Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of drainage maintenance practices by local highway authorities.

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

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not currently assess the adequacy of drainage maintenance practice in each authority, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the research into the decline in road adoption rates across England; and when she expects to publish the findings of that research.

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

The Department is continuing its dedicated research into the decline in road adoption rates across England. This includes gathering evidence from local highway authorities and wider stakeholders to understand current challenges and assess options to improve and streamline the adoption process. The findings from this work will inform any future policy or legislative considerations. We expect to publish the findings later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is developing an integrated safety strategy for the A34; and what discussions she has had with relevant local authorities on (a) funding and (b) delivery of safety improvements along the route.

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

National Highways’s route strategies are the principal evidence-gathering mechanism that informs investment planning for the Strategic Road Network. The A34 is considered as part of the ‘Solent to Midlands’ route strategy where ‘Improving Safety for All’ is a key theme and objective. There is significant consultation with local authorities and stakeholders in the formation of these strategies, and they are reviewed, and reconsulted on, as part of the development of each 5-year Road Investment Strategy cycle.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further safety improvements are planned for the A34 beyond those currently underway; and what the planned timetable is for the completion of current works.

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

National Highways is currently undertaking a renewal of the road markings on the A34 from Chieveley to the M40, which is due to be completed by 18 March. It is undertaking studies into the safety performance of slip roads accessing the A34 from the communities of East Ilsley and Beedon, and this work is due to conclude later in the spring. It is also reviewing the access from Chieveley, and looking into options for flood reduction at East Ilsley.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her department is taking to ensure the online DVLA application process is accessible to all.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services currently adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and work is underway to bring all services to WCAG 2.2 level AA status to attain full compliance with the most recent accessibility requirements.

Customers can contact the DVLA digitally, by telephone or in writing. The DVLA offers a variety of reasonable adjustments to customers which can range from simple adjustments like providing correspondence on coloured paper or in large print, to providing a video relay service for British Sign Language users who want to contact the DVLA via telephone.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce minimum national standards for highway drainage maintenance.

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

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not currently assess the adequacy of drainage maintenance practice in each authority, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the difference in colour vision medical standards between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the (a) Irish Aviation Authority, (b) Federal Aviation Administration in the US, (c) Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia and (d) Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand; how many pilots have (i) been denied and (ii) lost an initial Class 1 medical certificate due solely to colour vision deficiency in the last five years; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of colour vision medical standards on pilot (A) recruitment and (B) retention.

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

The UK approach to pilot colour vision testing involves initial screening using Ishihara test plates. Where applicants make a single error, advanced colour vision testing using the Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test is required to measure colour vision. The CAD test is one of the few tests designed around a colour dependent aviation task. Applicants with normal or mild impairment are assessed as fit, whilst those with significant colour vision impairment are assessed as unfit. In the absence of evidence published in peer review literature regarding the effectiveness of operational assessments, the CAA only accepts CAD testing for advanced colour vision testing.

We have no evidence to suggest that the UK CAA’s colour vison standards have a significant impact on pilot recruitment. Our aim is to foster a diverse and inclusive sector, while ensuring that the highest standards of aviation safety are maintained. Prospective pilots apply for the initial issuance of a Class 1 medical certificate prior to commencing/being accepted for training to become a commercial pilot. There are currently around 22,000 commercial pilots in the UK. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 January 2026, there were 6,930 initial Class 1 medical examinations in the UK. Only 18 applicants for a Class 1 certificate during this period (0.3% of total) were assessed as unfit solely due to colour vision impairment.

There should also be no impact on pilot retention, since following successful application for a Class 1 medical certificate, a certificate holder would only lose their certificate if they developed a significant condition that may also be associated with colour vision impairment such as macular degeneration with visual loss. Such conditions tend to occur much later in life.

While other regulators may take differing approaches, the UK approach is aligned with international norms. In the absence of peer reviewed evidence regarding the effectiveness of alternative approaches, the UK is engaging with the ICAO-led work referenced in my previous response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 106601, what the (a) operating revenue, (b) operating costs and (c) net cost of onboard catering were for TransPennine Express in each financial year between 1995–96 and 2024–25.

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

We are only able to provide data since the transfer into public ownership in May 2023. The data for 2023/24 (May onward) and 2024/25 are:

The difference in cost is explained by the fact that 2023/24 is a part year, and 2024/25 is a full year, with the one-off implementation costs of TransPennine Trains’ (TPT) ‘Coast to Coast’ catering set up in that year.

Catering is a service offer on most of the longer distance operators, including TPT, whose core business is leisure travel, and where journey lengths are often in excess of two hours. Revenue generated by First Class, in which catering is an important feature, is also an important part of TPT's business model. The revenue numbers do not include fares income generated by the availability of catering on board TPT services, which are captured within TPT's wider reporting on revenues by route.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ships in UK waters suspected of being associated with the movement of Russian oil have been monitored in the last four years; and what steps her Department took in each instance.

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

The UK Government monitors all vessels in UK waters which are of interest to the safety of mariners, the marine environment and the UK’s national security.

Since October 2024, the Department for Transport’s Voluntary Insurance Reporting Mechanism has challenged over 700 suspected shadow fleet vessels with unknown insurance, a significant portion of the shadow fleet, to provide their insurance as they transit the English Channel.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have sanctioned over 500 shadow fleet vessels, which prohibits these vessels from entering UK ports, and signals to the global maritime community that these vessels are dangerous and should not be interacted with.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many injuries and deaths caused by e-scooters and e-bikes there have been in each of the past three years.

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

The information requested is not held.

Data on deaths and injuries in reported road collisions is based on information reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the system known as STATS19.

STATS19 does not distinguish between e-bikes, which will be included within the pedal cycle or electric motorcycle categories depending on their power rating. Additionally, STATS19 does not assign blame to any of the participants in collisions, so that it is not possible to provide figures on injuries or deaths caused by any mode of transport.

The number of deaths and injuries in collisions involving e-scooters and pedal cycles is shown in the table, for the three most recent years for which figures are available. In most cases, the casualties was the rider of the e-scooter or the pedal cyclist themselves.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many casualties and deaths have been caused by e-scooters, bikes and pedal bikes in each of the past three years.

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

The information requested is not held.

Data on deaths and injuries in reported road collisions is based on information reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the system known as STATS19.

STATS19 does not distinguish between e-bikes, which will be included within the pedal cycle or electric motorcycle categories depending on their power rating. Additionally, STATS19 does not assign blame to any of the participants in collisions, so that it is not possible to provide figures on injuries or deaths caused by any mode of transport.

The number of deaths and injuries in collisions involving e-scooters and pedal cycles is shown in the table, for the three most recent years for which figures are available. In most cases, the casualties was the rider of the e-scooter or the pedal cyclist themselves.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons will train passengers be unable to change their flexible ticket on the day of departure and be refused a refund.

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

The Government is committed to tackling fraud on the railways. The new rules on ticket refunds from 1 April, will help prevent an estimated £40 million a year in losses caused by passengers fraudulently claiming refunds on tickets that were never scanned, despite having used them for travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of advances in AI and vehicle autonomy on the UK motor insurance market.

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

Officials in my department regularly engage with the insurance industry to ensure insurance products will be available in line with the deployment of automated vehicles.

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets out the regulations for insurance requirements for automated vehicles specifically. Our recent call for evidence, launched in December 2025, seeks views on various aspects of the automated vehicles regulatory framework, which includes insurance. Responses received will support future consultation on the proposed regulations, with full implementation of the Act anticipated by the second half of 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made recommendations to UK airports on increasing modal shift away from private car use.

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

My Department has introduced a range of measures to encourage and support UK airports in moving passengers and staff away from private car use. All major UK Airports have been required to have a Surface Access Strategy since 2000, with clear modal‑shift and sustainable transport objectives. Specific targets for airports to reduce private car modal share typically come from planning obligations linked to expansion proposals. In addition, my Department continues to invest in public transport networks to provide passengers with credible and convenient alternatives to car travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78719 on East West Rail Line, when she expects (a) train testing, (b) driver training and (c) general works to be completed in order for the new station at Winslow to open.

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

The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113159, whether the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency holds contact details for individuals who have previously failed the Approved Driving Instructor Part 3 test; and whether it has assessed the potential merits of using that cohort as a potential recruitment pool for driving examiner vacancies.

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

As with any customer who uses the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) services, their data will be retained on record for a period of time. There are, however, Data Protection rules regulating how this data can be used. As stated in the answer to Question 113159, DVSA seeks to attract applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background. DVSA are aware, however, that driving examiner (DE) vacancies likely attract a significant proportion of approved driving instructors (ADI) via our regular advertising.

All DE vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. DVSA also uses online jobsites and places posters in driving test centres to publicise roles.

DVSA uses the Government Recruitment Service hosted applicant tracking system, through a contract with the Department for Transport. DVSA cannot get details of applicant referral sources from this service.

DVSA can collect click-through rates for some areas, such as some forms of advertising.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113161, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency collects data on traffic, click-through rates and referral sources for driving examiner applications.

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

As with any customer who uses the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) services, their data will be retained on record for a period of time. There are, however, Data Protection rules regulating how this data can be used. As stated in the answer to Question 113159, DVSA seeks to attract applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background. DVSA are aware, however, that driving examiner (DE) vacancies likely attract a significant proportion of approved driving instructors (ADI) via our regular advertising.

All DE vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. DVSA also uses online jobsites and places posters in driving test centres to publicise roles.

DVSA uses the Government Recruitment Service hosted applicant tracking system, through a contract with the Department for Transport. DVSA cannot get details of applicant referral sources from this service.

DVSA can collect click-through rates for some areas, such as some forms of advertising.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Rule H1 was developed as part of the Government’s active travel or modal shift objectives; and what steps she took to consult motorcyclist and motorist organisations during drafting.

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

The previous Government updated the Highway Code in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. This review of the Highway Code was announced as part of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review in September 2017.

When undertaking the review of The Highway Code the Department for Transport worked closely with representative organisations to seek their views and experiences, including motoring groups. The consultation on the proposed changes ran for 3 months and generated a huge response with nearly 21,000 replies received from a wide range of road users.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help promote and raise awareness of measures to prevent bike thefts such as insurance, appropriate bike locks, and police bike marking.

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

I am aware that bike theft is a major problem and that the fear of having a bike stolen can act as a serious deterrent to those who might otherwise want to take up cycling. Active Travel England is providing funding for local authorities to introduce secure cycle parking. Ultimately, enforcement of offences concerning cycle theft and advice on preventative measures is a matter for the police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will consider introducing number plates for e-bikes and e-scooters.

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

Introducing a number plate system on e-bikes would be complex and expensive to design and administer. It would also require fitting registration plates that were sufficiently visible and robust and could not easily be transferred from one cycle to another. A previous detailed review of this idea concluded that the cost and complexity of introducing such a system would far outweigh the benefits.

Regarding private e-scooters, they are currently illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements. The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, such as e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. Any regulations, which could include a potential requirement for number plates, will be consulted on before they come into force so that all interested parties have a chance to shape the new regime.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115050, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the exit of Zipcar from parts of the UK on the car-sharing market; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that exit on the future viability of the car-sharing sector.

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

The Department wants sustainable transport options to be available to all. The Department is assessing the evidence base and considering how best to support the car sharing sector and ensure the right measures are in place to support car clubs and other shared vehicle services across the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115453 on Railways: Government Assistance, what the decrease in support is expected to be in each year of the spending review period.

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

The Department for Transport's support for the 14 contracted operators and Network Rail was £8.47 per journey in 2024/25. It is currently estimated that this will steadily decrease to just over £7 per journey in 2028/29. This means an average year on year reduction of 4.3%.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department has commissioned and reviewed on emerging drug-driving testing technologies that are more cost-effective and provide faster processing than oral fluid tests; what steps she is taking to accelerate the adoption of such technologies by police forces; and what guidance and financial support she provides to ensure that police budgets do not limit the frequency of drug-driving testing.

