Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Catherine Fookes and Simon Lightwood

Thursday 29th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

Antisocial behaviour on buses is tackled through wider crime and policing laws, and transport safety officers—of which the Department has funded trials—will also be used. This is about giving local transport authorities the powers to enforce these byelaws, which obviously came about with Liberal Democrats working on the Bus Services Bill Committee. We have been tackling nuisance behaviour on public transport for a long time—it is an ongoing priority. We invested £2.5 million in the transport safety officer pilots, and have taken targeted action against nuisance behaviour and published guidance so that others can adopt best practice. Of course, the Bus Services Act gives every local authority the power to introduce those byelaws.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking to help improve disability access to train stations.

--- Later in debate ---

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

T6. Most of us in Monmouthshire have to rely on our cars for every single journey, so I am over the moon that, following meetings with National Express, it will bring services back to the Monmouth area next week, with coaches stopping at Raglan services, so passengers can travel from Haverfordwest to Birmingham. Will the Minister come with me on a journey on the coach so that he can see how important the route is for my constituents?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood)]

I am delighted to join my hon. Friend in welcoming that new coach service to her constituency. This Government are supporting operators by extending the 5p fuel duty cut until next July. I will of course check my diary, but I encourage all hon. Members to get on and book their seat; there are nine castles and some fantastic countryside to visit.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Catherine Fookes and Simon Lightwood

Thursday 26th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

This Government will continue to do all we can to drive down the waiting times, and of course, we will always keep the affordability of driving tests under review.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

I, too, have heard lots of stories from learners in my constituency about their long wait for driving tests, and waits for medical driving licences are also going up. I am delighted that this Government are taking the driving test backlog seriously. Monmouthshire residents will be relieved to know that I have heard that a new examiner is being trained up in Monmouth test centre as we speak, with another joining in Abergavenny soon. Will the Minister update me on what further steps the Department is taking to ensure that examiners are recruited, trained and out doing driving tests as soon as possible?

[Simon Lightwood]

The DVSA continues its recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners. Examiner capacity is rising, with 1,553 full-time equivalent examiners in post as of February 2026—that is an increase of 108 when compared with the number of driving examiners in February 2025. DVSA has also had difficulty in retaining experienced driving examiners, some of whom retire or leave the DVSA for other roles. We are encouraging them to stay, with exceptional payments of £5,000 to examiners in eligible roles, divided into two payments over the next 12 months.