Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 86751 on the Restoring Your Railway Fund, whether any expenditure incurred on feasibility, development or preparatory work for Restoring Your Railway schemes that did not proceed following the programme’s cancellation has been subject to impairment or write-down in the Department’s accounts.

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

In line with our previous answers, there has been no write-down or impairment in the Department’s accounts from the decision to cancel the Restoring Your Railway programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, as of 15 December 2025, 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)

At the Autumn Budget we announced that we will invest an additional £200 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, building on the £400 million of funding announced at Spending Review 2025.

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, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 97165 and the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 93786 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, whether the DVLA provides registered keeper data to (a) Oxfordshire County council and (b) a third-party service provider to support the enforcement of the Oxford congestion charge.

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

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to make information about UK vehicles and their registered keepers available for use by local authorities for a range of appropriate purposes. The DVLA has provided registered keeper data to Oxford County Council via its third-party service provider for the purpose of enforcing a congestion charge scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department has made an estimate of of the behavioural impact of the 3 percent Benefit-in-Kind rate for zero-emission company cars, including (a) the number of additional EVs purchased by fleets and (b) the fiscal implications of those behavioural effects.

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

Additionally, at Budget 2024 the Government announced new Company Car Tax rates for the years 2028-29 and 2029-30, which increase for both electric vehicles (EVs) and petrol/diesel vehicles, while still maintaining generous incentives to support EV take-up. The Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) published alongside Budget set out the expected economic, equalities and other impacts, and highlighted that overall the measure was expected to encourage the take-up of zero emission vehicles.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme on the future affordability of motor finance for consumers.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. The Government wants to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.

Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential impact of the proposed Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme on future motor finance costs for consumers.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. The Government wants to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.

Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The net zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

The previous framework and emission reduction targets covered the period 2021 - 2025. Under this framework HM Treasury had a target to reduce its overall emissions by 69% and direct emissions by 25%, against a 2017-2018 baseline.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Information regarding the Treasury’s targets and performance on operational activity relating to climate adaptation, sustainability, and the environment (CASE-Ops) can be found in ANNEX B: Sustainability in the 2024-25 Annual Report and Accounts on pages 223 to 229 at : www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the expected completion date is for the redevelopment of Wickford station; and if local taxis licenced by Basildon Council have been included in any consultations about the citing of the taxi rank as part of the redevelopment.

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

Greater Anglia has commenced the redevelopment works at Wickford station and this is expected to be completed in autumn 2026. Greater Anglia has confirmed that the project scope does not include any changes to the current location of the taxi rank.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual cost is of providing student loan financing to students who are not UK citizens; and whether she has made an estimate of the potential impact of restricting student loan eligibility to British citizens on costs to her Department.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Higher education student finance is targeted on those persons with a lawful and substantial residential connection to the UK. To qualify, most persons must be ‘settled’ in the UK. There are limited exceptions to this, such as for individuals granted international protection by the Home Office, for example persons with refugee status, who may be eligible for support without meeting the standard residency and settlement criteria.

In the 2024/25 academic year, the Student Loans Company (SLC) made payments totalling £3,794 million for Fee and Maintenance Loans (full-time and part-time) to undergraduate students domiciled in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the EU who declared they were non-UK nationals.

Previous PQs have reported figures based on nationality as declared when creating a student finance account, rather than the verified status at loan approval. The SLC has robust procedures in place to check eligibility for student finance, including data-sharing with the Home Office and HM Passport Office. Eligibility is dependent on a successful identity check, immigration status and residency history. No funding is approved without complete, verified, and eligible nationality, status and residence history.

The department has not made any estimate of costs on the potential impact of restricting student loan eligibility to British citizens.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent driving examiners employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in (i) July 2024 and (ii) each month thereafter up to the most recent month for which data is available.

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

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to November 2025.

A DE is a paid Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency employee from the point at which they start their training and therefore considered to be in post.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if if she will set out the minimum length of hire in days at which a rental vehicle is included within central government departments are counted towards the Government Fleet Commitment for the owned and leased fleet to be 100% zero emission by 2027.

