Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of funding for transport to support the Universal United Kingdom resort will be allocated to (a) improving the Bedford - Brighton Thameslink route and (b) the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will approve funding for (a) the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme and (b) Midland Mainline capacity improvement to mitigate forecasted capacity constraints on the Thameslink route.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department recognises the significant growth pressures and opportunities facing the rail network from major developments such as the expansion of Luton and Gatwick Airports, the proposed Universal Studios theme park in Bedfordshire, and extensive planned delivery of new housing.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has shared initial long‑term demand modelling with the Department, including projections linked to these major developments. This work indicates substantial future growth in passenger demand, and we expect operators to continue working closely with Network Rail and local partners to refine these forecasts and develop the business cases needed for targeted improvements.
Officials at DfT and DFTO are in regular discussions with Network Rail on opportunities to improve services across the Brighton Main Line, including in the Croydon area. As part of Network Rail’s Sussex Railway Upgrade Plan, £900 million is being invested in renewing the Brighton Main Line and its branches between 2024 and 2029.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will conduct a review of the adequacy of the Jet Zero strategy in the context of approved expansion of aircraft capacity at Luton Airport.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050. In line with a precautionary approach to estimating the level of future carbon emissions from aviation, and to reflect the uncertainty around future developments in this area, the department includes all known airport expansion plans, including Luton, when modelling aviation emissions under different technology uptake scenarios. This was the case for the Carbon Budget Growth and Delivery Plan for Carbon Budgets 4-6 published in October 2025 and the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy. We continue keep our approach to aviation decarbonisation under review to ensure we can meet our climate obligations.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she will take to reduce reliance on rest-day working to operate timetabled passenger rail services on the Thameslink route when the operator is nationalised.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DFTO are supporting GTR in the recruitment of additional Thameslink drivers, which will assist in reducing reliance on rest day working. There have been over 50 new drivers on the GTR network since July 2024, with further drivers currently being trained. As a result, cancellations related to traincrew availability continue to decrease, with Thameslink seeing a 30% reduction in 2025 and a strong start to 2026.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 99812 on Railway Stations: CCTV, whether bike thefts will be included in the assessment of railway stations with the highest crime levels when prioritising CCTV integration across the network.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Further to the answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 99812, this work is in progress by Network Rail who are delivering the project on behalf of the rail industry. These details are not yet available.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 99812 on Railway Stations: CCTV, on what date CCTV systems at St Albans City Station will be integrated with (a) British Transport Police and (b) Hertfordshire Constabulary systems.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Further to the answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 99812, this work is in progress by Network Rail who are delivering the project on behalf of the rail industry. These details are not yet available.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her department has made in increasing the availability of driving tests in St Albans since 3 November 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests.
DVSA is continuing with its recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners. Since November 2025, for those test centres serving the St Albans area, seven driving examiners have successfully passed their training and are now conducting driving tests, with a further two driving examiners being booked onto a training course. Following a recent recruitment campaign, DVSA has made offers of employment to a further eight driving examiners in this area.
The table below shows the number of tests booked and available at the driving test centres (DTCs) serving St Albans of 11 May 2026.
Driving test centre (DTC) | Booked tests (as of 11 May 2026) | Tests available in 24 week booking window (as of 11 May 2026) |
Borehamwood | 4,801 | 187 |
St Albans | 2,069 | 103 |
Watford | 5,713 | 339 |
Between June 2025 – April 2026, at the DTCs above, DVSA conducted 144 additional car practical driving tests in overtime, when compared to the equivalent overtime scheme between June 2024 – March 2025. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to introduce a cap on the fees charged by app providers to local authorities for operating the National Parking Platform.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The National Parking Platform is intended to support greater competition and choice by enabling multiple parking app providers to operate across participating local authorities.
While the Government is keen to see this system make parking easier for all, pricing decisions relating to the operation of the National Parking Platform are commercial matters for the National Parking Platform, app providers and local authorities. Both local authorities and app providers are represented on the Board of the National Parking Platform as a part of its not-for-profit governance structure.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 introducing a national register of opticians licensed to carry out DVLA eyesight tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is responsible for ensuring that all drivers meet the medical standards required for safe driving, including for eyesight. Drivers who notify the DVLA of a medical condition that may affect their eyesight may be asked to have a formal vision test. These tests are conducted by Specsavers on behalf of the DVLA. The current contract for this purpose was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 following a competitive tender exercise. There are no plans to introduce a national register of opticians licensed to carry out these tests.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 96304 on St Albans City Station: CCTV whether bike thefts will be included in the assessment of railway stations with the highest crime levels when prioritising CCTV integration across the network.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has committed £17 million to improve CCTV connectivity on the railway. Network Rail are delivering the project and as they are currently in the start up phase of the project the details you have requested are not yet available.