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

The enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners, taking into account local problems and demands. The police are operationally independent.

We will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.

Building on the success of the Roads Policing Review, the Department is developing a new Roads Policing Innovation Programme (RPIP), working with key partners in enforcement and compliance, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Alongside the recently published Road Safety Strategy, which sets out wider government plans to improve road safety across enforcement, infrastructure, vehicle safety and post‑collision care, this work will help ensure that policing and enforcement activities continue to evolve in line with emerging evidence and priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in light of the February 2026 decision by the Government of Canada to repeal its EV sales mandate.

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

Government continues to monitor regulatory approaches to support the transition to zero emission vehicles in other countries. These vary depending on the economic, market, and geographic circumstances of each country.

The UK remains a leader in the ZEV transition, and the ZEV Mandate remains essential to meeting our objectives on air quality, energy security and industrial policy as well as delivering on our climate commitments. We will publish a review of the ZEV Mandate in early 2027, with preparations beginning this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to reduce speed limits on roads outside of schools to 20 miles per hour or below during school (a) hours, (b) arrival times and (c) collection times.

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

Local traffic authorities have the power to set 20mph speed limits where people and traffic mix, for example outside schools. They can also set enforceable 20mph limits that apply only at certain times of day, for example at school drop-off and pick-up times.

The Government supports 20mph limits in the right places, particularly around schools or where walking and cycling levels are high. However, the Government does not support mandating a national change, as many roads are unsuited to 20mph by the nature of their function or geometry and could unintentionally reduce safety. Local authorities are best placed to decide where 20mph limits will work effectively based on local conditions and community needs.

If, following consultation with local communities, local authorities decide to take such actions, they will have the Department's full backing.

The Government expects local authorities to work with local schools, parents, and communities to address concerns about road safety in their local area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her timetable is for the implementation of national taxi standards across England.

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

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

If passed, we are committed to using the powers to set the standards as quickly as possible. As this will be the first time that mandatory standards in taxi and private hire vehicle licensing have been set, it is vital that sufficient time is taken to get them right to provide certainty and stability for passengers and the trades.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will consider using World Wildlife Day to promote driver awareness of wildlife on the roads.

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

The Department do not have any plans to use World Wildlife Day to promote driver awareness of wildlife on the roads. A main focus for this Government is to make our roads safer for all users, which will in turn reduce the risk to all animals.

There is a range of traffic signs prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 to warn drivers of road safety risks due to wildlife on or near roads. It is for local traffic authorities to determine if such signs are required to address a road safety issue on their roads.

Advice on the use of these signs is given in Chapter 4 of the Traffic Signs Manual, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to mitigate risks posed to public transport workers who are lone working.

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

The Department wants everyone to feel and be safe on the public transport network, and we are working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry, and local authorities to this end.

On the railways, there are robust safety arrangements in place to support staff who are operating independently and alone, whether they be track workers, station staff, train guards, or signallers, among other roles. These arrangements are mandatory due to the strong statutory safety duties that apply to operators and employers on the railway. To mitigate the risks associated with lone working, the industry is implementing various measures to improve safety and security.

The BTP are the dedicated police force responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales. Their officers patrol the network 24/7 to provide reassurance to passengers and staff and deter criminals from offending. BTP also work closely with the rail industry to encourage staff to report offences so they can take action against offenders. Reporting can be done by texting 61016, calling 0800 405040 or calling 999 in an emergency.

As part of the Departmental transport commitments outlined in the recently published Action Plan of the Government's ‘Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy,’ the Department is currently exploring expanding the provision and use of CCTV on the bus network, to increase feelings of safety and reduce the length of investigations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make functioning CCTV mandatory on trains, buses and coaches and associated stations.

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

The installation and use of CCTV on vehicles and at stations is an operational decision with many operators and local authorities choosing to install CCTV on their networks.

As of March 2024, 96% of buses used by local operators in England were equipped with CCTV, some coach operators already use CCTV on their vehicles, and most new train procurements since 1996 have included CCTV provision.

On the railway, where CCTV is installed, National Rail Contracts and Service Agreements require operators to comply with relevant industry guidance and standards. This includes ensuring that CCTV equipment is properly maintained and remains in working order, and that recorded images are securely stored and retained so they are available to support investigations when required. Train operators are expected to follow the Rail Safety and Standards Board’s Rail Industry Standard for on‑train camera monitoring systems, which covers matters such as system performance, image quality, secure storage and retention.

The Department recently announced nearly £17 million of funding for a project to connect railway station CCTV directly to the British Transport Police and is exploring expanding the provision and use of CCTV on the bus network, to increase feelings of safety and reduce the length of police investigations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to give traffic wardens powers to impose fines and penalties and the ability to confiscate illegally used and operated e-scooters and e-bikes while they are parked.

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

The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which is likely to include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. Any regulations will be publicly consulted on before they come into force.

Local authorities employ civil enforcement officers and already have the powers in some circumstances to remove and dispose of abandoned, obstructively or dangerously parked e-scooters and e-cycles.

The police have responsibility for enforcement of illegal use, and the Crime and Policing Bill introduced in 2026 will give the police stronger powers to stop and seize vehicles being used illegally without issuing a warning.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training on the (a) quality assurance of registered driving instructor trainers and (b) ability of prospective trainer providers to establish accredited training provision.

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

The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) scheme was suspended by the previous Government in November 2023. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency recognises the importance of ORBIT and will engage with the industry and discuss how and when the scheme should resume.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will achieve an average 5% annual real-terms reduction in resource spending between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

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

Spending plans for the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29 were agreed with HM Treasury as part of the Spending Review 2025 settlement and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document.

They were amended as part of the Autumn Budget 2025 and can be found at [page 146] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/Budget_2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many standards checks of approved driving instructor trainers have been carried out in each of the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of periods of more than five years without quality assurance checks on training quality.

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

DVSA does not have a separate standards checks for trainers of ADIs. If a driving instructor wishes to train driving instructors, they do not need an extra qualification.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government will establish a national database of licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers accessible to licensing authorities.

