Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of driving tests terminated on the grounds of public safety.

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

Driving examiners will terminate a test on public safety grounds only where it is necessary to manage risk to the learner, the examiner or other road users.

Through its "Ready to Pass?" campaign, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) encourage learners to make sure that they will be ready and able to take the test they have booked and to change or cancel their appointment in good time if they are not.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Sierra Leone; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel. (129385).

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department made of the impact of the aviation sector on the UK economy when preparing The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the fact that the aviation sector was not explicitly referenced in that Strategy on aviation skills and training provision.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Sectors assessments are outlined in the Industrial Strategy Technical Annex, published on GOV.UK. The Industrial Strategy and Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper set out detail on how the government is investing in skills, including a £182m engineering package targeted at engineering skills shortages.

On the aviation workforce specifically, the Generation Aviation Programme is a government–industry collaboration that helps build a future-ready aviation workforce by raising awareness of aviation careers, removing barriers to access, and attracting diverse, talented people to address new technologies, decarbonisation, and emerging trends. It delivers five workstreams: outreach, championing the sector, signposting training and careers, industry partnerships, and research and data. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/generation-aviation-group.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Netherlands Antilles; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Colombia; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Lebanon; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Slovakia; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the DVSA's fees strategy.

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

As the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) fees are set out in legislation, any changes require a statutory process, including public consultation and subsequent legislative amendments. DVSA will publish details of any fee changes when consulting as part of the statutory process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in its regulation of the UK fishing fleet.

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

The performance of the MCA is assessed on a number of levels through internal and external auditing functions. With regards to the UK fishing fleet the MCA continues to work with the sector to improve the safety of fishers, since the introduction of the Fishing Industry Safety Strategy in 2017 fatalities have reduced from 6.8 per year in the five years prior to 2017 to 4.2 per year in the last five years. We will always strive to do all we can to drive this number down further.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 April 2026 to Question 128421, whether her Department has plans to collect data on collisions or injuries involving e-bikes operated through hire schemes.

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

The Government's English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act will enable local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. The Secretary of State will set minimum licence conditions which could include data sharing requirements, such as on collisions and injuries. Data sharing requirements, alongside other aspects of licensing implementation, will be determined following public consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of coaches that are compliant with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 for use in rail replacement services after the expiry of the current exemption on 31 July 2026.

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

The Government understands and recognises the specific challenges to comply with AIR within the rail replacement sector. We continue to work with partners, including the Rail Delivery Group, DfT Operator Limited and bus and coach trade bodies, to assess the sector’s readiness for full compliance across the whole rail network, and to provide support to help them achieve this. This includes the development of new technological solutions for providing information on board coaches, funding for smaller operators, and the existing time-limited exemption from the technical requirements of AIR, which is due to end on 31 July 2026. The exemption was put in place to ensure that rail passengers could still complete their journeys whilst rail replacement operators equipped their fleets to comply with the Regulations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department has provided directly to DFTO Train Operating Companies to increase the number of rail training places.

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

The Department does not provide funding to DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) specifically for rail training places as part of the Department’s funding of train services. It is the responsibility of all train operating companies, including those currently operated by DFTO, to establish their own training requirements and fund these through their agreed budgets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current status is of environmental permitting for works at Bransty Tunnel with the Environment Agency and the Mining Remediation Authority; and what outstanding approvals are required before works can commence.

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

Network Rail is working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency to secure the necessary environmental permits, so that water pollution issues that are leading to the issues in Whitehaven Harbour can be addressed alongside the repairs to Bransty Tunnel.

As part of this permitting process, Network Rail and the Mining Remediation Authority are currently modelling various complex scenarios to assess the impact of the long-term solution on Whitehaven Harbour and the surrounding area. Once all parties have understood and approved the water quality impacts, work to repair Bransty Tunnel can begin.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays in the processing of taxi and private hire driver licence renewals by licensing authorities, including Transport for London, on drivers; b) what estimate she has made of the number of drivers who were unable to work due to licensing delays in (i) 2024, (ii) 2025 and (iii) 2026 to date; c) what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these delays on the income of affected drivers; and d) whether her Department has issued guidance to licensing authorities on maximum processing times for licence renewals.

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

The administration of the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime is a matter for licensing authorities. The Department does not collect data on the processing times of licence applications but expects authorities to administer the system efficiently, including the processing of all applications when they have the necessary information.

The Department’s best practice guidance to licensing authorities in England makes clear that taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a statutory function, and it is important for authorities to consider how best to deliver this service in a timely and efficient manner.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether loss of revenue from user charges at the Dartford Crossings is accounted for in the Department's finances.

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

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the regulated entity under this model. This means charges will be used to meet the costs of providing and operating the Crossings. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, which will deliver value for taxpayers and reduce the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of job losses in the retail and hospitality sectors.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th May is attached.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide a list of training programmes used by civil servants in her department since 2020.

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

The Department for Transport provides learning opportunities to civil servants through Civil Service Learning Frameworks, internally developed learning, and externally procured training.

For the purpose of this response, training programmes are defined as any learning undertaken by staff, ranging from single-day workshops to qualifications that may take several years to complete.

The attached spreadsheet lists training that has been booked and completed via the Civil Service Learning Frameworks and covers core skills, specialist skills and profession-focused training and internal core skill related training. Please note that any externally procured training is not included, as there is no central list available for this. In the case of externally procured training, this will have followed established commercial processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125234, when the Department expects to provide feedback on the latest proposals for temporary slip roads at M6 Junction 38 from National Highways, and whether that feedback will be published in the public domain.

