Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the impact of Zipcar's closure on the London economy, and (2) what discussions they have had with the company owners.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL).
The Minister for Local Transport met with the shared mobility industry in November, including Zipcar representatives, to discuss its challenges and opportunities and how Government can continue to best support the sector. The Department is actively considering what more can be done and is using feedback from the ministerial meeting and further stakeholder engagement to inform next steps.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasing deer populations on drivers in rural communities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Department has made no assessment of deer populations and road safety.
We recognise that drivers are at risk of collisions with wild animals. Traffic signs warning that wild animals, including deer, may be in the road ahead are available for local authorities to install where they consider it appropriate. Advice on their use is given in Chapter 4 of the Traffic Signs Manual, available at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of uninsured driving on the cost of motor insurance premiums for other motorists.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport is a party to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), an independent organisation within the motor insurance industry and separate from Government. It is responsible for investigation and payment of compensation for victims of uninsured and untraced drivers.
The MIB is non-profit making and the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides for the MIB to cover its costs by charging a levy on all motor insurers, the levy for 2024 totalled around £507m, as shown in the MIB’s 2024 Annual Report and Accounts.
Data provided by the MIB as part of the Financial Conduct Authority's ‘Motor Insurance Claims Analysis’, published in July 2025, indicated that the cost of claims associated with uninsured drivers accounted for around 2.2% of the average premium paid by policyholders in 2024.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has the Department made of trends in seasonal variations in train reliability in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency, particularly during winter months.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The performance of the rail network is affected by the weather throughout the year. This is reflected both in actual performance and the targets the department sets train operators.
Operators are expected to mitigate the impacts of seasonal variations and Govia Thameslink Railway operates a winter preparedness plan to respond to specific challenges in the East Grinstead and Uckfield area.
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 any correlation between (a) uninsured driving and (b) other driving related offences.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the correlation between uninsured driving and other driving related offences.
However, on 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, we are reviewing the motoring offences and have published a consultation.
As part of this consultation, we are considering the minimum penalties for uninsured driving and whether they should be increased.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating standards relating to the (a) design, (b) spacing, and (c) visibility of vehicle number plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the economic impact of vehicle number plate fraud on (a) motorists, (b) insurers, and the (c) public purse.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Home Office on (a) penalties and (b) enforcement for offences involving illegal number plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99930, what the current maximum fine is for the use of incorrect or non-compliant vehicle number plates; and whether she has made any assessment of the deterrent effect of that penalty, including whether she will consider increasing it.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation.
The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99978, when she expects the Government to publish its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation.
The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.