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

Information on the minimum length of hire at which a rental vehicle included within central government departments are counted towards the Government Fleet Commitment can be found on Gov.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing interest charges from student loans for UK nationals on costs to the public purse.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.

The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.

Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree. To consider both students and taxpayers and ensure the real value of the loans over the repayment term, interest rates are linked to inflation.

Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed. Outstanding debt, including interest built up, is cancelled after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates under Plan 5 was produced and published in February 2022, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether expenditure on electric vehicles or electric vehicle charging infrastructure since 4 July 2024 has been incurred directly by their Department or indirectly through contracts with asylum accommodation or transportation providers.

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

The information sought is not collected and would only be available at disproportionate cost

All readily available information on HO EV vehicles and infrastructure was provided in response to UIN 87860.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the revenue lost due to rail fare evasion in each month since 4 July 2024.

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

Deliberate fare dodging undermines our railway. It drains much needed revenue and undercuts the trust of passengers who play by the rules. It has no place on our railways. Although we do not hold data for the revenue lost due to rail fare evasion per month, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has estimated annual revenue lost to fraud and ticketless travel is at least £350-£400 million.

The Office for Rail and Road have carried out a review of train operator revenue protection practices which was published in June. It set out five recommendations which include introducing greater consistency and fairness in the use of prosecutions as well as greater coordination, oversight and transparency of revenue protection. The Department has accepted all five recommendations and will publish its formal response to this review in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 93777 on London Underground: Strikes, what discussions Ministers and officials in her Department have had with other transport operators regarding continuing industrial action since 4 July 2024, and which operators were involved in those discussions.

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

Under the Conservative Government, we saw national rail disputes that caused two years of widespread strikes and disruption to millions of passengers. On coming into office, this Government acted quickly to reset industrial relations and resolve the national disputes.

Since 4 July 2024, there has been limited, local industrial action, involving four of the fourteen Department for Transport (DfT) contracted Train Operating Companies (TOCs); Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, Southeastern and Transpennine Trains. Also, while no industrial action has been taken since July 2024, the RMT has been in dispute with Northern Trains since 2017 regarding who opens and closes the train doors. Northern are in detailed discussions with the RMT to try and resolve this long running dispute.

DfT officials routinely and regularly have discussions with TOCs on operational and other matters. In the case of the TOCs affected by industrial action, discussions include operators’ plans to resolve disputes and where relevant, their preparedness for industrial action. Dispute resolution is a matter for train operators, as the employers, to resolve with trade unions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the net zero targets for the Ministry of Defence and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK Government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities.

For the Ministry of Defence, guidance was published by the last Government in the 2021 Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach which set a target of reducing emissions from its built estate by at least 30% by 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department plans to have with animal welfare charities and sector bodies ahead of the consultation on licensing rescue and rehoming organisations; and if Ministers will meet with organisations including national animal welfare charities and representative bodies for rescue and rehoming centres.

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

Defra will engage with stakeholders, including animal welfare groups, as part of the consultation process on its proposals for licensing rescue and rehoming centres. Defra welcomes the input of interested parties and will maintain communication with these groups as part of the consultation process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to have discussions with devolved Administrations on their experiences of developing proposals for licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.

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

Defra works closely with the devolved governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2025 to Question 97170, what fees the Marine Management Organisation has charged in each year since 2018 for reviewing evidence submitted to discharge, vary, or comply with conditions on marine licences relating to mudflat surveys.

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

This information is not published and is not readily available. Due to the level of detail specified in the request, it would require a significant amount of time and resource to provide this, incurring disproportionate costs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's guidance entitled Newsletter 173 — September 2025, updated on 11 December 2025, what her planned timetable is for publishing draft regulations and laying legislation on the treatment of scheme-specific lump sums for individuals with Enhanced Protection.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Further Pensions (Abolition of Lifetime Allowance Charge etc) Regulations will be made in Spring 2026 and will include updates to the treatment of scheme-specific lump sums for individuals with Enhanced Protection.