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

Since 2023 all licensing authorities have been required to use a national licensing database to facilitate the sharing of information when a taxi or private hire vehicle driver has had a licence refused, suspended or revoked on the grounds of safeguarding, road safety or equality discrimination concerns. The Department for Transport is considering options to reform the regulation of the sector, and as part of this intends to have a national licensing database with the details of every driver, vehicle and private hire vehicle operator licence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce a single national definition of a fit and proper person for taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing.

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

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what methodology she uses to assess the effectiveness of pothole funding.

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

The Department for Transport published local road maintenance ratings on 11 January, measuring how well each local highway authority is maintaining its local roads and making use of its increased government funding. The methodology used to calculate the ratings is available online, at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/methodology-used-to-calculate-ratings-for-local-road-maintenance

The Department will also be evaluating the effectiveness of its local highways maintenance funding in line with the methodologies set out in its Transport Analysis Guidance and the Treasury's Magenta Book.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the date of the next meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge task force.

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

A further meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce will be held after funding arrangements for the Structures Fund have been confirmed. My officials will be in touch with relevant stakeholders in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has (a) held meetings and (b) consulted with (i) railway companies, (ii) passenger groups and (iii) other stakeholders on potential changes to the Delay Repay scheme.

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

Ensuring that passengers can access compensation when they face delays is a key part of delivering a fair deal for passengers on the railway.

We have one of the most generous Delay Repay systems in Europe. We continue to make progress on improving the ease with which passengers can claim Delay Repay, with the majority of Department for Transport contracted train operators offering automated 'one-click' compensation, and as we do so, we will continue to engage stakeholders where appropriate.

Delivering Great British Railways (GBR) offers the opportunity to go further, removing fragmentation and making it easier and more convenient for passengers to claim Delay Repay, including through the upcoming GBR website and app.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is considering revising the Delay Repay scheme's eligibility criteria.

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

Ensuring that passengers can access compensation when they face delays is a key part of delivering a fair deal for passengers on the railway.

We have one of the most generous Delay Repay systems in Europe. We continue to make progress on improving the ease with which passengers can claim Delay Repay, with the majority of Department for Transport contracted train operators offering automated 'one-click' compensation, and as we do so, we will continue to engage stakeholders where appropriate.

Delivering Great British Railways (GBR) offers the opportunity to go further, removing fragmentation and making it easier and more convenient for passengers to claim Delay Repay, including through the upcoming GBR website and app.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether local highway authorities are eligible for central government funding for bus stop schemes that do not incorporate floating bus stop designs.

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

The Department is providing all local transport authorities (LTAs) with multi-year consolidated funding settlements, delivering our commitment in the English Devolution White Paper to simplify funding. These consolidated local transport settlements will give LTAs greater freedom and flexibility to make the investment decisions that best impact their local areas. LTAs can therefore use this funding to introduce or upgrade bus stops in their areas if they wish to do so.

On 20 November 2025 the Department wrote to local authorities requesting they put on hold certain designs of floating bus stop which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track. This applies to new schemes at the design stage.

Local authorities must have regard to the statutory guidance on floating bus stop provision and design published on 26 January and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/floating-bus-stops-provision-and-design/floating-bus-stops-provision-and-design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether DVSA has considered using the GOV.UK instructor page as a recruitment channel.

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

As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background.

The use of the GOV.UK instructor page is primarily intended to provide information and services for approved driving instructors, however, all driving examiner vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on the GOV.UK website and DVSA also publishes information about available career opportunities through its “Working for DVSA” pages on GOV.UK.

DVSA does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need. Recruitment is managed through ongoing and periodic national and regional campaigns rather than fixed monthly vacancy totals.

As part of this approach, DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners, including a campaign launched in February 2026 advertising multiple driving examiner posts across the country. These campaigns are intended to address recruitment pressures and improve driving test capacity, particularly in areas with the greatest demand.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiner vacancies existed in (a) January 2026 and (b) February 2026.

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

As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background.

The use of the GOV.UK instructor page is primarily intended to provide information and services for approved driving instructors, however, all driving examiner vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on the GOV.UK website and DVSA also publishes information about available career opportunities through its “Working for DVSA” pages on GOV.UK.

DVSA does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need. Recruitment is managed through ongoing and periodic national and regional campaigns rather than fixed monthly vacancy totals.

As part of this approach, DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners, including a campaign launched in February 2026 advertising multiple driving examiner posts across the country. These campaigns are intended to address recruitment pressures and improve driving test capacity, particularly in areas with the greatest demand.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 110885 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, if she will make an estimate of the average amount of public funding provided per chargepoint under schemes administered by her Department.

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

Most public charge points have not received any public subsidy. The average amount of public funding per charge point under the closed On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), is currently approximately £3,500 for completed projects. This is subject to change as some projects have not yet completed. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Capital Fund allocated £343m to local authorities in England and is expected to deliver at least 100,000 charge points by leveraging significant private investment alongside public funds.

Information on the amount of public funding and number of charge points supported is published quarterly and available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69245447ba812a67cb6a5673/electric-vehicle-charging-device-grant-scheme-statistics-october-2025.ods

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has for the future of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant beyond April 2026; and if she will consider extending the scheme to support the uptake of low and zero emission L-category vehicles.

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

The Plug in Motorcycle Grant has supported almost 16,000 vehicle purchases since 2016 and, as announced in February 2025, will close at the end of the 2025/26 financial year or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first.

EV incentives are designed to encourage the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). It is crucial they target the most polluting vehicles to enable the Government to meet its legally binding carbon emission reduction targets. Policy interventions are always kept under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of electric vehicle charge-point accessibility for disabled people.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that public charging infrastructure is accessible for all. In November 2025, the British Standards Institution published the results of a review, commissioned by the Government and Motability Foundation, on changes needed to improve uptake of the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 standards for charge point accessibility. The recommendations from this review are now being used to inform revisions to the relevant charge point accessibility standards. We will continue to monitor the adoption of the standards and their impact on accessibility to assess the need for further measures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115554 on Great British Railways: Finance, whether she plans to publish the (a) internal modelling, (b) business case documentation and (c) analytical assessments which informed the forecast that corporate initiatives under the Department’s Efficiency Plan will deliver net savings in 2028–29.

