Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many resident parents in receipt of Universal Credit receive Child Maintenance from more than one paying parent.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2026 to Question 862 on Department for Transport: Aviation, if he will set out the policy on (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers going on holiday to a foreign destination adjacent to an official visit overseas.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

There are strict controls on Cabinet office employees travelling overseas with departmental IT. The Senior Responsible Officer (a Senior Civil Servant in Cabinet Office) is accountable for ensuring that all the potential implications of the individual being abroad have been considered. Cabinet Office employees are not permitted to claim for travel and subsistence expenses for personal travel or international remote working.

The Ministerial Code sets out principles relating to ministerial travel for official business. Section 10.1 of the Ministerial Code states that “Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost‑effective travel arrangements. Official transport should not normally be used for travel arrangements arising from party or private business, except where this is justified on security grounds.” Section 10.4 states “When ministers travel on official business, their travel expenses should be borne by the departmental vote.”

Furthermore, section 8.13 of the Ministerial Code notes that “If a minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present (for example, at a social occasion or on holiday) any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what categories of management information are recorded locally by state-owned Train Operating Companies in relation to service cancellations.

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

The Department does not hold centrally a list of the categories of management information recorded locally by train operating companies. Decisions on locally recorded management information are an operational matter for each operator.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibility (a) Great British Railways and (b) DfT Operator Limited will have on trade union facility time.

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

DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) is responsible for agreeing and administering reasonable paid trade union facility time for its employees, in accordance with recognition agreements, ACAS guidance, employment legislation and operational requirements. Great British Railways will determine its own arrangements for trade union facility time as part of its future employment and industrial relations framework.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2026 to Question 13039 on Aviation: Antisocial Behaviour, how many flights to or from UK airports have been diverted as a result of disruptive or unruly passenger behaviour in each of the last five years.

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

Data on flights diverted due to disruptive or unruly passenger behaviour is reported to the Civil Aviation Authority through the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting scheme. Reports submitted under this scheme are subject to strict confidentiality requirements, and this data can only be used to maintain or improve aviation safety. It cannot be released to the general public or media.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2026 to Question 934 on Parking: Fines, how many audits of parking companies have been undertaken by (a) DVLA and (b) the Government Internal Audit Agency since July 2024.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) audit framework ensures that customers, including private parking companies, have appropriate internal controls in place to protect the data they request.

Evidence based transactional checks are also conducted by the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) on DVLA’s behalf to ensure that customers such as private parking companies can demonstrate that they have reasonable cause for requesting the data from DVLA.

Since July 2024, the DVLA has undertaken 157 audits of private parking companies through its statements of control audits framework. Over the same period GIAA has carried out 203 evidence based transactional audits of private parking companies on DVLA’s behalf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding (a) her Department and (b) its agencies provided to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety in the last 12 months for which data is available.

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

The central department made payments of £56,144.60 to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety in the last 12 months.

No payments were made by the agencies.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 126865 on Motability: Rural Areas, what estimate his Department has made of the average annual mileage driven by Motability Scheme customers living in rural areas, and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Whilst the Department works closely with Motability and is responsible for the main disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme, Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations.

Motability have stated that, on average, customers drive around 7,500 miles a year but understand that living in rural areas often means having to travel further to access everyday services. On 14 July they announced that to support this, they are adding up to 3,000 additional miles per year onto the lease for certain customers.

They’ve used the Governments' data on rural isolation to identify the areas with limited access to essential services. The data looks at the typical travel time to services that people regularly rely on, including grocery shopping, healthcare and education. Motability will identify and contact those eligible for this support and contact them directly by email or letter.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Skills England has undertaken an assessment of current and projected workforce shortages in aviation engineering, including the implications of new apprentice registrations remaining below pre-pandemic levels.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Skills England published an updated assessment of current demand for occupations in 2025. This is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/occupations-in-demand/2025. The assessment, based on a range of indicators of employment demand, found that aerospace engineers were not experiencing elevated levels of demand in 2025.

Skills England also published its Annual Skills Report and Sector Skills Needs Assessment on 1 June 2026. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-england-annual-skills-report-and-sectoral-skills-needs-assessments-2026. The reports feature skills assessments of the Advanced Manufacturing sector and Defence sector, both of which include aerospace engineering as a priority occupation. In the recently published Skills Needs Assessments, Skills England estimate a growth of 6,000 workers for aerospace engineers across the Advanced Manufacturing and Defence sectors from 2025 to 2035.

