Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71258 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, whether (a) Oxfordshire County Council and (b) Oxford City Council have made enquiries to DVLA to access vehicle registration data for the purposes of (i) congestion charging and (ii) traffic filters.

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

In line with the relevant legislation, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provides vehicle information to Oxfordshire County Council for a number of specified purposes. These include management of the zero emission zones scheme and moving traffic offences.

The data sharing contract governing requests for vehicle information relating to local authority schemes in Oxford is between the DVLA and Oxfordshire County Council.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle chargepoints need to be installed each year between 2025 and 2030 to meet the government’s target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

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

An estimate of potential future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, which presents annual projections out to 2030, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that rollout to date is on track.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of industrial action by train guards on passengers.

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

The Department regrets the impact any industrial action by guards may have on passengers. The Department works with its contracted train operators to minimise the impact of any industrial action and encourages them and the trade unions to resolve matters, through discussion, as quickly as possible.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is an annual allowance for (a) works, (b) fittings and (c) fixtures for Ministerial residences in (i) Downing Street, (ii) Carlton Gardens and (iii) Admiralty House.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Government Property Agency (GPA) does not have an annual allowance for works, fittings and fixtures for Ministerial residences.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending existing VAT reliefs on defibrillators to cover direct purchases by (a) community groups, (b) sports clubs and (c) small businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an Automated External Defibrillator is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body, no VAT is charged. Furthermore, all state schools in England have been fitted with AEDs.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department has received from local authorities and parking operators on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77649 on 13 October 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the FOI response Ref: FOI-00045627, if she will publish that response.

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

Although the Department for Transport maintains a monthly disclosure log of Freedom of Information requests on GOV.UK it does not routinely publish individual replies. Copies of individual replies with personal information redacted are available on request.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71264 on Driving under Influence, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the lower limit in Scotland on the economic viability of pubs in Scotland.

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

The power to set the drink drive limit in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. The Department of Transport has not made an assessment of the impact on the economic viability of pubs in Scotland.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total amount of public funding committed to electric vehicle charging infrastructure to date is; and what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per operational public chargepoint delivered.

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

In the 2025 Spending Review £400 million of capital funding was allocated to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

The cost of deploying public chargepoints varies widely due to a range of factors including location, speed, anticipated utilisation, and grid connection costs, with many chargepoints delivered without any public funding. Where funding is provided, we monitor average public chargepoint costs via data from DfT grants to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. The Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund has been designed to minimise cost to the public by encouraging local authorities to leverage significant private investment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the 300,000 public chargepoints required by 2030 that will come from the installation of the 100,000 local chargepoints announced on 13 June 2025.

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

An estimate of potential UK future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. While the precise number of public chargepoints needed is uncertain, the majority of these will be delivered by industry. The Government’s LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England, nearly all in addition to over 86,000 publicly available chargepoints to date.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of public electric vehicle chargepoints that will be installed in each year between 2025 and 2030.

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

An estimate of potential future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, which presents annual projections out to 2030, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that rollout to date is on track.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the announcement of 13 June 2025 on the installation of over 100,000 new local electric vehicle chargepoints in England, what her planned timetable is for this; and how many have been installed to date.

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

The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has allocated capital and resource funding to local authorities across England, to ensure public chargepoint rollout improves significantly across the country. In total, the LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England.

The majority of LEVI projects have now been approved to go to delivery, the first contracts have been signed between local authorities and chargepoint operators, and the first projects have now started to install chargepoints. Installation rates will increase as more projects enter delivery, with installation expected to continue over the coming years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department press release entitled Boost for British green aviation fuel production to support jobs and lift off emerging industry, published on 14 May 2025, how much of the (a) £400,000 and (b) £60 million will be allocated to (i) UK-headquartered companies and (ii) companies headquartered overseas; and how many jobs have been (A) created and (B) safeguarded, broken down by company receiving funding.

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

The press release concerns £63 million which was made available for the third competition window of the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). The AFF aims to grow the UK supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by supporting first-of-a-kind production plants achieve commercial scale. The £400,000 is related to grant funding made available this financial year for the UK SAF Clearing House. The Clearing House provides services to potential UK SAF producers to help them navigate the testing and approval requirements for non-fossil-based jet fuel.

In respect of the AFF funding, £63 million has been allocated across 17 UK projects for this financial year. On points (i) and (ii), this funding can only be allocated to companies with a UK registered office for UK based projects.

In respect of Clearing House grant funding, the assessment process to allocate the £400,000 is still ongoing, however all recipients will have to be either a UK registered company or charity with a UK footprint.

Low carbon fuels production can support up to 15,000 jobs in the UK by 2050. In respect of job creation, information that is provided by AFF bidders and our Clearing House is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the government’s target to deliver 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030 is dependent on private sector investment.

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

An estimate of potential future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030.

This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. While the precise number of public chargepoints needed is uncertain, the majority of these will be delivered by industry, who have already committed £6 billion of private sector investment in UK charging infrastructure before 2030.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled More than £1.1 billion investment to boost growth, jobs and skills in UK’s coastal towns and cities, published on 15 September 2025, how much and what proportion of £448 million will be spent on (a) research and development, (b) demonstration projects, (c) infrastructure deployment and (d) other areas.

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

On 15 September 2025, we announced £448m for the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport. All the funding is to support clean maritime research and development from 2026 to 2030.

Allocation of funds is subject to competition, with competition scopes, assessment criteria, and budgets to be published alongside competition announcements. The Government laid a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament alongside the announcement providing an outline of the future UK SHORE programme. This includes a second round of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI2) competition aimed at the building of clean vessels and port infrastructure followed by commercial trials, and three further rounds of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) aimed at demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled £120 million to roll-out more electric vans, taxis and motorbikes, published on 25 February 2025, what estimate she has made of the annual number of motorbikes manufactured in the UK; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of the £120 million that will support (a) UK-manufactured motorbikes and (b) motorbikes manufactured overseas.