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

The Department has no plans to publish the internal modelling or initial business case development which informed the savings from corporate initiatives in the Department’s Efficiency Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2026 to question 117378, what evidence her Department submitted to the Office for National Statistics' consultation regarding possible changes to the standard for ethnicity categories, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.

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

The Department for Transport submitted no evidence to the Office for National Statistics’ formal consultation regarding views on whether additional tick-box response options are required for a new ethnicity harmonised standard. The Department contributed evidence at an earlier stage, providing data on the detailed responses provided by respondents to the National Travel Survey who had selected an ‘other’ ethnic background category and were subsequently asked how they would describe themselves.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115052, whether permitting (a) contractors to issue fixed penalty notices under bus byelaws for profit and (b) payment structures linked to the number of fines issued are being considered for the guidance for local transport authorities under the Bus Services Act 2025.

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

The guidance for local transport authorities on the byelaws provisions in the Bus Services Act 2025 is still being developed and will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115062, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of increases in business rates on planned private sector investment in Channel Tunnel rail services.

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

The 2026 business rates revaluation, which is a continuing process, is a matter for the operationally independent Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA is due to publish its final ratings list this Spring.

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 remote access and deactivation capability in Chinese-manufactured electric buses on (a) cybersecurity and (b) publicly funded zero-emission bus procurement.

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

The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systemic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including electric buses. The Department works closely with the transport sector and other government department to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities for all transport modes.

The department introduced two new regulations in November 2025: one to strengthen vehicle cybersecurity and one on software updates (UN Reg 155 and UN Reg 156). The cybersecurity regulation sets out requirements to mitigate potential threats in vehicle construction, to monitor emerging threats and to respond to cyber-attacks. The software updating regulation sets out requirements for upgrading software in a safe and secure manner, that is documented and the vehicle's user is fully informed throughout the process.

As part of the National Security Strategy the government is also bolstering our cyber and economic security defences. For example, the national security powers in the Procurement Act 2023 allow the Government to exclude suppliers from public sector procurement, terminate their contracts and debar them from future ones. These powers target risk from individual suppliers – not specific countries – and will be used proportionately based on the threat posed.

We are aware of recent reports from Norway concerning an electric bus manufacturer. Officials are investigating these, and the Transport Secretary will update the Transport Committee once the work is complete.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the M54 to M6 link road route will be confirmed.

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

The Preferred Route for the M54 to M6 Link Road scheme was announced in September 2018, following public consultation. The route selected provides the highest benefit to the local economy, the best journey time options, and was preferred by most of the respondents to the public consultation. The route includes a two-lane dual carriageway link road between M54 at junction 1 and M6 at junction 11.

Funding for the scheme was confirmed on 8 July 2025, following the conclusion of the Spending Review. The scheme will be formally confirmed as part of the setting of the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), planned to be published by the end of March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish an updated Business Case for East West Rail before the commencement of the Development Consent Order examination.

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

In line with Treasury guidance, the development of the Business Case for East West Rail will progress as East West Rail Company continues to develop and refine the project.

The Full Business Case will be submitted for approval and then published, once planning consent has been secured, which is standard for this type of project.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Royal National Institute of Blind People, (b) Guide Dogs, and (c) the National Federation of the Blind of the UK on the accessibility of floating bus stop designs.

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

The Department engages with a wide range of stakeholders in developing policy on street design. My officials and I have met with a range of groups in developing policy on floating bus stops including the Royal National Institute of Blind People, Guide Dogs and the National Federation of the Blind UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the DVLA Fee Strategy to be published.

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

While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keep its fees under constant review, there are currently no plans to publish a fees strategy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential for a direct rail link between South Wales and Heathrow Airport.

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

The Department regularly engages with stakeholders on transport to Heathrow, in line with the Statement of Approach to engagement during the ANPS review. The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.

The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.

While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements are in place to maintain the Schedule 17 Ticketing and Settlement Agreement terms between Rail Delivery Group and train operating companies on a) their transfer to DFT Operator of Last Resort and through b) the transition to Great British Railways.

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

Train operating companies are expected to maintain the ticket office opening hours set out in Schedule 17 to the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) throughout their transfer to DfT Operator and as Great British Railways (GBR) is established. As part of wider rail reform and the move to GBR, we are considering if changes to the TSA are needed to ensure GBR can fulfil its role as directing mind for the railways in Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the evidential basis for the Colour Assessment Diagnosis test.

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

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) keeps the evidential basis for colour vision testing under regular review. The Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test, developed with City University London, is currently the only advanced colour vision test accepted by the CAA because independent analysis has shown that it, along with anomaloscopes when used correctly, provides 100% sensitivity and specificity. The CAD test is also used by other aviation authorities including the United States’ Federal Aviation Authority, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

We recognise the importance of this issue for the pilot community and will continue to monitor emerging evidence and international practice carefully. International bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are also actively examining developments in this area. EASA has commissioned a major research programme on colour vision in aviation, expected to conclude in 2026, which may inform future policy. The Government’s priority remains maintaining the high level of aviation safety expected in the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment HM Treasury has made of the potential economic impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on SMEs and self-employed delivery riders.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on consumer uptake of regulated electric mopeds and motorcycles.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what policy basis has her Department decided to allow the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant to lapse.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has plans to reinstate the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any costs were incurred by updating railway station announcements to convey a message from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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

The cost of loading and subsequently removing the announcement was £350; this was proportionate as a means of informing passengers about the freeze of regulated rail fares.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to provide support for the electric motorcycle industry after the end of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

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.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government will continue to work with industry and monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of installing solar photovoltaic generation directly on railway infrastructure to provide lower cost electricity for the rail network and to reduce reliance on new national grid connections.

