Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the use of roadside evidential drug testing devices in other countries; and whether she plans to introduce comparable technology in England and Wales.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Transport has consulted on the potential use of alternative specimens, including oral fluid, saliva and sweat, in drug-driving forensic analysis. We are considering the responses received and will set out next steps in the usual way. No decision has been taken on whether to introduce roadside evidential drug-testing devices in England and Wales.
The Department works very closely with the Home Office, policing partners and scientific advisers on drug-driving enforcement and emerging testing technologies.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Home Office on the introduction of roadside evidential drug testing devices for drug driving offences since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Transport has consulted on the potential use of alternative specimens, including oral fluid, saliva and sweat, in drug-driving forensic analysis. We are considering the responses received and will set out next steps in the usual way. No decision has been taken on whether to introduce roadside evidential drug-testing devices in England and Wales.
The Department works very closely with the Home Office, policing partners and scientific advisers on drug-driving enforcement and emerging testing technologies.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the speech by Baroness Merron on 3 March 2026 on the proposed retail licensing scheme for tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1169 to 1171, when he plans to consult on that scheme; and what assessment his Department has made of the implications for the enforcement of restrictions on the packaging, appearance and retail display of vaping and nicotine products.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
On 10 July, we launched a United Kingdom-wide consultation on new proposals to restrict tobacco, vape, and nicotine product packaging, flavour descriptors, device appearance, and changing where and how vapes and nicotine products are displayed in shops. Enforcement authorities will be able to take proportionate enforcement action against non-compliance with future regulations made under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.
A future retail licensing scheme for tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products will strengthen enforcement and support law-abiding retailers, while tackling those who break the law. Those found to be in breach of a condition of their licence, or other statutory requirements, could face potential licence revocation. Whilst the specific grounds on which a licence may be granted, suspended, revoked, or varied will be subject to consultation, we want to ensure retailers are operating responsibly and in line with legal requirements.
We intend to consult on our proposals for a retail licensing scheme for tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products in 2027.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has been made of the level of buy-out under the sustainable aviation fuel Mandate that would prompt a review of the trajectory of the advanced fuel and power-to-liquid sub-mandates.
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: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many knife-enabled crimes were recorded by the British Transport Police as having occurred on board trains in each of the last 30 years.
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: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what protected species licensing requirements Network Rail is required to comply with when undertaking (a) maintenance and (b) enhancement projects on the railway network.
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: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time was between (a) a roadside drug test, (b) the taking of an evidential sample, (c) receipt of toxicology results and (d) the first court hearing for drug driving cases in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the average time between each of the stages specified. Operational information relating to roadside testing, evidential samples and forensic toxicology is held by the police and forensic service providers, while court listing is a matter for the independent courts.
The Department has not estimated the number of people arrested or charged for a drug-driving offence who were subsequently arrested for a further alleged drug-driving offence before the conclusion of the original proceedings in each of the last five years. This information is not held centrally by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the number of people arrested or charged for a drug driving offence who were subsequently arrested for a further alleged drug driving offence before the conclusion of the original proceedings in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the average time between each of the stages specified. Operational information relating to roadside testing, evidential samples and forensic toxicology is held by the police and forensic service providers, while court listing is a matter for the independent courts.
The Department has not estimated the number of people arrested or charged for a drug-driving offence who were subsequently arrested for a further alleged drug-driving offence before the conclusion of the original proceedings in each of the last five years. This information is not held centrally by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any monitoring visit to a British Overseas Territory since 4 July 2024 identified non-compliance with maritime safety or security requirements; and what follow-up action was taken in each case.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We do not routinely comment on security or intelligence related matters.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Cycling and walking boom with £4.5 billion for thousands of new routes and safer crossings, of 12 June 2026, how much funding has been allocated in each financial year; how much of the funding is outside the Spending Review period; what the title is of the funding stream; and whether it is ring-fenced.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is not possible to provide a breakdown by year because the funding projections cover the entire CWIS3 period and are not broken down by year. Information on the funding streams and the relevant time period can be found in the answer of 18 June 2026 to Question 10054 and the answer of 18 June 2026 to Question 9719.