Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 26362 on Speed Limits: Cameras, what estimate her Department has made of (a) the number and (b) the proportion of speed awareness courses that have been cancelled as a result of the HADECS camera system anomaly; and what estimate it has made of the associated loss of income to course providers and instructors.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 16 December 2025, all wider enforcement activity in progress was stopped, regardless of whether the cases were impacted by the HADECS anomaly. As a result, tens of thousands of speed awareness courses were cancelled. This represents a small proportion of the approximately 2 million National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme courses delivered annually. The majority of courses are still taking place.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 26119 on East West Rail Line, how many drivers are required for the commencement of passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes; how many have completed the required training; and when she expects all required driver training to be completed.
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: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2026 to Question 26992 on Road Traffic Accidents: Minibuses, how many of the reported traffic collisions with a contributory or road safety factor attributed to a minibus driver involved at least one fatality by year.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The total number of reported traffic collisions involving at least one fatality in Great Britain, as reported by the police using the STATS19 system, with a contributory or road safety factor attributed to a minibus driver, broken down by year, are shown in the table below. These figures include only collisions where police attended the scene and at least one factor was recorded.
Year | Fatal collisions |
2015 | 2 |
2016 | 5 |
2017 | 2 |
2018 | 7 |
2020 | 3 |
2021 | 4 |
2022 | 2 |
2023 | 1 |
2024 | 5 |
2025 | 1 |
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of transit charges on commercial vessels using international waterways on (a) UK importers and exporters and (b) supply chain costs.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is closely monitoring the impact of disruptions to key shipping routes.
This includes regularly assessing the impact on UK supply chains, disruption to trade, including any rerouting of container ships, and of increases in prices of critical goods, shipping and energy. In doing so, we are actively drawing input from businesses on supply chain pressures and their own contingency planning to understand impacts on UK imports, exports and subsequent supply chain costs.
We also continue to work with businesses and our international partners to protect trade and investment for all those using international waterways.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 26159 on speed camera enforcement, when she expects the rigorous testing of the Home Office approved solution to be completed.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department first engaged with National Highways in November 2025, when a solution was brought to our attention. Since then, we have been working closely with them to undertake the necessary technical work in respect of the camera.
Examination of technical issues continues. We are working at pace and want to conclude this at the earliest possible opportunity, acknowledging that robust information is needed to support an assessment of the effectiveness of the solution.
Once concluded satisfactorily, National Highways will work with police partners, via the National Police Chiefs' Council to re-commence enforcement of all affected operational cameras on the road network as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 26159 on Speed Limits: Cameras, on what date testing of the Home Office-approved solution commenced; when she expects that testing to conclude; and when she expects implementation across all affected cameras to be completed.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department first engaged with National Highways in November 2025, when a solution was brought to our attention. Since then, we have been working closely with them to undertake the necessary technical work in respect of the camera.
Examination of technical issues continues. We are working at pace and want to conclude this at the earliest possible opportunity, acknowledging that robust information is needed to support an assessment of the effectiveness of the solution.
Once concluded satisfactorily, National Highways will work with police partners, via the National Police Chiefs’ Council to re-commence enforcement of all affected operational cameras on the road network as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is the Government’s policy to oppose the imposition of discriminatory transit charges on commercial shipping using international waterways.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is fully committed to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), which makes clear that the imposition of unilateral and/or discriminatory charges on vessels for transit through straits used for international navigation is unlawful.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department is taking to protect freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office regularly encourages partners to use all channels to press Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully, safely and lawfully, reduce escalation risk, restore negotiations and preserve space for a durable settlement.
On 24 September, the Foreign Secretary joined a Bahrain-led UN Security Council press stakeout in New York and endorsed the delivered statement alongside around 80 partners to support these principles. The Prime Minister also discussed global shipping and reopening the Strait of Hormuz with President Trump on 23 September.
I regularly discuss these issues with Gulf and other regional counterparts, including on my recent visit to Oman.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 19238 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, whether the analysis referred to in the Answer of 24 June 2026 to Question 11454 will be published in full.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in our previous responses, we are analysing the feedback and considering our response to the first consultation on the future carbon regulatory framework for HGVs. We will publish our response once this process is completed.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the treatment of residential property traders under Stamp Duty Land Tax as part of the Government’s aim to increase liquidity and transactions in the housing market.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Chancellor holds a range of discussions with ministerial colleagues and other stakeholders across the full range of his policy responsibilities.