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

The government has established Great British Energy and is committed to significantly increasing the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK by 2030.

Network Rail purchases electricity for the railway and is committed to transitioning to renewable energy for both the electricity it uses for its own operations, and the electricity to power trains. Network Rail already generates some of this electricity on the rail estate and is continuing the roll out of new renewable generation assets (primarily solar) on the estate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 110890 on HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, what schemes have been withdrawn by (a) location and (b) operator.

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

A total of 16 projects have been withdrawn by operators from the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme.

The regional distribution of withdrawn schemes is as follows:

East Midlands: 7

East of England: 5

North West of England: 1

South East of England: 1

West Midlands: 2

The location and names of these operators are commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112226 on Airports: Fees and Charges, whether her Department plans to collect information from airports on the level of kerbside drop-off charges paid by passengers.

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

Kerbside drop‑off charges are commercial matters for airports to set and justify to their customers, and information on charge levels is already freely available on airports’ respective public websites.

The Department collects a range of information on airports’ surface access strategies through our regular engagement with airport operators, and drop‑off charges form part of these wider discussions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the fee deficit of the Vehicle Certification Agency.

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

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is currently consulting on a proposal to increase certain fees. This would help to address the current financial deficit. The agency is currently undertaking a programme of internal efficiencies which will also support deficit reduction.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112226, what information on airport kerbside drop-off charges is discussed with her Department as part of engagement with airports on surface access strategies.

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

As part of the Department’s engagement with airports, discussions cover a broad range of issues, including how passengers and staff travel to and from airports. However, the provision and charging of airport parking, including drop-off charges, is a commercial matter for each airport and the information on charges is publicly available through the airports’ own websites.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work her department has taken to ensure overflown communities are represented in the governance structure of the UK Airspace Design Service.

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

The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) jointly consulted on proposals to establish a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) in 2024, and responses to that consultation, including from overflown communities, has helped to inform our plans. Between 17 November 2025 and 12 January 2026 the CAA consulted on guidance for the UKADS, including governance and stakeholder engagement. The outcome of this consultation will be published by the CAA.

In addition, the CAA’s Airspace Change Process (CAP1616) sets out how airspace change proposals must be developed and delivered. A fundamental part of this process is the requirement for the airspace change sponsor, which would include the UKADS, to consult those who may be affected by airspace change and to consider their views before any final proposals are submitted.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the UK Airspace Design Service to be fully operational.

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

The UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) provided by NATS En Route PLC (NERL) has now begun work to enable it to deliver its functions and design airspace for the complex London region. A number of processes to complete the establishment of the UKADS will be completed over the coming weeks including the publication of updated guidance documents and decision on changes to the conditions of the NERL Licence by the CAA.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what environmental duties will be placed on the UK Airspace Design Service.

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

The UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) must follow the processes for airspace change, including environmental requirements, set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in line with the Government’s Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance.

Any airspace change proposal must follow the CAA’s CAP1616 airspace change process. CAP1616 sets out how sponsors of airspace change, including the UKADS, must undertake comprehensive environmental assessments for airspace options which are under consideration. There are also requirements for airspace change sponsors to provide sufficient information and carry out consultation with those who may be affected by a change, before any final proposals are submitted.

A consultation on potential changes to the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance closed on 26 January 2026 and the outcome will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to licensing authorities on consumer transparency requirements where private hire vehicle bookings are subcontracted between operators licensed in different areas.

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

The Department keeps its guidance to licensing authorities under review. The Government is legislating to increase consistency in the sector so that regardless of where a passenger travels, they can be confident the services that they use are subject to robust licensing standards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that signage for EV charging stations can be erected in the same way as for a fuel pump.

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

Clear and consistent electric vehicle (EV) signage is essential to support the EV transition, ensuring drivers can confidently and safely undertake journeys. We’re modernising EV road signage so drivers can more easily find chargers.

Changes announced in July 2025 allow signing from major A-roads for charging hubs with at least 12 ultra-rapid chargepoints and the same level of facilities as existing A-road services.

We will continue to work with industry to improve EV signage. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on what further changes would be valuable for signage on motorways, major A-roads and on local roads.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the availability of signage for EV charging points on A-roads and on the strategic road network.

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

Clear and consistent electric vehicle (EV) signage is essential to support the EV transition, ensuring drivers can confidently and safely undertake journeys. We’re modernising EV road signage so drivers can more easily find chargers.

Changes announced in July 2025 allow signing from major A-roads for charging hubs with at least 12 ultra-rapid chargepoints and the same level of facilities as existing A-road services.

We will continue to work with industry to improve EV signage. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on what further changes would be valuable for signage on motorways, major A-roads and on local roads.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of ultra-rapid charging hubs along A-roads and motorways are eligible for roadside signage.

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

Clear and consistent electric vehicle (EV) signage is essential to support the EV transition, ensuring drivers can confidently and safely undertake journeys. We’re modernising EV road signage so drivers can more easily find chargers.

Changes announced in July 2025 allow signing from major A-roads for charging hubs with at least 12 ultra-rapid chargepoints and the same level of facilities as existing A-road services.

We will continue to work with industry to improve EV signage. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on what further changes would be valuable for signage on motorways, major A-roads and on local roads.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of pollution levels of L-Category vehicles in the context of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.

The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on the availability of cleaner mobility.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.

The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will implement a successor scheme to the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant upon its expiry.

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

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at either the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have declined from 0.7MTCO2e to 0.5 MTCO2e in 2024, accounting for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.

The Government continues to promote access to clean mobility, including by investing £7.5 billion to support industry and drivers to transition to zero emission vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the extent of recognition of trade unions and provision of trade union facility time at management grades in each train operating company.

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

Recognition of trade unions and provision of facility time is a matter for train operating companies as employers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has directed DFT Operator of Last Resort to adopt a standard process for recognition of trade unions and provision of trade union facility time at the end of each train operating company franchise agreement.

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

Recognition of trade unions and provision of facility time is a matter for train operating companies as employers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is planning to improve rail links between South Wales and a) Gatwick and b) Heathrow.

