Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 109207, whether she plans to publish a breakdown of UK Emissions Trading Scheme receipts derived from maritime emissions alongside Government expenditure supporting maritime decarbonisation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Receipts from the UK ETS derive from the sale of UK ETS allowances at fortnightly auctions at the prevailing market price. The OBR have estimated 2024-25 receipts to be £3.4bn. ETS operators can buy and sell allowances – including free allocation - on the secondary market at any time. As such it is not possible to break down ETS receipts by sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the information safeguards referred to on page 88 of her Department's publication entitled A Railway Fit for Britain’s Future: Government Response, published 5 November 2025, will be defined within the rail retail Code of Practice, the Great British Railways licence, or other statutory or regulatory instruments.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The code of practice will set out measures to ensure fairness and manage any concerns of GBR preferencing its own retail arm. We expect the code will ensure that the retail industry management functions managed by GBR will have reporting lines that are separate and distinct from its operational and commercial arm – with appropriate information safeguards also put in place. The full detail of the code will be produced in consultation with industry, via a process led by the Office of Rail and Road.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what forms of corrective action the Office of Rail and Road will be able to require where it finds non-compliance with the rail retail Code of Practice, including whether it will be able to impose directions, behavioural remedies, or operational changes on Great British Railways.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The retail industry code of practice announced in the Government's response to the Railways Bill consultation will incorporate clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) should interact with all market participants. The code of practice will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road. GBR’s licence will require it to comply, with the Office of Rail and Road able to demand corrective action if it considers that GBR has not done so.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of collisions and near misses in the last five years involved drivers with vision below the legal standard.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Data on road injury collisions in Great Britain is reported to the Department by police forces using a data collection system known as STATS19.

STATS19 does not record near misses or identify whether drivers involved in collisions have vision below the legal standard.

Police officers attending collisions can assign a range of factors that in their judgement may have contributed to the collision occurring, including ‘Driver or rider had uncorrected or defective eyesight’. The latest figures are published as part of the Department’s road casualty statistics available from the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#factors-contributing-to-collisions-and-casualties-ras07.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on promoting regular sight tests for drivers as part of the Government’s road safety strategy.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Both Department for Transport and Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency officials have worked with officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) while developing the proposed changes to eyesight testing for older drivers, and we will continue to engage with the DHSC as our policies develop further.

The Department for Transport fully supports the NHS’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years.

All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive.

On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Alongside the strategy, we launched five consultations including a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

Once the consultation has concluded, we will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 108013, if she will list those technology investments and provide the Benefit-Cost Ratio for each of those investments.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I have asked Network Rail to write to you on this matter.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Network Rail’s Liverpool Street station viability appraisal.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The viability appraisal has been submitted as part of the planning application and the determining authority will review this as part of its planning report.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential future costs to the public purse of the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The proposed redevelopment of Liverpool Street station could enable substantial private investment in one of the busiest stations in the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evidence the Department has that the inclusion of emissions at berth in the UK ETS will lead to emissions reductions in the absence of widespread shore power and alternative fuel availability.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy sets the strategic direction to reduce all domestic maritime emissions, which includes all emissions at berth, and therefore it is important that these emissions are brought into the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The key policies of the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, including the expansion of the UK ETS to cover maritime, alongside the investment of a further £448 million in maritime decarbonisation, will both drive investment and encourage the development of alternative fuels and shore power, increasing their availability. An analytical annex was published alongside the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets out the evidence on emissions reductions across the sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will amend statutory taxi and private hire vehicle licensing guidance to ensure that licensing authorities require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training and demonstrate safeguarding knowledge as a condition of licensing.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department’s existing statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the National Audit Office’s report entitled Investigation into car driving test waiting areas, published on 17 December 2025; and how many examiners the DVSA is on target to recruit.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following the publication of the NAO report and the appointment of a new Chief Executive, DVSA is accelerating its efforts to increase the supply of tests in order to reduce waiting times. DVSA is driving a strengthened and faster recruitment pipeline and working to expand its training sites and reduce training timelines to get new DEs conducting tests almost 30% more quickly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to reduce average waiting times for practical car driving tests to seven weeks by summer 2026.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following the publication of the NAO report and the appointment of a new Chief Executive, DVSA is accelerating its efforts to increase the supply of tests in order to reduce waiting times. DVSA is driving a strengthened and faster recruitment pipeline and working to expand its training sites and reduce training timelines to get new DEs conducting tests almost 30% more quickly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of limiting learners and Driver Trainers to two practical car driving test changes from 31 March 2026 on failure-to-attend rates and unused test slots.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November 2025 significant changes to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) driving test booking system following a public consultation. These changes are being introduced incrementally during the Spring.

DVSA announced on 3 February that the first change, which will limit the number of times a test can be moved or swapped, will be introduced on 31 March.

A leaner who wishes to make further changes, can cancel their booking and receive a full refund and book a new test. Further changes will be brought in later in the Spring. This will include allowing only the learner driver to book a test, at which point approved driving instructors and businesses will no longer have access to the booking system. These changes are designed to prevent learner drivers being exploited by people who book up tests and sell them at inflated prices.

An Options Assessment of the proposed measures has been carried out and reviewed by the Better Regulation Unit. This options assessment will be published once the statutory instrument amending the legislation has been laid before Parliament.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to include reminders about sight testing in driving licence renewal notices.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) already include clear messaging on the required eyesight standards for driving and the importance of regular eyesight tests on reminders, application forms, information leaflets and online guidance provided as part of the driving licence renewal process.

