Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 proposed airport expansions at (a) Farnborough, (b) Heathrow and (c) Gatwick on transport infrastructure in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the potential impact of proposed airport expansion at Farnborough Airport on transport infrastructure in Surrey and Surrey Heath constituency. Farnborough Airport Limited has submitted a planning application to Rushmoor Borough Council. The Department for Transport has no role to play in decision making relating to the planning application.
For Heathrow, 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. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions and the surrounding communities. 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 as part of any Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
On 21 September 2025, the Transport Secretary approved Gatwick Airport’s application for expansion. Her decision letter, published on GOV.UK, sets out her considerations and the requirements of the planning consent; this includes improvements to highways infrastructure and Gatwick Airport’s commitments to promote the use of public transport.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the economy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and that is why we are committed to supporting its growth.
The Spending Review confirmed a number of infrastructure schemes across the country to help support the economy, housing and jobs. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to assess and identify where there is the potential to grow rail freight across the network.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 lower age limit for adult peak-time rail fares on the families of students who turn 18 during the academic year while remaining in full-time education until the end of that year; and whether her Department plans to review age-based rail fare eligibility to ensure consistency for students who are required to travel to school or college during peak hours.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Adult fares are payable for passengers from the age of 16. The 16-17 Saver can be purchased to extend the discount on child fares to 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Government has no current plans to amend existing concessionary discounts. As set out in the Railways Bill, in future Great British Railways will have the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers, following engagement with other operators, as passenger needs change.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the expansion of Rail Freight in Devon.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to delivering growth and supporting modal shift to lower-carbon modes of freight transport. We have committed to the rail freight growth target of a 75% increase in freight moved by rail by 2050.
The recently laid Railways Bill sets out that the Secretary of State will provide GBR with growth targets for rail freight. As was the case during the development of the 2050 target, we will make informed forecasts about the future capability and capacity of the network. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to identify where there is the potential for growth across the network for rail freight.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of Direct Rail Services' freight operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the significant economic and environmental potential of rail freight and the critical role it plays in the UK’s resilience and is committed to supporting its growth. However, any freight operations run by Direct Rail Services (DRS) are an operational and commercial matter for DRS, and its parent company the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). NDA is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the environment.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential and critical role in the UK’s resilience.
Work to develop options for investment and its potential impacts, including on the environment, is continuing, in conjunction with Network Rail. Once it is fully operational, my department will work with Great British Railways (GBR) to ensure that environmental considerations continue to be a priority.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made about the current levels of [i] drink driving and [ii] drug driving related accidents and fatalities on roads in the [i] UK, and [ii] Leicestershire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Statistics regarding drink and drug driving in personal injury road collisions in Great Britain are based on data reported to police using the STATS19 system.
The estimated number of collisions and fatalities in drink-drive collisions for Great Britain and Leicestershire for 2023 (the latest figures available) are given in the table below.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 therefore 0 fatalities for Leicestershire indicates that the estimated number was less than 5:
Area | Collisions | Fatalities |
Great Britain | 4,390 | 260 |
Leicestershire | 50 | 0 |
These are based on the results of breath tests conducted by the police at the scene of personal injury road collisions and combined with data from coroners on blood alcohol levels of those killed in collisions.
While STATS19 does not attribute cause of collision, reporting officers attending the scene are able to assign up to 6 road safety factors which, in their opinion, based on the information available within a short time of the collision, they consider may have contributed to it.
In 2024, the latest year available data there were 18 personal injury collisions in Leicestershire where “affected by drugs” was assigned to a driver or rider in the collision. This is 3% of all collisions in Leicestershire where a police officer attended the collision and assigned at least 1 road safety factor, the comparison for Great Britain is 3% of collisions.
There was 1 fatality in Leicestershire in a personal injury collision where “affected by drugs” was assigned to a driver or rider in the collision, this is 4% of all fatalities in Leicestershire in collisions where a police officer attended the collision and assigned at least 1 road safety factor, the comparison for Great Britain is 8% of fatalities.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel; and what steps they are taking to strengthen life-saving provision.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
His Majesty's Government makes regular assessments of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel, in response to ever-changing operating patterns and the extremely high-risk appetite of the Organised Crime Networks that facilitate such crossings. In addition to the layered search and rescue response structure already in place, DfT, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and the Home Office Border Security Command are investigating options to increase the rescue capacity of Government-contracted surface assets in the Channel, while the MCA and Border Security Command are advancing plans to enhance the future provision of aviation search assets.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many individuals had their status as Approved Driving Instructors removed by DVSA due to (a) being involved in reselling driving tests and/or (b) sharing there official driving test-booking login details with third parties in (i) 2022, (ii) 2023, (iii) 2024 and (iv) 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.
While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.
Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.
The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.
DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.
DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency was made aware that Approved Driving Instructors were involved in reselling driving tests; and what steps she took to address the issue.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.
While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.
Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.
The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.
DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.
DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.