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

This Government is continuing to invest in the UK rail network at record levels, including at least £445 million of investment in the rail network in Wales announced at the Spending Review and backed up by the Prime Minister's recent endorsement of the Transport for Wales vision for the future of Welsh rail. This will support the creation of thousands of jobs, the building of new homes and improving opportunities for communities all across Wales.

Since December an additional late evening service has been added on the line between Reading and Gatwick Airport allowing more opportunities for passengers from South Wales to get to the airport. In the future, passengers from South Wales may be able to change trains at the new Old Oak Common station for fast and frequent connections to Heathrow Airport once main line trains begin stopping there.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

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

Officials from the Department for Transport regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

The Department for Transport is actively supporting this work through teams including those in the Resilience, Analysis, International and Sanctions Directorate and the Transport Security Directorate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support small and medium enterprises in haulage to transition to low-emission heavy good vehicles.

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

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

These initiatives are open to all businesses, including SMEs, to support the uptake of zero emission HGVs by lowering upfront costs and supporting the provision of dedicated HGV charging infrastructure. We also work with trade bodies, such as the Road Haulage Association - for whom 85% of their membership is SMEs, to promote such initiatives.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the roadworks on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 to be completed.

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

National Highways currently anticipate completion of works on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 by the end of March 2026, subject to the findings of National Highways' own investigation into whether the drainage issues identified extend beyond the current locations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on legal advice for Heathrow Airport expansion.

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

The Department receives legal advice from the Government Legal Department under an agreed annual fee for legal services provided across the Department, rather than on a matter-by-matter basis. Where external legal advice has been required in relation to Heathrow Airport expansion, the Department has met these costs in line with standard procurement and legal spending processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to railways in Wales for Welsh Rail Enhancements for (a) UK Government Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) - or equivalent and (b) Core Valley Lines enhancement funding paid to the Welsh Government, in each of the past 5 years.

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

Rail enhancement investment in Wales is detailed below. UKG Enhancements comprise funding from the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline and the Levelling Up Fund.

The Funding and Outputs Agreement (2018), between the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers, committed the UK Government to contribute £125m in 2014 prices to the costs of the Core Valley Lines infrastructure enhancement scheme. An agreed inflated figure of £141.25 million was implemented as a budget transfer to the Welsh Government in financial year 2020/21.

UKG Enhancement spend for 2023/24 comprised £19 million from RNEP and £2 million from LUF.

UKG Enhancement spend for 2024/25 comprised £30.5 million from RNEP and £1.5 million from LUF.

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 level of private investment expected to be leveraged by the £271 million clean maritime funding package.

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

All projects in UK SHORE competitions winners are required to provide match-funding from industry, which guarantees sector support and investment. We anticipate the two new competitions will progress innovation even further and attract additional private investment, having a positive impact on future greenhouse gas emissions and interim emissions reductions targets as set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. The level of emissions savings and investment will be assessed as part of the project bidding process.

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 greenhouse gas emissions reductions expected from projects funded through the £271 million clean shipping investment.

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

All projects in UK SHORE competitions winners are required to provide match-funding from industry, which guarantees sector support and investment. We anticipate the two new competitions will progress innovation even further and attract additional private investment, having a positive impact on future greenhouse gas emissions and interim emissions reductions targets as set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. The level of emissions savings and investment will be assessed as part of the project bidding process.

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 rail fare freeze on the (a) budget and (b) spending plans of the Department for Transport Operator (DfTO) train operating companies between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.

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

Freezing regulated fares is a fully funded policy that will save commuters hundreds of pounds on season tickets and put more money in working people’s pockets. This forms part of the Government’s wider commitment to transform and improve our railways.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116553 on the Highway Code, whether she plans to undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of Rule H1.

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

As I set out in response to Question 116553, when the previous government introduced Highway Code rule H1 in 2022, they did not initiate or plan for any assessment of their introduction of the rule. Like the previous government, this government does not see the need to undertake any assessment of this common-sense rule on road safety.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of tickets sold on services operated by London North Eastern Railway in July 2024 excluding railcard discounts were at a) the fully flexible fare price, b) between 90 per cent and 100 per cent of the fully flexible fare price, c) between 80 per cent and 89.99 per cent of the fully flexible fare price, d) between 70 per cent and 79.99 per cent of the fully flexible fare price, e) between 60 per cent and 69.99 per cent of the fully flexible fare price, f) between 50 per cent and 59.99 per cent of the fully flexible fare price, g) between 40 per cent and 49.99 per cent of the fully flexible fare price and h) below 40 per cent of the fully flexible fare price.

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

The Department does not hold information on the proportion of tickets sold at these price points.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of bright vehicle headlights on people with (a) sensitive and (b) elderly retinas.

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

Approved Halogen, Xenon and LED light sources have been permitted in road vehicle headlamps for many years; no UK specific assessment has been made of their effect on drivers' safety and visibility for vulnerable road users. Nevertheless, international regulations require more powerful headlamps to be fitted with an automatic washing system to reduce the risk of light being misdirected by dirt on the lens, and with an automatic levelling systems to allow the correction of headlamp aim when the vehicle is loaded.

We know headlamp glare is a real frustration for many drivers and is even discouraging some from driving at night and in the recent Road Safety Strategy we have committed to carrying out further focused research in this area. In advance of the next phase of work we are engaging with the College of Optometrists to better understand the issues and experiences their patients are raising with them.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of halogen and high-intensity headlights on driver safety and visibility for vulnerable road users.

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

Approved Halogen, Xenon and LED light sources have been permitted in road vehicle headlamps for many years; no UK specific assessment has been made of their effect on drivers' safety and visibility for vulnerable road users. Nevertheless, international regulations require more powerful headlamps to be fitted with an automatic washing system to reduce the risk of light being misdirected by dirt on the lens, and with an automatic levelling systems to allow the correction of headlamp aim when the vehicle is loaded.