The published guidance also sets out the legal requirement to be able to read a number plate at 20 metres, to meet the minimum visual acuity and visual field standards for driving and the requirement to notify the DVLA of any relevant eye conditions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the programme is for the delivery of the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment; and what steps the Department has taken to ensure this timetable is achievable.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Officials in my Department are engaged with Network Rail Property and Planning teams around the redevelopment proposals for Liverpool Street station. These plans are at an early stage and will be subject to planning consents. Both my Department and Network Rail will continue to review these plans as they develop.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of any compensation to be provided by Network Rail to Transport for London in respect of costs arising from disruption during the redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail has carried out a detailed review of the proposals to keep the station open and operational, including Transport for London's infrastructure and services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ongoing technical fault affecting motorway enforcement cameras; and if she will state a) when she was first informed of the issue, b) which enforcement systems are affected, c) what estimate her Department has made of the number of cameras currently offline, and d) what timetable has been set with National Highways for restoring full functionality.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Transport Secretary was briefed in September, and as soon as Ministers were informed of the national scale in October, they acted immediately to prevent any further incorrect fines, points or prosecutions.

The technical anomaly impacts 154 Highways Agency Digital Enforcement and Compliance System cameras deployed on 10% of the strategic road network.

As set out in response to WPQ 103428 on 19 January, a Home Office approved solution to this issue has been agreed, and National Highways and the police are continuing to work together to implement this as a priority.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made and assessment of data from continental Europe and the United States on the potential benefits of mandating retread tyres in public procurement fleet contracts.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is working on a review of the Government Buying Standards which set out how Government procurement can take account of environmental and social impacts whilst ensuring value for money. This review considers the lifecycle impacts of fleet vehicles, including measures to reduce waste and raw material consumption associated with vehicles parts such as tyres.

As part of this work, Defra has made no specific assessment of data from continental Europe and the United States on the potential benefits of mandating retread tyres in public procurement fleet contracts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorcyclists have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured following a collision with a wire rope safety barrier in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The information requested is not held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total expenditure has been to date by Network Rail, including Network Rail Property and any contractors engaged by it, on work related to the planning application for the redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station; and what proportion of that expenditure has been incurred in each financial year since the project commenced.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Due to continuing commercial negotiations, I regret that it is not possible to share the requested information at this point.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of buses manufactured outside of the UK were procured using Government funding schemes in each of the last five years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

My department does not hold that specific information as local authorities procure buses.

However, through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme, in phase 1, 491 zero emission buses out of 1194 (41.1%) were manufactured outside of the UK. For phase 2 of the programme, 567 zero emission buses out of 1269 (44.7%) were manufactured outside of the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data her Department holds on the volumes of imported single-life budget tyres for heavy good vehicles from 1 August 2025 through to 31 December 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.

Heavy goods vehicle tyres for buses or lorries are classified under commodity code 401120. 401190 would be used for other tyres in this subheading for example motor cars, agricultural and forestry vehicles. However, we are not able to distinguish between single-life budget tyres, and other kinds of tyres within these commodity codes.

HMRC releases imports and exports information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com).

If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating a minimum of 30% retread tyres in the public procurement, both direct and indirect through commercial contractors, of tyres for Ministry of Defence vehicles and introducing a mandated minimum of retread tyres in procurement contracts.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It is for bidders to submit compliant solutions to meet requirements. In accordance with the safety cases in place for our vehicles, the tyres in use are those approved by the design authority or original equipment manufacturer, which enables us to meet our obligations to ensure that the appropriate measures and controls are in place to make sure that our vehicles are safe to operate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 10 February 2026 to Questions 108456 and 108457 and 11 February 2026 to Question 108458, whether the corporate initiative efficiency saving in 2028–29 assumes changes in (a) passenger revenue forecasts, (b) subsidy requirements for train operators and (c) service specification.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The £199 million efficiencies in the Support for Rail Passenger Services line are expected to be delivered mostly from more efficient workforce management, economies of scale as private sector operating companies move into public ownership, and ticketing and retail reform including the creation of a single Great British Railways online retail offer. These efficiencies contribute to the more than 50 per cent reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy from £2.4 billion in 2024-25.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 108456 on Great British Railways: Finance, whether (a) internal modelling, (b) business case documentation and (c) analytical assessment underpins the commitment to achieve net savings from corporate initiatives in 2028–29 financial.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Forecasts for the corporate initiatives which formed part of the Department’s Efficiency plan were informed by a mix of internal modelling and initial business case development.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has provided (a) funding and (b) advice to the European Federation for Transport and Environment since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not provided funding to the European Federation for Transport and Environment, but has met with them as part of routine official-level stakeholder engagement.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has conducted modelling since July 2024 on the potential revenue that could be raised from a weight-based system of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans, motorcycles and heavy goods vehicles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions.

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs at fiscal events, and in doing so considers a wide range of factors including complexity, value for money, and administrative burdens for tax payers. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the introduction on Rule H1 on the behaviour of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists since January 2022; what assessment she has made in trends in the level of defensive behaviour among vulnerable road users; and what the evidential basis is for concluding that the hierarchy improves safety outcomes for all road users, including motorists.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The previous Government updated the Highway Code in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users.

New rule H1 set out that ‘those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles. Cyclists, horse riders and drivers of horse drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians. None of this detracts from the responsibility of ALL road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety.’

The previous Government did not initiate any assessment of their introduction of Rule H1.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government will specify a minimum pass mark for any safeguarding test required for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department’s existing statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the content and format of such training, including whether it includes a test with a minimum pass mark.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

Excise

Found: Leigh Ingham (Labour, Stafford) (added 28 Oct 2024; removed 17 Nov 2025) 16 of 31 (51.6%) Jerome Mayhew