Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the powers of Local Authority Enforcement Officers to issue fines for traffic offences which are not routinely prosecuted by police officers, where they can provide photographic evidence.

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

On 8 January 2026, I announced the publication of the government’s formal response to the 2020 public consultation 'Pavement parking: options for change' which sets out what the government plans to do to tackle pavement parking. In the first instance we plan to give local authorities powers before the end of this year to issue Penalty Charge Notices for vehicles parked in a way that unnecessarily obstructs the pavement. The Department will engage with local authorities on the detail of these plans.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by the Prime Minister on 2 February that "it is really important that we champion the building of buses" (HC Deb col 41), what steps they are taking to increase the manufacture of zero emission buses in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government’s DRIVE35 programme supports the design, development and manufacture of zero emission vehicles, including buses. This will help UK bus manufacturers and suppliers invest in new technologies, scale up their production and strengthen domestic capability.

In March, the Government announced £73.2 million in additional zero‑emission bus funding to support the delivery of 484 zero‑emission buses across 10 projects in England. To give UK bus manufacturers greater visibility of future demand, the Government has also published a 10-year zero-emission bus order pipeline, updated twice yearly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plan to ensure better data sharing between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the police, insurers and the Motor Insurers' Bureau to ensure action is taken against uninsured driving and driving after being banned.

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

Arrangements are already in place to support data sharing to tackle uninsured driving through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE). Under CIE, DVLA vehicle records are compared with insurance data held by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to identify vehicles that appear to be uninsured, enabling reminder letters to be issued and, where no action is taken, penalties and further enforcement action.

In addition, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau shares insurance data with police forces to support roadside enforcement, including through Automatic Number Plate Recognition and national activity such as Operation Tutelage. The Department and DVLA continue to work closely with law enforcement and insurance partners to ensure data is shared lawfully, effectively and proportionately, and keep these arrangements under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve public awareness of the penalties for (1) uninsured driving, and (2) failing to stop after an accident.

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

Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the police, and sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts.

Since 2011, Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) has enabled action to be taken against those who keep a vehicle without insurance. The scheme allows uninsured vehicles to be identified from a comparison of the DVLA’s vehicle register and the Motor Insurance Database of insurance policies managed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). Under CIE keepers of vehicles which appear to be uninsured are sent reminder letters. Those who take no action receive a fixed penalty of £100, followed by enforcement action including prosecution.

CIE supplements enforcement action taken by the police on the road. Since 2005 the police have had the power to seize vehicles that are being driven without insurance. In addition to a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points on their licence for the offence, those whose vehicles have been seized face a cost to recover the vehicle and must provide proof that the vehicle has been insured. Seized vehicles that are not claimed within 14 days can be sold or crushed.

The Department for Transport published the consultation, “Proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences” on 7 January 2026. It sought views on changes to the motoring offences framework, including consideration of whether the minimum penalties for the offence of driving uninsured and failure to stop and report should be increased.

The consultation closed on 11 May 2026, and the Government is considering the responses.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, for measures to address road users who continue to drive after having been banned from driving.

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

Driving whilst disqualified is already a criminal offence, carrying a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment. This is in addition to any penalties for other offences committed during the same incident, such as driving without insurance, careless or dangerous driving, or drink or drug driving.

Enforcement of this offence is an operational matter for the police. Sentencing in individual cases, including the appropriate length of any sentence or further disqualification, is a matter for the independent courts. The courts may take account of relevant aggravating factors, including previous convictions and repeated non-compliance with court orders.

The Department keeps under review the penalties for the road traffic offences for which it is responsible to ensure that they remain appropriate and effective. As part of the recent motoring offences consultation, the Department sought views on whether, in cases where death or serious injury has occurred, the statutory time limit for driving unlicensed, uninsured or disqualified should be extended from 6 months to 18 months. Responses are now being analysed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address road users who drive without insurance.

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

Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the police, and sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts.

Since 2011, Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) has enabled action to be taken against those who keep a vehicle without insurance. The scheme allows uninsured vehicles to be identified from a comparison of the DVLA’s vehicle register and the Motor Insurance Database of insurance policies managed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). Under CIE keepers of vehicles which appear to be uninsured are sent reminder letters. Those who take no action receive a fixed penalty of £100, followed by enforcement action including prosecution.

CIE supplements enforcement action taken by the police on the road. Since 2005 the police have had the power to seize vehicles that are being driven without insurance. In addition to a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points on their licence for the offence, those whose vehicles have been seized face a cost to recover the vehicle and must provide proof that the vehicle has been insured. Seized vehicles that are not claimed within 14 days can be sold or crushed.

The Department for Transport published the consultation, “Proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences” on 7 January 2026. It sought views on changes to the motoring offences framework, including consideration of whether the minimum penalties for the offence of driving uninsured and failure to stop and report should be increased.

The consultation closed on 11 May 2026, and the Government is considering the responses.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance for road safety of encouraging road users to select tyres carefully and fit them correctly, and to pay special attention to maintaining the rear axle of vehicles.

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

Maintaining tyres in good condition and ensuring they are appropriate for the vehicle, including across the same axle, is important for road safety. The MOT test includes checks to ensure that tyres are in a safe condition, are suitable for the vehicle, and are compatible across an axle. This includes consideration of tyre size and fitment to ensure they are not obviously unsuitable for use. However, it is not a substitute for proper maintenance and correct tyre selection by the user.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Lord Leong on 29 June (HL1212), what plans they have to support the UK bus manufacturing industry.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government is supporting the UK bus manufacturing industry through DRIVE35, which backs the design, development and manufacture of zero emission vehicles, including buses. This will help UK manufacturers and suppliers invest in new technologies, scale up production and strengthen domestic capability. In March, the Government announced £73.2 million in additional zero emission bus funding to support the delivery of 484 zero- emission buses across 10 projects in England. The Government has also published a 10-year zero-emission bus order pipeline, updated twice yearly, to give manufacturers greater visibility of future demand.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to revise school transport contracts to reflect the rising cost of diesel.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home to school travel for eligible children. They deliver their duty through a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private transport operators. Such contracts are a matter for the council and the operator.

The government is taking action to mitigate cost pressures where possible. We have extended the 5p fuel duty cut and petrol stations in the UK are being supplied as normal. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced over £100 million additional funding for the bus sector and is helping children travel for free by bus this August on participating local buses.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Tees Valley Combined Authority following the issuance of a Best Value Notice in April 2025.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Notice sets out that the Authority’s progress will be reviewed after twelve months. The Notice remains in place until the Department confirms whether we deem it necessary to continue to seek assurance through such a Notice or not, or that further action is needed.

Any decisions on the Notice will be based on a holistic judgement of all available information, including considered engagement with the authority and its delivery partners throughout the Notice period about progress against its improvement plan.

The Department continues to require assurance of the Authority’s compliance with the Best Value Duty and Ministers are currently considering appropriate next steps based on the available evidence.