Since 2018/19 starts have remained stable or grown in aviation-related apprenticeships. For example, starts in the aerospace engineer standard have increased from 140 in 2018/19 to 170 in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment Skills England has made of the aviation sector’s reliance on overseas-based licensed engineers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Occupations related to aviation engineering such as Electrical and electronics technicians and Engineering technicians are included in the Migration Advisory Committee’s Temporary Shortage List review. As part of this review, government departments have been asked to submit plans demonstrating evidence of current and future shortage, along with the action that is being taken to support that occupation and reduce the need for migrant labour. Skills England has been involved in reviewing these plans, assessing the data they use and the suitability of actions. The MAC are due to publish their report on the Temporary Shortage List this Summer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project has been subject to any funding reprofiling since 11 June 2026; and what the planned expenditure on the project is in each financial year from 2026-27 to 2029-30.

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

The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project is being delivered in line with the funding position set out following the Spending Review and the subsequent Road Investment Strategy.

As with all major projects subject to Government approvals, the Full Business Case for the A66 project is currently progressing through the relevant Government approvals and governance process, further details on cost, delivery and programme timescales will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any strategic road schemes have been subject to funding reprofiling since 11 June 2026; and if she will list each scheme affected, the reason for the reprofiling, and the revised annual expenditure profile.

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

There has been no funding reprofiling to enhancement schemes on the strategic road network since 11 June 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that students who have studied BTEC Level 3 in Aerospace Engineering and similar qualifications are not prevented from accessing employer-led levy funded engineering apprenticeships.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

A learner is able to undertake an apprenticeship at a lower level and in the same sector as training they have previously received, providing the apprenticeship offers sufficient new learning to meet our minimum duration requirements. The government will not fund training that duplicates provision a learner has already received.

In August 2025, we reduced the minimum duration of an apprenticeship from 12 months to 8 months, this change means that more people with relevant prior learning will be able to upskill through an apprenticeship.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been provided by her Department towards Hammersmith Bridge since its closure in April 2019; and how much further funding has been requested by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

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

The Government has provided the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with £17m since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge in 2019. We would expect the Borough to request any further project funding via the Structures Fund, where it will be considered alongside other project proposals. The Structures Fund closes for applications on 3 August.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authority-owned highway bridges are subject to weight restrictions or closures because the estimated repair costs exceed the funding currently available.

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

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. My Department does not collect data on the reason for every weight restriction or closure applied to a bridge by a local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2026, to Question 13259, on National Highways: Expenditure, who are the stakeholders in relation to the external public affairs contract, and whether they included (a) Government representatives and (b) Parliamentarians.

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

The contract supports National Highways’ commitment to engage openly, effectively and appropriately with a wide range stakeholders who have an interest in the Strategic Road Network. This includes, but is not limited to, regional representatives, relevant Government departments and public bodies, transport and infrastructure organisations, business groups, road safety organisations, environmental groups, and parliamentarians.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026, to Question 4343, on Parking Offences: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, whether the higher parking charges from the trial remain in force in that locality.

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

The higher-level Penalty Charge Notice levels applied only during the August 2025 trial carried out by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have (a) applied for, (b) commenced and (c) successfully completed air traffic controller training in each of the last five years.

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

The Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority do not hold data on the number of individuals who applied for, started, or successfully completed air traffic controller training in each of the last five years.

Since 2022-23, the Civil Aviation Authority has published the number of licensed air traffic controllers in its Annual Report & Accounts. This is summarised in the table below.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has undertaken any review of whether expenditure by its arm's length bodies on external affairs and public affairs complies with Cabinet Office guidance on lobbying using public funds since 4 July 2024.

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

Accounting Officers of DfT public bodies are bound by Managing Public Money and Cabinet Office guidance. Section 4.1 of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies also states, 'it will always be an improper use of public funds for public bodies to employ consultants or other companies to lobby Parliament, Government or political parties'.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit have (a) no member of the household in employment, (b) no member of the household in receipt of a (i) health and (ii) disability related benefit and (c) at least one child aged four and under.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

However, monthly Universal Credit statistics for the number of households in receipt of Universal Credit by the Number of Children Aged 0 to 4 are published in the Households on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to February 2026.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

Found: Rebecca Smith: We are talking about the integration of all modes, though, aren’t we?

Submit Evidence (by 16 Oct 2026)

The Transport Committee is examining how transport issues can act as a barrier to young people finding, taking up and remaining in employment or training.

Submit Evidence (by 25 Mar 2033)

The Transport Committee is looking at how effectively the Government is keeping women and girls safe as they travel, and what more could be done to ensure that they can make their journeys without fear of violence, intimidation or harassment.