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

The Department for Transport does not collect data on the number of motorbikes manufactured in the UK. The £120 million of funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2023 enabled the continuation of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant, offering grants of £500 for qualifying zero emission motorcycles, with British brands such as Maeving continuing to be a popular choice under the scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to increase fuel duty; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of any such increase on the (a) cost of living and (b) business transport costs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government carefully considers the impact of fuel duty on households and businesses and the public finances, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Greener flights ahead for UK aviation, published on 1 January 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost per passenger flight of the requirement for airlines to use 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.

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

The press release relates to the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate which came into force on 1 January. The Department published a Cost Benefit Analysis for the SAF Mandate, alongside the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) Order 2024 SI No.1187 which introduced the mandate. That Cost Benefit Analysis sets out our analysis of the potential costs and benefits of the policy. Any impact on ticket prices is expected to be within the range of normal year to year changes in air fares.

We continually monitor the market to update our assumptions where necessary. The Mandate has been designed to protect against excessive costs with a built-in review process so the Government can take action if necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce or extend VAT to private hire vehicle journeys; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of such a measure on (a) fares for passengers and (b) small operators.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Private hire vehicle services provided by VAT-registered businesses are, and always have been, subject to VAT.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71274 on THINK! Campaign, what the total amount of savings from reduced spending on the THINK! Road Safety communications campaign is since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

For the financial year 2024/2025, the budget for the THINK! road safety campaign has reduced by £1,299,424 compared to the previous financial year. This was in line with the Government’s review of campaign spending.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle chargepoints were installed in each year since 2020; and how many have been installed to date in 2025.

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

The net increase in the number of charging devices in the UK’s public charging network in each year since 2020 is presented in the below table.

The figures in this table represent the net increase in the number of public charging devices in the source dataset from year to year. This is the number of devices added to the source data minus the number of devices removed from the source data (e.g. if decommissioned) each year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of (a) rostering and (b) minimum service agreements on the number of (i) lightly used and (ii) empty trains operating on the network.

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

The Department requires train operators to provide services across a wide range of markets to support access to transport and connectivity to jobs and services. This means that some trains do operate with low passenger numbers and operational reasons mean it is not practical to match demand to capacity on every service. We expect operators to provide their services in a way that best balances passenger needs, performance and value for money for taxpayers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71243 on c2c: Nationalisation, how many (a) senior management and (b) specialist operational staff have left c2c since its transfer to public ownership on 20 July 2025; and what steps her Department has taken to retain such expertise within the publicly owned rail network.

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

Since c2c’s transfer to public ownership two months ago no senior management have left. Eight operational staff have left and have been or are being replaced. This is within usual levels of attrition and c2c continues to deploy its workforce planning strategies to ensure sufficient expertise.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish the regulated rail fare levels for 2026.

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

No decisions have yet been taken on the regulated fares change for 2026, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers. There will be an update on changes to regulated rail fares in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71256 on Railways: Automation, if she will make it her policy to link government investment to conditions on greater take-up of automated train operation technology.

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

The Government is committed to investing in a modern railway that is reliable for passengers and supports economic growth for taxpayers. This has included investment in automated train operation in recent years, as noted in the answer of 8 September, on schemes such as Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line, and I would expect this to continue to be a consideration for future investment where it can drive efficiency and improved performance for the railway.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that passenger service levels for trains are aligned with levels of demand for train services.

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

The Department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. We expect all operators to regularly review their timetabled services to ensure they are both attractive to passengers and reduce the tax-payer support required for the railway. Great British Railways will be created as a new arm’s length body, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services to deliver a more sustainable, affordable and reliable railway.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of rail workers' (a) contracts and (b) rosters on the level of subsidy for running (i) lightly-used and (ii) empty rail services.

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

Rail workers' contracts and rosters are a matter for train operating companies, and while inevitably for operational reasons some services will have low loadings, we expect all operators to regularly review their timetabled services to ensure they are both attractive to passengers and reduce the tax-payer support required for the railway. Great British Railways will be created as a new arm’s length body, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services to deliver a more sustainable, affordable and reliable railway.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse for payments associated with rolling stock leasing agreements following the transfer of train operating companies into state control.

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

It is expected that future transfers will see existing rolling stock leasing arrangements novate to the new public sector operator on existing terms as part of the transfer of operations into public ownership. Therefore, we do not expect changes to current cost estimates as a result of the transfer of operations into public ownership.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse is for (a) direct and (b) indirect liability for rolling stock leasing debt following the transfer of train operating companies into public ownership.

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

The Department does not expect any changes to current rolling stock debt liabilities as a direct consequence of the transfer of train operating companies into public ownership.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) The Office of the Mayor of London and (b) Transport for London on the London Underground strikes in the week of 8 September 2025.

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

Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL, and strike action on London’s transport network is for TfL to manage. The Government encourages all sides to work together to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible. The Secretary of State met with TfL on this matter during the week of 8 September 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71266 on Department for Transport: Buildings, what the make and model of soundproof meeting pods were; and how many were purchased.

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

Three Kolo Midi soundproof meeting pods were purchased.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71268 on Department for Transport: Ministers' Private Offices, what the expenditure of £2,769.49 was on; and if she will provide a breakdown of each item of spending.

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

Since 4 July 2024 the Department has spent £211.34 on redecoration of Ministers' Private Offices. Following a review and a correction to the answer to Question 71268, I can confirm that no costs were incurred on furniture and fittings.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Pensions (Abolition of Lifetime Allowance Charge etc) (No. 3) Regulations 2024 on people with enhance protection; and whether she has considered bringing forward further legislative proposals to ensure that their scheme-specific lump sum calculations are maintained relative to the position before 6 April 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are aware that recent changes made to the scheme-specific lump sum calculation are not operating as intended for those with certain forms of transitional protection, including those with enhanced protection. The result is that in some cases, entitlement to tax-free lump sums is smaller than prior to April 2024.

