Sue will lead DPTAC to provide advice to the Department for Transport aimed at ensuring disabled people

Found: increases across the entire project Apr 2020 35 45 Phase 1 Business Case in April 2020 Nov 2023 45 54 DfT

Found: investigation; “MCA” means the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, being the executive agency of the Department for Transport

Found: cross-government strategy has been published, and – right across our public transport network – the Department for Transport

Found: Public Understanding of Vehicle Automation Terms Report prepared for the Department for Transport

Found: Human Factors in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: An Evidence Review March 2026 Department for Transport

Found: This independent study by Ipsos was commissioned by the Department for Transport.

Found: responsibilities The research from National Centre for Social Research was commissioned by the Department for Transport

Found: For example, DfT has also designed and operationalised their EFRA - which will help provide holistic

Found: A.3 Consultation Within Government Consultation with the Department for Transport, Ministry of

Found: The distance travelled to a local authority centre is proxied by the Department for Transport ‘Travel

Found: on NHS Terms and Conditions, this includes dentists that are undertaking dental foundation training (DFT

Found: It is sponsored by the Department for Transport. 2.

Found: We expect this to include around £24m from the DfT.

Found: (DfT).