Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85197 on Motor Vehicles: Testing, what steps her Department is taking to support small and independent MOT testing stations in managing operational costs.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Independent MOT garages are a cornerstone of our testing regime, and their contribution to delivering high-quality MOT tests is greatly valued. Their efforts do not go unnoticed and play a crucial role in ensuring our roads remain safe for all users.
I understand that rising inflation and operational costs have put pressure on garages. While the income from MOTs has remained static due to the set fee, many garages do not charge the maximum permitted fee, and others are not solely reliant on MOT income to remain profitable.
The Department keeps the MOT regime, including the fee under review. Any consideration of changes must balance the needs of garages and their ability to invest against the interests of drivers in receiving value from the MOT.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage competition between independent MOT testing garages and large national chains.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The MOT is a vital part of the regulations that keep our roads safe, and I greatly appreciate the work of skilled mechanics in both independent garages and larger businesses that are essential to testing.
It is one of the strengths of our testing regime that independent garages across the country provide assurance to millions in their community's while providing value to drivers in a competitive market.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to extend the requirement for mandatory anti-lock braking systems to include all new 125cc motorcycles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK's technical requirements for the type approval of motorcycles currently remain aligned with the EU's as the Department seeks to reduce burdens on businesses by limiting UK-EU regulatory divergence.
Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less must be equipped with an advanced braking system: either an anti-lock braking system or a combined braking system or both. The Department has not undertaken a study into the effectiveness of mandating anti-lock braking systems for motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less and there are no plans to introduce legislation on this issue.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry on (a) job creation and (b) economic growth in the Humberside region.
Answered by Mike Kane
Building a UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry represents a significant economic opportunity which can bring good, high-skilled jobs to regions like the Humberside. We are putting £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund in 2025/2026 to help support UK SAF plants to reach commercial scale.
We will also deliver a revenue certainty mechanism to encourage investment into the UK SAF industry. We expect the legislation for a revenue certainty mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026. We will continue to monitor the estimated delivery date and work with industry to deliver an effective revenue certainty mechanism as soon as possible.
Our policies on SAF will, taken together, help support thousands of jobs and create economic growth as well helping to bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to accelerate the introduction of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Certainty Mechanism) Bill.
Answered by Mike Kane
Building a UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry represents a significant economic opportunity which can bring good, high-skilled jobs to regions like the Humberside. We are putting £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund in 2025/2026 to help support UK SAF plants to reach commercial scale.
We will also deliver a revenue certainty mechanism to encourage investment into the UK SAF industry. We expect the legislation for a revenue certainty mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026. We will continue to monitor the estimated delivery date and work with industry to deliver an effective revenue certainty mechanism as soon as possible.
Our policies on SAF will, taken together, help support thousands of jobs and create economic growth as well helping to bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on discussions to establish a direct rail link between London and Cleethorpes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State knows the introduction of a direct train to London from Cleethorpes and Grimsby has been a longstanding local ambition. We are working with industry to understand the timetabling, financial, operational and infrastructure issues that would need to be resolved before a service to Cleethorpes could be introduced, once the East Coast Mainline timetable change has been implemented this December.
Infrastructure and operational assessments made by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Network Rail have confirmed that LNER services could call at Cleethorpes and Grimsby without major infrastructure changes. However, for LNER trains to serve Market Rasen station, significant infrastructure work, estimated to cost £15 to £20 million, would be required. The introduction of this service would be subject to funding and a thorough business case process.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made with National Highways on the next round of RIS3 funding: and whether the A180 will be included in this funding stream.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The multi-year Spending Review, concluding in late spring, will help frame the 5-year RIS3 funding envelope that National Highways has to operate, maintain, renew and improve the strategic road network in the next road period starting in 2026. Once the level and profile of RIS funding is confirmed, National Highways can plan what it will deliver and when, including the scope, ambition and timing of major renewals projects, such as the A180 in North East Lincolnshire.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the electrification of onshore marine ports.
Answered by Mike Kane
We are committed to Britain becoming a Clean Energy Superpower and ports are a key part of that mission. Ports are primarily private entities and the cost of electrification of onshore marine ports varies from port to port depending on the port's needs. The cost can be significantly higher or lower depending on the electricity demand and the distance from a connection point.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK SHORE funding; and what is the status of the future of that funding.
Answered by Mike Kane
The UK SHORE programme has funded over 150 projects and has leveraged over £100m private investment, supporting all levels of research and development including feasibility studies, trials and demonstrations in a commercial environment. The funding is benefitting all 12 regions in the UK, supporting over 350 organisations, including over 200 SMEs.
All projects are detailed on Innovate UK’s website and we are conducting in independent evaluation assessment of the programme which is measuring its impact and helping us shape future support as well as policy.
Following the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024, DfT now has its budget for the next Financial Year (2025 / 2026). We are waiting for the internal business planning process to conclude before we can confirm what that means in terms of funding for individual programmes.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to develop the electrification of ports.
Answered by Mike Kane
The new Government’s manifesto made it clear that the “grid has become the single biggest obstacle to the deployment of cheap, clean power generation and the electrification of industry.” My Department meets regularly with ports and District Network Operations (DNOs) to understand the challenges they face in relation to electrification, to signpost information and to raise their concerns across government. As a mission driven government, the Secretary of State for Transport attends the Clean Energy Mission Board, which is chaired by DESNZ Secretary of State, a key focus of which grid investment and connection's process reform.