The majority of the regulations will have retrospective effect from 6 April 2024 when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the net zero targets for the Ministry of Justice and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued to prisons, courts and other agencies on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008 is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual Departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK Government Departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts (24/25) includes a Sustainability Report which details all relevant metrics

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 22 December 2025 to Question 99799, whether NHS England has adopted a net zero target date for the National Health Service that differs from the United Kingdom’s statutory target of net zero by 2050.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to him on 27 November 2025 to Question 92091 which set out the National Health Service’s Net Zero ambitions. Additionally, the answer provided to Queston 99799 on 22 December 2025 is clear that NHS England’s intent was to set ambitious but achievable aims that align with different sectoral pathways and expectations. This aims to support the United Kingdom’s overall approach to the statutory Net Zero target of 2050, which applies to the whole UK economy.

As per the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is committed to supporting these ambitions, and we will do so in a way that delivers better value for money for the taxpayer and better care for patients, and which remains aligned to the Government's approach to carbon budgets and the overall Net Zero statutory target.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Giving every child the best start in life, updated on 12 September 2025, whether the review of early years funding will include an assessment of food costs within the funding formula.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

To make sure that the early years (EY) funding system properly supports those children and parts of the country that have higher levels of additional need, the department will review EY funding, including the EY national funding formulae, consulting on a set of changes and publishing full details by Summer 2026.

Within EY, free school meals (FSM) applies to school-based nurseries (SBNs) for children who attend both before and after lunch. As part of the expansion of FSM, the department has announced that children in SBNs whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit, will be eligible for FSM from September 2026.

Beyond the provision of FSM, the statutory guidance makes clear that funding for the entitlements does not cover consumables like meals, so providers can ask parents to pay, provided they are not mandatory or a condition of accessing an entitlements place. As such, the cost of consumables will not fall within the scope of the planned review of EY funding.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

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

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport committed to a 33% reduction in direct emissions and a 58% reduction in overall emissions by 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the compliance cost to the maritime sector of expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to international maritime voyages in each of the subsequent ten years from 2028.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We published a consultation in late November seeking views on a number of proposals to expand the UK ETS to the international maritime voyages.

When we responded to the consultation on expansion to domestic maritime emissions, we also published a full impact assessment. This includes detail on the compliance costs for the expansion to domestic voyages.

We will publish a full impact assessment on the expansion to international voyages alongside the Authority Response to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of rolling stock availability for Great Western Railway services in the South West; how many Class 175 units are in operation on Great Western Railway services; how many drivers and conductors Great Western Railway plans to train to operate those units; and what plans she has to mitigate (a) cancellations and (b) overcrowding on those services.

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

The Department closely monitors rolling stock availability across the South West as well as the wider network, and is working on a rolling stock strategy to more effectively plan and utilise assets in future. There is currently one Class 175 unit in operation on Great Western Railway services. The first Class 175 entered service in December 2025, with the remainder of the fleet due to follow throughout this year. There is sufficient rolling stock to operate the current timetable, and the introduction of the Class 175s will provide additional resilience and capacity. Driver and conductor training is progressing well to support this deployment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a definition of healthy eating.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The definition of healthy eating is represented visually by the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide depicts the dietary recommendations made by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which result from robust independent risk assessments of the scientific evidence. The Eatwell Guide represents the proportion of each of the main food groups we should consume to have a balanced diet which helps meet nutrient requirements and promote long term health at a population level. Consuming a healthy diet means making food choices that are in line with both calorie requirements and the principles of a healthy, balanced diet, as set out in the guide.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support modal shift to lower emissions from the transport sector.

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

The Government is supporting people to make more sustainable travel choices by improving public transport services and active travel infrastructure deployment.

The Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of communities. The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services by confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 over the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

For active travel, we are allocating £626 million up to 2030 for local authorities to deliver walking and cycling schemes, and we will be publishing the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in the spring.