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

National Highways has recently shared with stakeholders that it will be undertaking an options review to look at the different options for how to carry this important project out. Once this process is complete, National Highways will undertake a non-statutory public options consultation, which is likely to take place in winter 2026/27. Given the scale, duration and complexity of this scheme, National Highways is keen to explore all opportunities that could mitigate the disruption of this vital project.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 121843, when the Department expects to publish further details of the options assessment alongside amendments to The Motor Vehicles Regulations 1999.

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

The options assessment was further developed into a De Minimis Assessment. This can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/326/resources.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) what recent assessment she has made of the cost of insurance premiums for e-cargo bikes in the urban freight sector; (b) what steps she is taking to address the affordability of such premiums; and (c) what measures she is taking to tackle the use of unsafe or uncertified bikes and riders; and whether she will make a statement on the matter.

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

There has been no recent assessment of the cost of insurance premiums for e-cargo bikes in the urban freight sector.

Everyone who drives, rides or cycles, including delivery drivers and riders, has a duty to behave in a safe and responsible manner, and to follow the rules set out in The Highway Code. They must also hold the necessary registration, tax, licence and appropriate insurance for driving or riding the vehicle they are using: if they do not, they may be liable for prosecution. Enforcement of these rules is a matter for the police.

More broadly, employers have a duty to manage the safety of their employees, and their employees in turn have a responsibility to drive, ride or cycle appropriately and to comply with relevant laws.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125029 on Department for Transport: Annual Reports, in respect of the £398 million Capital DEL expenditure attributed to the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group in 2024-25, if she will publish (a) a breakdown of the projects and programmes funded, (b) the amount allocated to each project, (c) a description of the purpose and remit of that Group, including its organisational structure, and (d) the planned Capital DEL and Resource DEL budget for that Group in 2025-26.

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

In the original answer of 20 April 2026, unfortunately there was a misallocation of spending relating to Zero Emission Vehicles between the areas Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group and Road Transport Group. The answer below includes the corrected values relating to Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy.

Part A and Part B

A breakdown of spending by project for the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group is set out below, specifically for the Sustainable Travel estimate line:

Part C

Decarbonisation, Technology & Strategy Group covers cross-cutting themes including reducing environmental impact, growing the economy and increasing our global impact.

DfT’s latest organisation structure is available on gov.uk. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69e8df20d36883a64473b850/dft-organisational-chart-apr-26.pdf

Part D

The planned Capital DEL and Resource DEL budget for the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy group in 2025-26 is provided in the table below. This is the Group’s total budget for all Estimate lines.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 129535 on British Transport Police: Finance, whether the Department plans to absorb the £256.2 million currently recovered from Train Operating Companies through Police Service Agreements into the public finances as services transfer into public ownership under Great British Railways; and what estimate it has made of the impact on departmental expenditure.

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

As train operating companies move into public ownership, they will retain the requirement to enter into Police Service Agreements (PSAs) with the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), and we do not expect any changes to the funding mechanism for these. GBR will budget for PSAs with BTPA. BTPA allocates costs across operators via a cost allocation model that factors in frequency of trains, length of track, and other inputs. This cost allocation model will continue under GBR.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of increases in administrative regulatory burden arising from recent Civil Aviation Authority policy and guidance changes, and how these increases are compatible with the Government’s stated commitment in the Regulation Action Plan to a 25% reduction in such burdens.

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

The government is committed to reducing the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament. This commitment is a net reduction across all departments and regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). We remain prepared to introduce new regulation where this is proportionate and will better enable the sector to grow safely, securely and fairly.

The CAA carefully considers the impact of its regulatory activity on the aviation industry and they are committed to ensuring they fulfil their duties in an efficient way which minimises the regulatory burden on industry, without compromising their statutory duties. All Departments must report annually on the impact of their work on reducing the administrative burden, and CAA initiatives are incorporated into the Department for Transport’s Annual Simplification Plan.

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

The planning application was prepared by Network Rail at a cost of £9.7m. Having secured resolution to grant planning permission by the City of London, the scheme will attract new partners which is expected to provide private investment in the order of hundreds of millions of pounds.

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 decision not to temporarily exempt the Isle of Wight from the maritime expansion of the Emissions Trading Scheme, in line with Scottish islands, due to the lack of available grid capacity for domestic ferry operators to decarbonise their lifeline operations through electric ferries.

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

The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a key and effective policy lever for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the economy and there is a high bar for any exemptions from the scheme. A uniform carbon price applied consistently ensures that emissions reductions are delivered at the lowest overall economic cost and market distortions are minimised.

Ferries serving Scotland’s islands and peninsula communities are exempt because of the unique and pressing challenges they face in accessing essential goods and services. This is in addition to the legal duties to consider island populations under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.

The Government will continue to work with Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, in its work to incentivise network companies to invest strategically ahead of need, ensuring that future grid capacity planning reflects the emerging demands from electrifying sectors, including the Isle of Wight ferry market.

The Government will evaluate any impacts of the UK ETS on consumers and businesses, as well as the existing exemptions, in a review of the UK ETS maritime regime in 2028.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the final financial report of the Cranston Inquiry will be published.

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

The final financial report will be published this year once the process of closing the Inquiry has concluded, including transfer of files to The National Archives.

Found: ; St Ives) Paulette Hamilton (Labour; Birmingham Erdington) Alex McIntyre (Labour; Gloucester) Joe Robertson

Found: ; St Ives) Paulette Hamilton (Labour; Birmingham Erdington) Alex McIntyre (Labour; Gloucester) Joe Robertson

Found: ); Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Joe Robertson

Found: Fakenham) (Con) • Edward Morello MP (West Dorset) (LD) • Andrew Ranger MP (Wrexham) (Lab) • Joe Robertson

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