HMRC intends to bring forward legislation to address this issue by April 2026. Regulations will have effect from April 2024. This will ensure the calculation for scheme-specific lump sums is similar to the position at April 2024.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what oversight exists of local authorities that (a) keep and (b) exhibit animals in public parks, and what steps her Department is taking to ensure such animals are kept in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that kept animals, including those accommodated or exhibited in public parks, are cared for in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Where a local authority itself exhibits animals, it is expected to meet the same high welfare standards that apply to any operator under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. These Regulations require anyone in the business of keeping or training animals for exhibition to hold a valid licence and to comply with strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including requirements relating to the animal's environment, diet, health, and provision of appropriate care and supervision.

The 2018 Regulations are accompanied by statutory guidance developed to help local authorities enforce the licensing regime fairly and consistently. The guidance for keeping or training animals for exhibition can be found here.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many stray dogs were taken into shelter by local authorities in the last 12 months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to increase Air Passenger Duty on domestic or international flights; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of any such increase on (a) regional connectivity and (b) aviation sector competitiveness.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. It is expected to raise £4.7 billion in 2025-26 and it aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced increases to APD rates for 2026-27, which partially make up for a real-terms fall in rates following a period of high inflation. The increase equates to £1 per economy class passenger more for those taking domestic flights, and for those travelling short-haul in economy class, this will be an increase of £2 per passenger per flight.

A higher rate currently applies to larger private jets, and this will rise by an additional 50 per cent on top of the general increase made to all APD rates. The Government also published a consultation on the extension of the higher rate to cover all private jets already within scope of the APD regime. At present, the higher rate only applies to larger private jets, and so many private jet passengers pay the same rates as commercial airline passengers. The consultation closed on 22 January and the Government will respond in due course.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of public finances. The Government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notices (TIINs) alongside tax policy changes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing legislation to ensure that foals are not entered into competitive races.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both.

The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of equines. The Code states that any training should be appropriate to the age, experience and condition of the animal, which includes training for races.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that defibrillators are routinely procured and installed in (a) police cars and (b) other frontline public service vehicles.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Provision of defibrillators in police and fire vehicles is an operational matter for either the individual police force or fire and rescue service to determine at local level.

The Home Office has been working to provide more defibrillators to all 43 forces across the country and recently purchased over 500 defibrillators to distribute to police forces free of charge, for them to deploy according to their local knowledge. We continue to work to explore what more could be done to increase availability of defibrillators more generally where this is within the remit of the Home Office, including through our ongoing engagement with the OurJay Foundation.

The Department for Health and Social Care has confirmed that all ambulances carry defibrillators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled New dawn for rail as South Western services return to public hands, published on 25 May 2025, on what evidential basis her Department calculated that public ownership of railways would save £150 million from the public purse; and if she will publish (a) the categories of fees that are no longer payable and (b) the estimated value of each fee category.

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

Private sector train operating companies are paid fixed and performance-based fees are set out in their National Rail Contracts with the Department. Operations are being transferred into public ownership as their National Rail Contract expire, meaning these fees will no longer be applicable once services have transferred. This saving is estimated to be up to £150million per annum once all franchised contracts have expired, with a proportion of these savings achieved each year in the interim as individual operators’ services transfer.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Office for National Statistics classifies rolling stock leasing liabilities as part of the public sector balance sheet.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Passenger Watchdog will be (a) responsible for issuing passenger performance standards, (b) involved in drafting and publishing those standards before Great British Railways becomes operational; and when she expects the Passenger Watchdog to go live.

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

The Government consulted on proposals for a railways bill, including the creation of a new passenger watchdog, earlier in the year. The Government response to this consultation will be published in due course and we expect to introduce legislation to establish the watchdog later in this parliamentary session. The watchdog would then become operational as soon as possible after the legislation receives royal assent.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has for the number of staff working for Great British Rail in each of the next 10 years; and over what time frame they will be hired.

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

GBR will be established as a new arms-length body bringing together responsibilities currently split over more than 17 different organisations. While details on exact roles are subject to further design work, GBR will rely on colleagues from across the railway to continue the important work they do each day in delivering for passengers. We will continue to engage with the industry on our plans for GBR.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Your chance to try simpler train tickets in Yorkshire and the East Midlands this September, published on 6 June 2025, how many passengers have volunteered to participate in the digital ticketing trials in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the East Midlands.

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

The Digital Pay As You Go (DPAYG) trials are an opportunity for passengers to test cutting-edge technology and benefit from a simpler, more flexible tickets. We have had good engagement from passengers across the trial routes so far, with 968 users on Trial 1 and 532 users on Trial 2.

The Department and delivery partners are pushing for as close to 1000 participants per trial as possible to gather passenger views and effectively evaluate this innovative technology.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press relase entitled New era of rail accountability for passengers as performance data goes live at stations, published on 6 March 2025, when she expects performance data to go live on-screen at all stations across the rail network.

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

For the first time, we have made station-specific performance information available at over 1,700 stations. Where possible, this information is displayed digitally. Otherwise, passengers are able to scan a QR code which will direct them to the relevant information online. In addition, data for all stations in Great Britain is available on the Office for Rail and Road website.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Simpler train travel for the South East as contactless ticketing rolls out at 47 more stations, published on 20 January 2025, how many and what proportion of the 49 stations announced for rollout in 2025 had contactless introduced by 10 October 2025; what her Department's timetable is for introducing contactless in the remaining stations; and what plans her Department has to extend contactless ticketing (a) beyond the South East and (b) in (i) Greater Manchester and (ii) the West Midlands.

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

We have committed to expanding Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless ticketing to further stations in the Southeast, with an additional 49 stations to be rolled out by the end of this year. Ministers will be making an announcement on delivery soon.

Additionally, we have announced plans to launch PAYG in both Manchester and the West Midlands, expanding PAYG to more than 90 additional rail stations in 2026. Any further announcement on wider expansion beyond this, as well as an update on delivery timings, will be provided in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to increase the rate of Insurance Premium Tax; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of any such increase on (a) household and (b) business insurance costs.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) is a broad-based tax which raises important revenue to fund essential public services including the NHS, defence, and education. The rate of IPT has been unchanged since 2017.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances. At Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025, the Government took a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle chargepoints have been installed in each local authority area in England; and what assessment she has made of the level of regional difference in access to charging infrastructure.

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

The latest data available regarding the number of public charging devices for electric vehicles in each local authority area in England, as of 1 July 2025, can be found in table 1a of the attached document.

Government monitors public charging device roll out on a regional basis through our official statistics. Allocations for the Government’s £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund were designed to address regional differences in public charging infrastructure by accounting for existing levels of public charging infrastructure available across England. This will ensure charging provision develops across the country.

Government also recently announced a £25m grant for local authorities in England to install EV pavement channels. This investment is designed to be an extra tool for local authorities to use in their local charging solutions to support residents to charge.

The below table shows the number of public charging devices and the number per 100,000 of the population in each region of England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in (a) each of the 12 months before 5 July 2024 and (b) each month since that date.

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

The table below shows the national average car driving test waiting time in weeks, for the months July 2023 to September 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of bus journeys for which passengers have paid a fare between £2 and £3 since 5 July 2024.

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

The Department for Transport does not routinely collect fare-level data for individual bus journeys.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Great British Railways in action – passengers benefit from track and train being united on South Eastern Railway, published on 18 June 2025, how many times the South Eastern Railway leadership team has met 17 June 2025.

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

In June this year, the South Eastern Railway - a single integrated leadership team with accountability for track and train – was formally launched. Since then, members of this team have met both formally and informally on a daily basis.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of employment tribunals; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of delays on claimants aged over 50 seeking redress for unfair dismissal.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We recognise that there are significant demand pressures on the Employment Tribunals and are working with the judiciary, HMCTS and Department for Business and Trade on actions to alleviate pressures. For example, we are investing in tribunal productivity through the development of modern case management systems, encouraging the uptake of mediation, and the continued use of remote hearing technology, as well as the recruitment of additional judges and deployment of legal officers.

In 2024, we had 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026. As a result, the previous Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.

Of the complaints brought to the ET involving unfair dismissal, a small proportion are successful at hearing. The majority of ET complaints involving unfair dismissal are settled, withdrawn, dismissed or decided in favour of the respondent (usually the employer) at hearing. In addition, not all unfair dismissal cases are brought to the Employment Tribunal, with some cases being resolved through Acas. The latest data on the number of early conciliation notifications that are received by Acas for unfair dismissal is published annually, and can be found at: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/annual-report.

The Ministry of Justice does not have a breakdown of Employment Tribunal statistics by age, however there is published data available on unfair dismissal, as well as age discrimination claims here: Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to use discounted ticketing initiatives to (a) increase passenger utilisation on lightly used services and (b) reduce the volume of trains operating with significant spare capacity for Great British Railways services.

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

Great British Railways (GBR) will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare. GBR will offer us the opportunity to go further with optimising train services and driving up utilisation. Through GBR’s directing mind function, services and timetables will be developed in a coherent fashion that drives up network performance and improves the journey experience.

We are also already driving forward improvements in advance of GBR. For example, we are supporting LNER to deliver their ‘Simpler Fares’ trial, which is testing an easier to understand fares structure and demand-based pricing on parts of their long-distance network. The aim is to improve the passenger experience by reducing crowding, making better use of capacity and making travel more comfortable for passengers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) mitigate the impact of repeated (i) over-running engineering works and (ii) cancellations on the c2c network and (b) ensure that passengers using (A) season tickets and (B) workplace travel schemes are able to access compensation when services are disrupted.

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

The Department expects c2c to collaborate closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact of any over-running engineering works. In relation to cancellations, the Department holds train operating companies, including c2c, to account on their performance against targets including through regular meetings and periodic reporting. Integration across track and train is being progressed in the Anglia region; this will ensure that all parts of the system are pulling together to deliver a better and more efficient service for customers.

Where passengers purchase a season ticket and experience delays, they can claim delay repay from the relevant train operating company directly. If they are travelling as part of a workplace travel scheme, passengers will have to check with their employer what compensation they can claim for.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce (a) a similar scheme to the Great British Rail Sale of April 2022 and (b) other national discounted ticketing initiatives when Great British Railways assumes full responsibility for timetabling and ticketing.

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

GBR will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare. GBR will also continue to offer certain discounts, like railcards, with specific discount cards targeted at groups for which cost is more likely to be a barrier to rail travel – young people, older people and disabled people – being further safeguarded in legislation, as they have been since the Railways Act 1993.

There have been two additional network-wide Rail Sales since April 2022, including our Rail Sale at the beginning of this year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of passenger rail. No decisions have been taken on future network-wide rail sales.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled East West Rail services planned to begin this year as Chiltern Railways named operator, published on 25 March 2025, when she expects (a) passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes to begin, (b) the new station at Winslow to open, (c) the works to upgrade Bletchley station to be completed and (d) services to (i) Bedford and (ii) Cambridge to be extended.

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

The Department is working closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary authorisations and agreements are in place. Passenger services, including services to Winslow, will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed. Work on an additional high-level platform at Bletchley is now complete.

Services between Oxford to Bedford via the Marston Vale Line will commence from 2030 with the full Oxford to Cambridge services beginning in the mid 2030s.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to expand the range of defibrillator manufacturers and suppliers available through Government procurement frameworks.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office does not currently offer a commercial agreement for defibrillators. CCS (an agency of the Cabinet Office) agreements do not cover medical devices; departments procure these through their own routes. NHS Supply Chain operates a commercial agreement for defibrillation devices and related services and accessories for use by approved organisations.

The Procurement Act 2023, introduced in February 2025, opens up frameworks to give greater flexibility to both buyers and suppliers, and provide more opportunity for innovation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to raise rail fares above the rate of inflation; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of any such increase on (a) passengers and (b) the economy.

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

No decisions have been made on next year’s rail fares, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.

There will be an update on changes to regulated rail fares in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Transport Secretary forges landmark deal to progress new Swiss rail link, published on 9 May 2025, how many meetings of the joint UK–Swiss working group have been held as of 10 October 2025; what the cost to the public purse was for those meetings; how many staff hours have been spent on the development of the Memorandum of Understanding; how many (a) staff meetings and (b) meetings with her Swiss counterparts have been held in relation to the development of the Memorandum of Understanding.

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

The landmark agreement signed with Switzerland earlier this year established a UK–Swiss Working Group which could pave the way for direct commercial services between the UK and Switzerland in future.

As of 10 October 2025, one meeting of the joint UK–Swiss Working Group has been held. This took place in the UK on 16 September 2025. The costs of hosting this working group, excluding staff time, are estimated to be less than £800. The next working group meeting will be planned for the first quarter of 2026.

Whilst it is not possible to quantify the number of staff hours dedicated to developing the Memorandum of Understanding, officials have held a number of internal meetings and discussions with Swiss counterparts to support its development.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zones, published on 25 June 2025, what progress her Department has made on Project Reach; and whether her Department plans to eliminate mobile signal blackspots on the rail network from spring 2026 through the rollout of Project Reach.

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

The initial scope of project Reach is for mobile coverage improvements in the major stations and a number of tunnels and cuttings on the main lines only. Internal team mobilisation has progressed, and Network Rail have also down selected the design and build contractors to undertake the physical works that are due to start early in 2026.

Agreements are also progressing on finalising prioritisation order with the public mobile operators.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) stations, (b) tracks, (c) passengers and (d) fareboxes will not be run by Great British Rail.

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

GBR will be responsible for all stations, infrastructure and services that are currently run by Network Rail or operators contracted by government. It will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish (a) the benefit–cost ratio assessments undertaken for the proposed Manchester Piccadilly HS2 station options and (b) any associated operational assessments commissioned by (i) HS2 Ltd and (ii) her Department on the comparative performance of surface and underground designs.

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

The Department is carefully reviewing proposals for an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly. However, no decision has yet been made, and the Department has not published any benefit–cost ratio assessments for the proposed station options. Similarly, no operational assessments comparing surface and underground designs commissioned by either HS2 Ltd or the Department have been published.

Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Britain, and we are absolutely committed to improving rail connectivity across the North and working with local leaders to establish shared priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled New tech to make rail replacement travel more accessible, published on 13 May 2025, what information her Department holds on the number of times the 3D animated avatar for rail replacement coaches has been used by passengers since its introduction.

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

The products referenced are not yet in use as the competition (Contracts for Innovation: Accessible Information on Coaches) is still underway, and these projects are currently going through development, trials with disabled people and coach operators, and manufacturing scale-up. The competition is due to finish in March 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many planning permissions for new homes on surplus railway land have been granted since 5 July 2024.

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

Since July 2024, planning permission has been granted for more than 2,800 new homes on surplus railway land.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of vehicles subsidised through the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme were manufactured outside the United Kingdom in 2025–26.

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

The Department is unable to confirm the proportion of vehicles supported by Electric Car Grant that were manufactured outside the United Kingdom as the 2025/26 sales year is ongoing and grants are only paid following the vehicle’s delivery to the customer, which can extend up to nine months from the point an order is made.

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 road user charges on haulage sector costs since July 2024.

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

The Department engages with the road haulage industry regularly about issues faced by the sector, including cost pressures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of private operator exit arrangements during the transition to Great British Railways.

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

The process to close National Rail Contracts is set out in the contract themselves which are published on the gov.uk website. The process ensures value for money for the taxpayer is protected from the outgoing operator as the balance sheets are unwound and revenues collected on the Department’s behalf in accordance with the contract.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set limits on financial support for rail operating losses under Great British Railways.

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

As per the GBR consultation document, government funding for rail service provision will continue to be determined via Spending Reviews.

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 changes made to national road maintenance capital allocations at the 2025 Spending Review on local highway maintenance performance indicators.

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

At the Spending Review, the Government announced £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

This includes £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run-down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn-out tunnels.

The Government will confirm highways maintenance funding allocations for local highway authorities in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release entitled Digital driving licence coming this year, published on 21 January 2025, what the commencement date is for the pilot of the mobile driver's license; what is the proposed duration of that pilot; and what the proposed timetable is for the national rollout of digital driving licences.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We will begin testing an early version of the digital driving licence with a small group of users later this year. The exact date and format of the trial hasn’t yet been finalised.

Following best practice in developing this type of digital product, testing and iterating will take place over a number of months.

This follows on from the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, requiring services to issue a digitally verified credential alongside any paper/card-based credential or proof of entitlement eligibility by the end of 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department issued any formal directions to DfT Operator Limited in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 in respect of (i) service performance and (ii) financial control.

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

The Department holds the individual DFTO Train Operating Companies (TOC) to account on both their service and financial performance, with close review of their performance against their service agreements. If the Department issues a DFTO TOC with a Notice to Improve, the TOC is required to publicise this, alongside an explanation for what has caused the failure and what they are doing to remedy it.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office of Rail and Road’s 2024–25 train operator statistics, whether she plans to use the data on (a) cancellations, (b) delay minutes and (c) compensation claims as a baseline for new rigorous performance standards.

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

GBR will bring together track and train, and there will be a greater whole-industry focus for the growing group of public sector operators as we move towards GBR. The department will expect GBR to meet targets for punctuality, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction, and will be required to publish its performance against these targets on a regular basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69609 on Defibrillators in non-emergency ambulances, whether his Department has made an assessment of the consistency of Integrated Care Boards’ contractual requirements in respect of defibrillators on non-emergency patient transport service vehicles; and if he will take steps to ensure minimum national standards are in place.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made an assessment centrally. It is local NHS commissioners who are responsible for managing the NHS budget and arranging NHS healthcare services which meet the needs of their respective populations.

Patients should undergo assessment for patient transport service (PTS) journeys. If significant clinical issues are identified as part of that assessment, then the PTS provider could allocate additional measures for that patient. This might include having particular equipment, including a defibrillator, on board, and/or having crews with a higher training level.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the merger of Anglo American and Teck on national security.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government has powers under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 to review and, where required, intervene in investments that may pose a risk to national security.

The NSI Act both facilitates investment into sensitive sectors with appropriate safeguards where needed, and provides powers to act in the interests of national security where necessary and proportionate.

Given national security and commercial considerations, the Government will not generally comment on specific acquisitions or the potential applicability of the NSI Act 2021.

Acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the Government will not hesitate to use its powers where necessary.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the total cost of electric vehicle (a) incentives and (b) tax reliefs for fleet and company car (i) leasing and (ii) purchases to the exchequer; and what assessment she has made of the value for money of those schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government publishes annual statistics on HMRC’s taxable benefits in kind for company cars and company car fuel. These reports document the number of benefit in kind recipients, the CO2 emissions of company cars and their total taxable value. The latest statistics for the tax year 2023-24 were published in June 2025, and are accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefits-in-kind-statistics-june-2025/benefit-in-kind-statistics-commentary-june-2025

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what trials his Department is undertaking relating to the frequency of (a) appointments, (b) interventions and (c) workcoach support provided to (i) young people and (ii) people with neurodivergent conditions.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As referenced in the Get Britain Working White Paper the Universal Credit Conditionality Evidence (UCCE) Project is currently running two large, randomised control trials testing the impact of varying the frequency of interventions, and the channel for providing support in Universal Credit; a full process evaluation and impact assessments will be published once complete.

The Department is committed to refreshing our evidence base and recently published its Evidence and Evaluation Strategy 2025. Goal 1 (enable people to get into work and to get on at work, ensuring employment opportunity for all) outlines how research and evaluation will inform our Labour Market reforms.

The department currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

Our plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. This includes targeted support for young people who are NEET (not in education employment or training) or at risk of becoming NEET.

Outside of DWP provision, our new voluntary, locally-commissioned, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Participants are supported to have conversations with prospective employers, removing the need to go through complex application processes. The employment adviser works with both the employer and the participant to ensure that the transition into work is smooth and that the workplace is inclusive.

The programme is being led by local authorities across all of England and Wales and is rolling out throughout this year and early 2026. Local Authorities are required to offer Connect to Work through two models of Supported Employment – Individual Placement and Support and Supported Employment Quality Framework. The latter framework has been specifically designed, and has a proven track record, to support individuals with learning disabilities or who are neurodivergent to get into sustainable employment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of (a) the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill and (b) the proposed Revenue Certainty Mechanism on average passenger air fares by 2030 and 2035; and whether passengers will be informed of any additional levies or costs arising from the scheme.

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

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Bill provides the legislative basis for the SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM). The RCM will help producers get the investment they need to ramp up the production of SAF in the UK.

The Government published a Cost Benefit Analysis for the SAF RCM in May 2025. We expect the RCM to cause ticket prices to increase or decrease by up to £1.50 on an average ticket per year, which is expected to be within the range of normal year to year changes in air fares.

The Government has confirmed that the RCM will be funded via a variable levy on aviation fuel suppliers and will look to design the levy in a way that ensures transparency of costs. The Government will actively monitor and control scheme costs including through the setting of strike prices and by controlling the scale and number of contracts awarded.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the sustainable aviation fuel mandate on (a) airline operating costs and (b) the average price of a passenger ticket in each financial year to 2030-31.

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

I refer the Right Honourable Member to the answer given to PQ UIN 78707 on 20 October 2025. The Cost Benefit Analysis for the SAF Mandate sets out our assessment of the potential costs and benefits of the policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the re-baselining of Connection Stages 2 and 3 of the East West Rail project; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Oxford–Bedford section can open to passengers before the end of the decade.

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

In the Spending Review in June, the Government announced £2.5bn of funding to progress the delivery of East West Rail. The Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR services between Oxford-Bedford and the full Oxford-Cambridge service is subject to an application for a Development Consent Order and is planned to commence from the mid-2030s. An update will be provided on the project shortly.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's consultation outcome on Street Works: Fines and Lane Rental Surplus Funds, why the implementation timeline was changed.

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

The date for laying the statutory instrument was adjusted slightly to allow time to ensure the legislative changes would fully deliver the intended outcomes and this included further engagement with stakeholders. The statutory instrument was laid in Parliament on 13 October. A 12-week notice period following this was always intended to give industry stakeholders and highway authorities sufficient time to understand and prepare for the new regulatory requirements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC plans to issue guidance for charitable trustees on the treatment of legacies under section 523A of the draft Finance Bill 2025–26.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Charities rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6bn in 2024. However, a small number of charities are receiving tax relief in ways that were not intended by Parliament. Charity tax rules are being strengthened to improve HMRC’s ability to challenge abusive arrangements in an appropriate and proportionate way.

The new charity rules to be included in the forthcoming Finance Bill for legacy giving and attributable income will help ensure a charity uses its tax relieved income for its charitable purposes. The rules are well targeted and so should not deter legitimate donors from leaving a legacy to charity or prevent charities from building a long-term endowment.

The updated rule for tainted donations will replace the current purpose test with an outcome test in order to better prevent the abuse of tax reliefs through arrangements designed to give financial advantages to donors in return for their donation. They are not intended to affect genuine charitable giving or penalise honest donors.

Updated guidance will be tested with the sector and published prior to the changes taking effect. This will support charities and donors, giving clarity and reassurance around the rules and making it clear that the honest majority of donors and charities will remain unaffected by these reforms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund was contractually committed to specific projects as of 1 October 2025.

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

The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as of 1^st October, is £13,849,303.45.

The scheme held three windows (each open approximately 8 weeks) for which the financial breakdown is recorded per window rather than financial years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund in each year since 2021.

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

The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as of 1^st October, is £13,849,303.45.

The scheme held three windows (each open approximately 8 weeks) for which the financial breakdown is recorded per window rather than financial years.

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 electric vehicle grant on employment in the automotive manufacturing sector.

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

The Electric Car Grant supports sustainably manufactured electric vehicles, which the UK automotive sector is well placed to benefit from. The Government is supporting domestic manufacturers, which directly employ 132,000 people, to transition to zero emission technology with the £2.5 billion DRIVE35 programme, part of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the review of powered mobility devices will consider (a) restricting and (b) prohibiting the use of mobility scooters on pavements.

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

Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs are already legally restricted to 4 miles per hour on pavements. As part of the powered mobility device review, we intend to consult publicly to ensure everyone has the opportunity to give their views and make sure the regulations are designed with, and not for, disabled people. The safety of all users who rely on a powered mobility device, pedestrians and other road users will be a key consideration in the review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) reviewing and (b) revising the proposed changes to (i) the definition of attributable income and (ii) charity donation rules during the consultation on the draft Finance Bill 2025-2026.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Charities rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6bn in 2024. However, a small number of charities are receiving tax relief in ways that were not intended by Parliament. Charity tax rules are being strengthened to improve HMRC’s ability to challenge abusive arrangements in an appropriate and proportionate way.

The new charity rules to be included in the forthcoming Finance Bill for legacy giving and attributable income will help ensure a charity uses its tax relieved income for its charitable purposes. The rules are well targeted and so should not deter legitimate donors from leaving a legacy to charity or prevent charities from building a long-term endowment.

The updated rule for tainted donations will replace the current purpose test with an outcome test in order to better prevent the abuse of tax reliefs through arrangements designed to give financial advantages to donors in return for their donation. They are not intended to affect genuine charitable giving or penalise honest donors.

Updated guidance will be tested with the sector and published prior to the changes taking effect. This will support charities and donors, giving clarity and reassurance around the rules and making it clear that the honest majority of donors and charities will remain unaffected by these reforms.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that reforms to the charity tax regime do not discourage long-term endowment building by local community foundations.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Charities rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6bn in 2024. However, a small number of charities are receiving tax relief in ways that were not intended by Parliament. Charity tax rules are being strengthened to improve HMRC’s ability to challenge abusive arrangements in an appropriate and proportionate way.

The new charity rules to be included in the forthcoming Finance Bill for legacy giving and attributable income will help ensure a charity uses its tax relieved income for its charitable purposes. The rules are well targeted and so should not deter legitimate donors from leaving a legacy to charity or prevent charities from building a long-term endowment.

The updated rule for tainted donations will replace the current purpose test with an outcome test in order to better prevent the abuse of tax reliefs through arrangements designed to give financial advantages to donors in return for their donation. They are not intended to affect genuine charitable giving or penalise honest donors.

Updated guidance will be tested with the sector and published prior to the changes taking effect. This will support charities and donors, giving clarity and reassurance around the rules and making it clear that the honest majority of donors and charities will remain unaffected by these reforms.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC plans to publish (a) examples and (b) guidance on the operation of the proposed outcome test for tainted charity donations; and what steps she is taking to prevent donors being penalised for actions beyond their control by recipient charities.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Charities rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6bn in 2024. However, a small number of charities are receiving tax relief in ways that were not intended by Parliament. Charity tax rules are being strengthened to improve HMRC’s ability to challenge abusive arrangements in an appropriate and proportionate way.

The new charity rules to be included in the forthcoming Finance Bill for legacy giving and attributable income will help ensure a charity uses its tax relieved income for its charitable purposes. The rules are well targeted and so should not deter legitimate donors from leaving a legacy to charity or prevent charities from building a long-term endowment.

The updated rule for tainted donations will replace the current purpose test with an outcome test in order to better prevent the abuse of tax reliefs through arrangements designed to give financial advantages to donors in return for their donation. They are not intended to affect genuine charitable giving or penalise honest donors.

Updated guidance will be tested with the sector and published prior to the changes taking effect. This will support charities and donors, giving clarity and reassurance around the rules and making it clear that the honest majority of donors and charities will remain unaffected by these reforms.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of including charitable legacies within the scope of income tax on levels of legacy giving to (a) charities and (b) community foundations.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Charities rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6bn in 2024. However, a small number of charities are receiving tax relief in ways that were not intended by Parliament. Charity tax rules are being strengthened to improve HMRC’s ability to challenge abusive arrangements in an appropriate and proportionate way.

The new charity rules to be included in the forthcoming Finance Bill for legacy giving and attributable income will help ensure a charity uses its tax relieved income for its charitable purposes. The rules are well targeted and so should not deter legitimate donors from leaving a legacy to charity or prevent charities from building a long-term endowment.

The updated rule for tainted donations will replace the current purpose test with an outcome test in order to better prevent the abuse of tax reliefs through arrangements designed to give financial advantages to donors in return for their donation. They are not intended to affect genuine charitable giving or penalise honest donors.

Updated guidance will be tested with the sector and published prior to the changes taking effect. This will support charities and donors, giving clarity and reassurance around the rules and making it clear that the honest majority of donors and charities will remain unaffected by these reforms.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71272 Lower Thames Crossing, for what reason no evaluation of the Lower Thames Crossing was completed prior to approval of the Full Business Case; and whether any interim assessments have been undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

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

The Full Business Case (FBC) for the scheme has not yet been developed. Decisions on the scheme remain subject to the Department’s established governance and assurance processes. These include rigorous internal scrutiny and oversight mechanisms, as well as engagement with external assurance bodies, including the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Biggest ever investment in city region local transport as Chancellor vows the 'Renewal of Britain', published on 4 June 2025, how much and what proportion of the funding announced for local transport projects has been allocated to each mayoral combined authority.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Allocations for each Mayoral Strategic Authority were confirmed in June and published on gov.uk. online.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to remove the 40-year Vehicle Excise Duty exemption for historic vehicles; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of such a change on (a) the classic car sector and (b) the owners currently benefiting from that exemption.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department undertook a value-for-money assessment under HM Treasury Green Book guidance before announcing its support for the expansion of Heathrow Airport.

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

A Treasury Green Book Value for Money assessment is a process and judgement about the optimal use of public resources to achieve the stated objectives of a project. We have been clear throughout that any expansion of Heathrow Airport should be funded entirely by the private sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the resilience of Britain’s rail network to prolonged periods of dry weather, in the context of ongoing speed restrictions and service reductions on routes including the West of England line; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) embankments and (b) track infrastructure are properly maintained to avoid repeated disruption to passengers.

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

The resilience of Britain’s rail network to severe weather is managed through Network Rail’s Control Period 7 regional weather resilience and climate change adaptation plans. Through the period we will invest £2.8 billion in improving the resilience of their assets to extreme weather (including dry weather) and in development of long-term climate change adaptation pathways.

Extended periods of dry weather made some clay embankments unstable on some rail routes including in Westen England. In this region the driest spring since 1836, followed by the driest summer in 200 years, resulted in a severe soil moisture deficit. To manage these conditions safely Network Rail worked with train operators, including South Western Railway, to implement speed restrictions and make some service alterations as a result. Network Rail and South Western Railway continue to monitor soil moisture levels, track conditions, and train performance, and provide regular updates to the Department. Services will be reinstated as soon as it is safe to do so.

Most railway embankments in western/southern England are built on clay soil, which normally contains moisture. However, heat radiation and moisture absorption by lineside vegetation and trees have removed much of this moisture. Temporary speed restrictions, which cause extended journey times, are one of the ways in which services can continue to run safely.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to increase business rates on (a) airports and (b) airport operators; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such an increase on regional airport (i) viability and (ii) connectivity.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) conducts analysis of changes in rateable value to prepare for regular revaluations. The VOA is currently working on a revaluation of all non-domestic properties, which will come into effect on 1 April 2026. For the upcoming 2026 revaluation, as with other revaluations, the VOA is receiving ongoing representations from the airport sector.

The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.

We are fully committed to supporting the aviation industry. The sector is vital to our future as a global trading nation and will play an important role in local economies.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 76656 on Railways: Industrial Disputes, whether her Department has (a) had discussions with (i) TransPennine Express and (ii) CrossCountry on industrial action concerning new technology payments; and (b) made an assessment of trends in the level of remuneration arrangements for electronic ticket scanning across contracted train operating companies.

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

It is for a train operator, as employer, to negotiate terms and conditions that are fair to staff and affordable for taxpayers. Both CrossCountry and Transpennine Trains have kept officials informed on the progress of negotiations with the RMT.

I understand that CrossCountry and RMT have recently made progress on a number of issues in dispute including this one, leading to the suspension of industrial action on 18 October.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 October 2025 on Transfer of Greater Anglia’s Services into Public Ownership, HCWS949, whether her Department plans to (a) define and (b) publish guidance on best practice across publicly-owned train operating companies; and who will be responsible for monitoring compliance with those standards.

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

Ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways, public sector operators are managed by Department for Transport Operator Limited (DFTO), the Government’s public sector owning group. As more services move into public ownership, DFTO will be able to identify and share examples of what works well among public sector operators, in turn driving improvement across the railways.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms her Department uses to ensure consistency in (a) data reporting and (b) financial control between Great British Railways and devolved transport bodies.

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

The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) will bring about changes in the way that rail services are managed, and in the way rail operates as a whole. In its role as the ‘directing mind’, GBR will integrate track and train at a local level to better deliver for passengers, taxpayers, and freight customers and to unlock growth.

Given GBR is not yet established, detailed work on its design, implementation, and interactions with other bodies remains underway.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many senior executive roles at Great British Railways have been appointed at salaries exceeding £150,000 per annum.

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

No senior executive appointments have been made to Great British Railways, as it does not exist yet.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will use the same performance metrics as were applied under private operation under public ownership of Greater Anglia; and if she will publish those metrics on (a) punctuality, (b) cancellations, (c) passenger satisfaction and (d) financial efficiency.

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

While train operating companies will be measured on a similar basis, there will be a greater whole-industry focus for the growing group of public sector operators as we move towards GBR. GA Trains Limited will be required to meet targets for punctuality, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction under the Services Agreement, and will be required to publish its performance against these targets on a regular basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set targets for growth in rail freight volumes between 2025 and 2030.

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

The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental benefits, as well as the role it plays in the UK’s resilience.

We have confirmed that there will be an overall target of a 75% increase in rail freight moved by 2050. More granular growth targets for GBR will follow in due course.

For the current Control Period 7 (2024 to 2029) Network Rail have a regulated growth target of 7.5% increase in freight moved. In the first year, statistics from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reported a 5% increase.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of projected administrative savings from consolidating train operating companies under Great British Railways.

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

The Government expects to make efficiencies and savings through public ownership of rail services and from rail reform with the creation of Great British Railways. This means that the rail passenger services subsidy will reduce over the period covered by the Spending Review 2025. Moreover, Great British Railways will deliver the integration and cost-saving benefits that come with overseeing both infrastructure and service delivery together in a single organisation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any mayoral combined authorities have requested flexibility in the use of devolved transport funds allocated through the 2025 Spending Review.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements funding is devolved, the programme already affords Mayoral Combined Authorities (MSAs) flexibility in the use of funds to support local needs and strategic aims. From April 2026, six MSAs will receive CRSTS and TCR as part of an Integrated Settlement providing greater flexibility. The Department will continue to engage with MSAs as they develop their programmes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set a maximum proportion of devolved transport funds that may be used for (a) programme management and (b) administration costs in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

For the financial year 2025/26, the Department secured and allocated a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) revenue resource funding (RDEL) uplift of £93 million for the nine recipient Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), which was confirmed by the Department in January this year. This devolved funding is for MSAs to build capacity and capability within their organisations, in order to support the delivery of their CRSTS programmes, as well as manage the transition between CRSTS and the next five-year Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement period from April 2027 to March 2032.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department uses to assess the value for money of devolved transport funding allocations to mayoral combined authorities.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Mayoral Combined Authorities (MSAs) in receipt of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements are required to assess the value for money of schemes against Green Book guidance as part of their business case development. In addition, certain schemes that reach defined thresholds are retained with additional scrutiny provided by the Department.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to (a) road maintenance and (b) pothole repairs in each year since 2022; and what the total amount is allocated over that period.

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

The Department has allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2021/22 to 2025/26.

This includes a range of funding sources including the Highways Maintenance Block, the Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).

The figure is exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use.

The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements.

The above figure also includes the £500m funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26 that the Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Further information on these funding streams is available online, at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-grant-allocations/local-transport-grant-ltg-allocations-2025-to-2026.