We know headlamp glare is a real frustration for many drivers and is even discouraging some from driving at night and in the recent Road Safety Strategy we have committed to carrying out further focused research in this area. In advance of the next phase of work we are engaging with the College of Optometrists to better understand the issues and experiences their patients are raising with them.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of current levels of global (a) production capacity of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and (b) demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

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

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate.

HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences.

The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

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 cap on Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on fulfilling the SAF mandate.

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

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate.

HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences.

The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what conversations she has had with her European counterparts about the UK’s cap on Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) SAF within the SAF mandate.

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

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate.

HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences.

The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review regulations relating to motorcycle headlight brightness and beam alignment.

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

There are detailed requirements that must be satisfied before vehicles can be sold or registered in the UK. The lighting system fitted to motorcycles is included in the pre-registration assessment which requires that headlamps are approved to internationally recognised standards to ensure that they are bright enough to light the road ahead but not so bright as to dazzle other road users. Headlamp operation and aim is also routinely checked as part of the annual MoT inspection.

No recent UK assessment has been made of the effectiveness of dipped motorcycle headlamps but in response to public concerns raised about glare from vehicle headlamps an international glare prevention taskforce has been established at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. UK officials and vehicle manufacturers’ representatives are actively involved in the work of the group which is reviewing existing requirements and looking at potential measures to reduce the occurrence of headlamp glare.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that motorcycle lighting systems do not cause glare for other road users.

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

There are detailed requirements that must be satisfied before vehicles can be sold or registered in the UK. The lighting system fitted to motorcycles is included in the pre-registration assessment which requires that headlamps are approved to internationally recognised standards to ensure that they are bright enough to light the road ahead but not so bright as to dazzle other road users. Headlamp operation and aim is also routinely checked as part of the annual MoT inspection.

No recent UK assessment has been made of the effectiveness of dipped motorcycle headlamps but in response to public concerns raised about glare from vehicle headlamps an international glare prevention taskforce has been established at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. UK officials and vehicle manufacturers’ representatives are actively involved in the work of the group which is reviewing existing requirements and looking at potential measures to reduce the occurrence of headlamp glare.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on which EU countries have imposed a Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) SAF cap within their SAF mandate.

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

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate.

HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences.

The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

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Found: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/699dfa26db2401de164d6c90/courts-tribunals-bill-equalities- statement.pdf 21 Department for Transport

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Found: There are a number of places where other Departments, like the Department for Transport, need to do

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with private parking operators on their duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled motorists; and what enforcement mechanisms are available where operators fail to meet those obligations.

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

The Government is aware that disabled motorists can face challenges when parking and my officials ensure these issues are actively discussed through ongoing engagement with the parking sector, the Department for Transport and other relevant stakeholders. Most recently, officials met with Disabled Motoring UK specifically to understand how disabled motorists can be protected and supported.

Private parking operators are required to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, the form those adjustments take are up to individual operators. We will continue to proactively consider how the Code of Practice will affect disabled people and take steps to remove barriers.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of 5G available on rail networks.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. As part of the Government’s Mobile Market Review Call for Evidence, launched on 10 February 2026, we are asking for detailed evidence on how government should think about, and define, ‘good’ mobile coverage in relation to the quality of service provided to consumers, businesses and the public sector.

In the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (June 2025), the Government committed to work with Ofcom and other regulators to assess the telecommunications needs of the transport sector, including rail networks, by December 2026. My officials are undertaking this assessment alongside the Department for Transport, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, and Ofcom, the regulator for telecommunications.

The Department for Transport has secured funding to introduce low-Earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, which will significantly improve both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers.

My officials are also working with Ofcom to improve the evidence base on mobile connectivity across the rail network, as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring children have access to practical road safety and cycle training.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Officials in the department engaged with the Department for Transport when developing the updated Relationships Sex and Health Education guidance.

The updated guidance, published in July 2025 has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads. The Department for Transport has dedicated interactive websites for schools with materials that focus on their THINK! campaign.

Officials also engage on active travel for schools. Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30 million was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly. Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport regarding employer deductions from seafarers’ wages for accommodation costs.

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

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) continues to consider the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC)'s report on the accommodation offset, including the recommendation about its application to seafarers. As part of this work we are engaging with the Department for Transport. We anticipate responding to the LPC's recommendations regarding the accommodation offset in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will provide a response to the recommendation in the National Minimum Wage: Low Pay Commission Report 2022 CP 758 that seafarers be exempted from the Accommodation Offset.

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

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) continues to consider the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC)'s report on the accommodation offset, including the recommendation about its application to seafarers. As part of this work we are engaging with the Department for Transport. We anticipate responding to the LPC's recommendations regarding the accommodation offset in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 17 of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Department for Transport overview 2024-25, published in November 2025, what the £478 million whole-life cost of the NO2 Programme comprises, by project, programme and local authority scheme; and how much of that cost has been spent to date.

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

The Department for Transport (DfT) spend on the NO2 Programme up to the end of financial year 2024/25 was £450m.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2026, to Question 108681, on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if he will list each developer or applicant that has been given clarification meetings or pre-application engagement since July 2024.

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

Since July 2024, officials have undertaken pre-application engagement with:

• a Cross-Whitehall Group that included the Department for Transport, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and HM Revenue & Customs,
• the Home Office, and
• the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

Engagement in these instances related to prospective Crown or Urgent Crown applications, and carried out in accordance with planning propriety guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the National Cyber Security Centre has made of the potential impact of kill switches in Chinese-made (a) cars and (b) buses on cyber security.

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

Modern vehicles – including cars and buses – are increasingly using software to support safer driving, to improve diagnostics and to provide a host of other services such as navigation and entertainment.

The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systemic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including vehicles. The National Cyber Security Centre has published guidance to help organisations understand and manage the associated risks, ensuring that system connectivity is approached in a way that balances security with the significant benefits it provides.

The Department for Transport introduced two new regulations: one to strengthen vehicle cybersecurity and one on software updates (UN Reg 155 and UN Reg 156). The cybersecurity regulation sets out requirements to mitigate potential threats in vehicle construction, to monitor emerging threats and to respond to cyber-attacks.

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

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