Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
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 changes to the LNER timetable on (a) the local economy, (b) tourism, and (c) connectivity in the Scottish Borders.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the new East Coast Main Line timetable has been developed, both the Department and the operators, including LNER, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry, have considered the effect on local economies and tourism along the route. This includes the Scottish Borders area, where extra services and stops have been introduced in the last few years to maintain connectivity in advance of the London services being revised this December, and further Scottish Border local services will be introduced in December.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his proposed ban on trophy hunting imports will include the (a) import and (b) export of hunting trophies, (c) enforcement of existing (i) national and (ii) international laws against trophy hunting and (d) enforcement of penalties for offenders.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders on the scope and design of this ban, including on the enforcement of penalties and hunting trophy exports.
We will continue to implement all existing national and international laws regarding trophy hunting trade, for example, under the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the planned scope is of the proposed ban on trophy hunting imports; and when he plans to publish a timetable for introducing that legislation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, as determined under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once there is sufficient clarity on the Parliamentary timetable.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the measures the DVSA implemented to help reduce waiting times for driving tests that she announced to the Transport Select Committee on 23 April 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.
The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Location | Average Waiting Times July 25 |
Hawick | 22.3 Weeks |
Galashiels | 23.5 Weeks |
Kelso | 24 Weeks |
Duns | 24 Weeks |
Berwick | 22.8 Weeks |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of waiting times for driving tests on people seeking a driving licence.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.
The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Location | Average Waiting Times July 25 |
Hawick | 22.3 Weeks |
Galashiels | 23.5 Weeks |
Kelso | 24 Weeks |
Duns | 24 Weeks |
Berwick | 22.8 Weeks |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time is for driving tests at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.
The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Location | Average Waiting Times July 25 |
Hawick | 22.3 Weeks |
Galashiels | 23.5 Weeks |
Kelso | 24 Weeks |
Duns | 24 Weeks |
Berwick | 22.8 Weeks |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the length of waiting times for driving tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.
The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Location | Average Waiting Times July 25 |
Hawick | 22.3 Weeks |
Galashiels | 23.5 Weeks |
Kelso | 24 Weeks |
Duns | 24 Weeks |
Berwick | 22.8 Weeks |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have been employed by the DVSA in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since July last year, up to and including July 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has recruited and trained 226 driving examiners DEs who are now in post and delivering driving tests. The table below breaks down this figure by month, from July 2024 to July 2025.
New DE's who have successfully completed training and moved into post. | |
Jul-24 | 10 |
Aug-24 | 12 |
Sep-24 | 19 |
Oct-24 | 7 |
Nov-24 | 10 |
Dec-24 | 6 |
Jan-25 | 16 |
Feb-25 | 36 |
Mar-25 | 23 |
Apr-25 | 17 |
May-25 | 14 |
Jun-25 | 30 |
Jul-25 | 26 |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of litigation funders (a) overriding and (b) challenging class representatives on claimant outcomes.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.
The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase transparency on the (a) ownership and (b) control of litigation funders.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.
The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.