Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential (a) implications for her policies on reforming the driving-test booking system’s of DataDome’s blog entitled Alert: Security Gaps Allow Bots to Exploit UK Driving Test Booking System, published on 16 April 2025, and (b) impact of restricting instructors from booking and managing tests on the professional driver-training sector, small businesses and learner drivers, including vulnerable and neurodiverse learners.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.
The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.
The public consultation sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.
DVSA has implemented a multi-layered approach to protect the integrity of its booking system and ensure fair access for legitimate users. Where bots are known to actively target, DVSA deploys and utilises advanced bot protection.
DVSA deploys enhanced bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. However, these applications constantly evolve and change. DVSA’s work on this is ongoing. Protection measures taken by DVSA analyse multiple indicators such as typing speed, request frequency, device fingerprinting, and traffic patterns to identify non-human activity. When suspicious behaviour is detected, DVSA applied rules to block or throttle automated requests. DVSA continuously updates it approach to counter evolving tactics used by bot operators, who often attempt to mimic human behaviour.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to support repairs to the bridge on the Padiham Greenway walking and cycling route in Burnley; and how much funding her Department has provided to Lancashire County Council for walking, cycling and active travel in the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In December 2024, Sustrans was awarded £280,000 for the ‘NCN 685 River Calder bridge reinstatement’ construction scheme in the eighth tranche of National Cycle Network funding. Active Travel England will set out future allocations to Sustrans to upgrade and maintain the NCN following department business planning decisions later this year. Sustrans will then be responsible for setting out proposals on the optimum use of this funding across the NCN, which could include funding for repairs to the Padiham Greenway.
In the last five years, Lancashire County Council has received £10,589,933 in capital funding through the Active Travel Fund and £2,940,541 in revenue funding through the Capability Fund. In addition, the authority has been allocated £4,508,882 for 25/26 through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund.
Asked by: Oliver Ryan (Labour (Co-op) - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to support repairs to the bridge on the Padiham Greenway walking and cycling route in Burnley; and how much funding her Department has provided to Lancashire County Council for (a) walking, (b) cycling and (c) active travel in the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In December 2024, Sustrans was awarded £280,000 for the ‘NCN 685 River Calder bridge reinstatement’ construction scheme in the eighth tranche of National Cycle Network funding. Active Travel England will set out future allocations to Sustrans to upgrade and maintain the NCN following department business planning decisions later this year. Sustrans will then be responsible for setting out proposals on the optimum use of this funding across the NCN, which could include funding for repairs to the Padiham Greenway.
In the last five years, Lancashire County Council has received £10,589,933 in capital funding through the Active Travel Fund and £2,940,541 in revenue funding through the Capability Fund. In addition, the authority has been allocated £4,508,882 for 25/26 through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund.