Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve transport (a) connectivity and (b) infrastructure in under-served regions (i) in rural areas, (ii) in semi-rural areas and (iii) across the UK.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Transport is a devolved matter, and the Department for Transport is predominantly responsible for transport in England only on most issues.
The government knows that integrated public transport is vital to keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural and semi-rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links.
The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services and infrastructure in England outside London.
In the financial year 2025 to 2026 the government is also providing over £390 million for local transport infrastructure investment to boost growth and connectivity beyond city regions in England. This funding will enable local leaders to invest in local priorities, supporting the government’s Plan for Change. Future funding for areas outside of major city regions will be announced following the conclusion of the multi-year spending review.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recommendations the Motor Insurance Taskforce has made on reducing motor insurance costs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums. It will look at the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
The cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce most recently met on 28 April 2025 and further meetings are being planned. The Secretary of State also met with the Northern Ireland Executive’s Minister for the Economy and officials from the Department for Infrastructure on 6 May 2025, to hear their perspective on the market and relevant policy options.
The Taskforce has yet to make recommendations. The Government will provide updates on the Taskforce in due course.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle changes in the levels of haulage costs for transporting goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Hauliers play a very important role in supporting trade within the UK. The Government meets regularly with stakeholders involved in trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including representatives of the road haulage industry, particularly in view of the implementation of the Windsor Framework and cost pressures.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many grants have been issued under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme since its inception in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
As of 1st July 2022, the number of domestic charging devices installed under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge scheme in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland is as follows;
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of safe parking space for hauliers in the UK.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring hauliers have access to appropriate services and facilities.
That is why we are investing £52.5 million in roadside facilities in England for HGV drivers on the road. DfT officials are developing detailed proposals for £32.5m funding, including appropriate grant mechanisms and setting well evidenced criteria. More information will be publicly available in due course with an announcement expected in late Autumn. However, roadside service operators are being encouraged to apply for the National Highways £20 million fund immediately.
The funding will go towards supporting operators to make improvements such as improving security, sanitary and eating facilities as well as possibly increasing parking spaces for lorry drivers.
We have commissioned a ‘National Survey of Lorry Parking’, which was published on 29th September 2022 and will be used as our primary evidence base to understand what improvements are most needed and where they are needed. The survey and its output will be used to set criteria for government funding. In addition, the Survey is available to support planning applications for new lorry parking.
An update to the Strategic Road Network Circular 02/2013 went to public consultation in July. The circular sets out planning policy in relation to the strategic road network and roadside facilities.
The Department continues to engage with key stakeholders to encourage the development of more safe, secure, and high-quality lorry parking to improve driver welfare.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the compensation process for missing airline luggage and (b) airline (i) processes and (ii) timescales for declaring luggage as lost to enable the payment of (A) compensation and (B) travel insurance claims.
Answered by Katherine Fletcher
The Montreal Convention 1999 is the international convention that establishes airline liability for delay, damage or loss of baggage. In the event of baggage being lost, damaged or delayed, passengers should contact their airline. In the event they cannot reach an appropriate conclusion with the airline, passengers can escalate complaints either through Alternative Dispute Resolution, or through the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Advice and Complaints Team.
We published the Aviation Passenger Charter in July 2022, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of passengers at each stage of their journey, including what to do if things go wrong, such as lost baggage.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all those involved in the operation of commercial ferries crossing the Irish Sea have the neccesary qualifications.
Answered by Robert Courts
Ensuring that seafarers operating all ships have the necessary international recognised qualifications, showing that they are properly trained and have the required level of proficiency for their roles, is the responsibility of the maritime administration of the country that the ship is registered with, the flag State.
In addition, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will inspect all non-UK registered ferries that operate out of the United Kingdom on an annual basis, as the port State, under the Port State Control inspection regime. In relation to ferries, other EU member states, including Ireland, will also inspect them annually as required by the European Ro-Ro Passenger Ship Directive. These are additional checks that only applies to ferries.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the French Government on the removal of travel restrictions for those wishing to visit France this summer.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Department for Transport and the British Embassy in Paris have engaged with the French government on border health measures throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so as passenger numbers increase.
The United Kingdom was placed on France’s ‘Green List’ on 31 March, meaning that fully vaccinated travellers who present proof at the border are no longer subject to any testing requirements, and unvaccinated travellers are only required to undertake a pre-departure test or present a certificate of recovery. These rules apply to passengers aged 12 and over.
The UK was one of the first major economies to remove all its remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions, from Friday 18 March.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to encourage people on Motability to choose electric vehicles; and if additional support is available for the installation of an electric charge point for those with a disability.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We are committed to ensuring an accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging network and that inclusively designed chargepoints are available for all consumers. That is why we are partnering with national disability charity Motability to commission the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop accessibility standards for public EV chargepoints across the country. Guidance will consider aspects such as kerb height, adequate space between bollards and chargepoints being of a height suitable for wheelchair users. By ensuring consistent standards, drivers will be able to more easily identify which chargepoints are suitable for their needs.
We are consulting on introducing accessibility requirements at EV chargepoints via the Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Consultation will close on 22nd November.
Government is supporting consumers buying EVs through plug-in car grant which provides up to £2,500, or plug-in van grant of up to £3,000, towards an eligible vehicle. Individuals with an eligible vehicle are also able to benefit from the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, a grant that provides a 75% (up to £350) contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars were seized and destroyed for non-payment of road tax in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
In the last three financial years, 159,192 vehicles have been seized and 42,177 vehicles have been destroyed for non-payment of vehicle excise duty. The table below shows the figures for the last three financial years.
| Vehicles seized | Vehicles destroyed |
2020/21 | 24,660 | 7,109 |
2019/20 | 68,991 | 18,566 |
2018/19 | 65,541 | 16,502 |