To incentivise the shift of freight away from more polluting modes, the Mode Shift Revenue Support grant continues to encourage the movement of freight by rail or inland waterway instead of road, where journeys by rail or inland waterway would otherwise be more expensive.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on standardising signage for national and local cycle routes; and whether she plans to introduce a national approach to cycle route signage.

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

Signing for national and local cycle routes has been standardised since 1981. Current signs are prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

Active Travel England routinely checks signage quality on their route check tool, to make sure the use of signs is consistent.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99840, whether she will publish the full cost-benefit analysis underpinning the Government’s assessment of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, including all assumptions, modelling inputs, sensitivity analyses, and any internal estimates of the proportion of costs falling to the public purse.

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

A full, final cost-benefit analysis was published alongside the VETS order 2023 on Gov.UK.

A projection of the overall costs falling to government from the policy were not estimated as part of this assessment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99978, when she expects the Government to publish its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e.

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

The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation.

The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.

The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99930, what the current maximum fine is for the use of incorrect or non-compliant vehicle number plates; and whether she has made any assessment of the deterrent effect of that penalty, including whether she will consider increasing it.

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

The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation.

The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.

The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances of failed Assisted Travel were recorded on Northern services in the last 12 months.

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

No train operators currently record individual instances of failed passenger assists. However, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) carries out surveys, and its 2024-25 survey showed that 20 per cent of all respondents reported their requests for passenger assistance on Northern were not fulfilled. ORR subsequently requested, and in December 2025 approved, a plan from Northern to improve its passenger assistance service.

This includes: reviewing the staffing model for assistance at large stations (including Leeds); providing additional staff training on communication between boarding and alighting stations; introducing a dedicated team to remotely support passengers who require assistance, using tools such as WhatsApp; and trialling a new process to allow passengers travelling from unstaffed stations who have not pre-booked, to alert conductors to their assistance needs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 97184, what estimate the Department has made of the annual cost of extending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to provide concessionary passes for companions of disabled people.

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

The Department for Transport does not hold a current assessment of the cost of expanding the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) to include companion passes as part of the statutory provision. In the year ending March 2025, the ENCTS cost around £795 million.

Any decision to expand the statutory offering would involve rigorous cost analysis of a range of options.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether Drax’s current Contract for Difference contains any binding obligations requiring the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage; and what assessment his Department has made of the continued burning of imported wood pellets for electricity generation under that contract.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The current Contract for Difference (CfD) and recently announced Low-Carbon Dispatchable CfD agreements will be in place until 2031 and do not include contractual requirements for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the site. The focus of the new CfD is ensuring security of supply for the contract duration, and the development of CCS in the future remains under consideration.

The Government published an impact assessment in early 2024 as part of its consultation on support options for large-scale biomass generators. This assessment was consistent with the views of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which recognise that bioenergy can play a significant role in decarbonising economies, provided policies are in place to mitigate the use of unsustainable biomass.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the press release entitled Fuel margins remain “persistently high” and this is not explained by operating costs, CMA finds, published on 22 December 2025, what steps he is taking to help reduce average fuel margins for non-supermarket fuel retailers.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) annual road fuel monitoring report.

Addressing the CMA’s findings, the Government is implementing Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for road fuel prices to improve price transparency and incentivise competition in the market from both supermarket and non-supermarket retailers. The CMA also has statutory powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to monitor the market and advise on any further action.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level and frequency of local bus services since 4 July 2024; and what the minimum service levels are in each local authority area.

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

The Department for Transport publishes statistics on vehicle distance travelled on local bus services, which can be used as a proxy for bus service levels. These figures are not specifically available from 4 July 2024 onwards, but are available for the year ending March 2025 in the Department's published Annual Bus Statistics. This data can be found in Table BUS02: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#local-bus-vehicle-distance-travelled-bus02. The Department does not currently hold a dataset that provides local bus service frequency in a readily available format.

The Government believes that local authorities, working with bus operators, are best placed to determine the design of local bus networks in their areas, and there are no centrally-prescribed minimum service levels. The Government has taken steps to help raise service levels across the country, including by introducing the Bus Service Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England. The Act includes a measure on socially necessary services that requires local authorities and bus operators to have to consider the alternatives to changing or cancelling these services.

The Government also reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term, confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 over the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes funding allocated to local authorities, which could be used to improve local bus service levels.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding for bus services results in improved (a) passenger outcomes, (b) service frequency, (c) reliability and (d) bus stops.

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

On 5 December 2025, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead.

While local leaders have the freedom to use LABG funding as they see fit to deliver local priorities, LABG funding will be linked to an Outcomes Framework, which will track the impact of funding against indicators aligned with the issues that matter most to passengers, including for example punctuality and reliability. This framework will help the Department for Transport to identify where local transport authorities may need additional support to deliver the improvements their communities expect.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what a) number and b) proportion station staffing levels have changed on TransPennine Express services since 4 July 2024.

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

The increases over 2024/25 were mainly to fill vacancies that had been paused pending the previous Government’s proposals for the closure of ticket offices, which they reversed after significant public criticism. In mid-2024, TransPennine Express gradually increased the Hull station headcount by an additional four full-time employees to support station resilience. It has increased overall station staffing by a further 19 full-time employees to improve reliability and resilience of the delivery of passenger assistance and other customer services (e.g. retailing); many of these roles are currently being recruited into.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the publication of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy 3 on local authorities’ ability to plan and deliver active travel schemes; and whether the final Strategy will include measurable objectives to support effective delivery and accountability.

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

Decisions on future active travel objectives will be confirmed in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy when it is published in the spring. The Strategy, coupled with over £900m of investment, will provide long term certainty for local authorities to plan and deliver local networks with their communities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95965, what assessment his Department has made of whether the £8 to £13 per tonne electricity cost differential faced by UK steel producers reflects any difference in the quality or specification of steel produced, expressed as a percentage where possible.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The energy intensity factor used only relates to the production of crude or liquid steel, which is not further treated or rolled into specific products. The electricity cost differential per tonne of steel between specific plants will depend on various factors including electrical conversion efficiency, material inputs, and further quality and specification of the final steel product produced.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the net zero targets for the Home Office and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

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

The Net Zero target and timelines for the Home Office and its arm’s Length bodies, are those which are set out in the Climate Change Act 2008 as a target for the UK.

These targets form part of the Greening Government Commitments (GGC), which is the central framework for UK Government Departments and their agencies to reduce their impacts on the environment, including targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

The Greening Government Commitments are currently under review by DEFRA, to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many electric vehicles owned or leased by their Department or its arm’s-length bodies are allocated to (a) asylum accommodation operations, (b) migrant transportation, or (c) related contractor-led services; and for what operational purposes those vehicles are used.

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

The information sought is not collected and would only be available at disproportionate cost

All readily available information on HO EV vehicles and infrastructure was provided in response to UIN: 87860.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what engagement her Department has had with the British Standards Institute’s review of BS AU 145e; and what assessment she has made of proposals to ban raised 3D and 4D number plates.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the British Standard Institute committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The committee has put forward proposed amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2025 to Question 94913 on Great British Railways, whether (a) growing revenue or (b) delivering value for money for passengers takes priority in the rollout of Great British Railways branding.

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

Both growing revenue and delivering value for money for passengers will be a priority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 96704 on Great British Railways, if she will publish any internal implementation plans, programme plans, timelines, milestone documents or transition frameworks for the establishment of Great British Railways.

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

As set out in previous answers, the Great British Railways (GBR) design process is underway. We expect to stand up GBR within 12 months of the Railways Bill receiving Royal Assent.

We are developing our implementation plans as part of the GBR design process now and will share those in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle wildfires in 2026.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that the impact of climate change is likely to increase and intensify fire incidents in England and Wales – with potential to impact fire and rescue service’s (FRS) resources, capacity, and strategical response.

As the lead government department for wildfire, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular and ongoing engagement with other government departments including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cabinet Office on this national risk. This is alongside the department’s work with national bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations.

Since 2024 we have also funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

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

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for each month since July 2024, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test; and if she will publish a list of those test centres for each month since.

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

The attached Excel document (Table for UIN 101472) shows which driving test centres had a waiting time of 24 weeks in each month from July 2024 to November 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

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

The Department for Transport (DfT), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Trinity House, Transport Focus, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, the Civil Aviation Authority, and Active Travel England (ATE) are committed to achieving the UK Government’s Net Zero Carbon target by 2050. The Department for Transport also holds policy responsibility for ensuring greenhouse gas emissions from in-use transport and transport infrastructure construction reduce in line with the legislated economy-wide target of net zero by 2050.

The position in terms of other Department for Transport bodies is set out below.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) supports the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes reducing fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, 80 per cent by 2040, and achieving zero emissions by 2050.

• National Highways has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon for its own operations by 2030 and achieving Net Zero emissions for its maintenance and construction by 2040. National Highways is also supporting the transition to Net Zero for travel on our roads by 2050.
• Network Rail have committed to the railway in Scotland being net zero by 2045 and the railways across the rest of Britain being Net Zero by 2050.

• The British Transport Police have committed to being, operationally, Net Zero by 2035.

• East West Rail has committed to creating a Net Zero passenger railway by 2050.

• HS2 Limited has committed to its corporate activities being Net Zero by 2025. It has also committed to its trains, stations, depots and rail infrastructure using zero carbon energy, reducing emissions to Net Zero by 2035. HS2 has also committed to undertaking carbon offsetting using natural or technological methods to reduce any emissions, that cannot be eliminated, to zero.

• The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) has committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Operating the NLB vessels accounts for around 80% of its emissions and in 2025 NLB took delivery of a new hybrid vessel which will meet the ambitious targets set out in the UK Government Clean Maritime Plan.

All other arm’s-length bodies will be expected to adopt the existing 2050 target or develop their own based on their operational impacts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many used electric vehicles were sold in (a) November 2025 and (b) each month since July 2024.

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

The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 96256 on Railways: Tickets, how the proportion of rail journeys using fully digital tickets varies between train operating companies in November 2025 and in each month since and including July 2024.

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

The Department does not hold this information at this level. The Rail Delivery Group and individual train operating companies hold the data.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the net zero targets for their Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued to those bodies on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations will be launched; and what her planned timetable is for its conclusion and response.

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

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Net Zero targets for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and its arm's length bodies are available in the sustainability section of the FCDO annual report and accounts:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687e39109914d1f63267c5e5/FCDO-Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2024-2025.pdf

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Railways Bill will include a statutory target for passenger growth.

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

The Railways Bill was published on 5 November and will be debated at Committee stage later this month. GBR, as a passenger operator, will be incentivised to grow passenger numbers and will have a number of legal duties to support this. This includes duties to promote the interests of users, and potential users, and to maintain high standards of rail performance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the modernised training programme for LNER frontline staff has been completed.

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

This project is currently underway. London North Eastern Railway is modernising frontline training to ensure every passenger receives a consistently helpful and informed service. The programme will be completed by March 2026 and will include continuous refreshers delivered through modern learning methods.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cancellation rate on Northern services has been in each month since June 2024.

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

Information on train cancellations and punctuality is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). It is published quarterly and by rail periods.

Cancellations Data

Periodic data on trains cancelled by operator can be found in ORR Table 3124 - Trains planned and cancellations by operator (periodic):

Table 3124 - Trains planned and cancellations by operator (periodic) | ORR Data Portal

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Greater Anglia trains have been fitted with advanced monitoring equipment.

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

Greater Anglia has fitted two units with infrastructure monitoring equipment. Some technology is cloud-based and is therefore not fitted ‘per train’. For example, existing CCTV footage can be analysed by AI to identify overgrown vegetation. There are plans to fit further systems to the fleet throughout 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce legislation to permit the use of side road zebra crossings in England; and what assessment her Department has made of the safety and cost-effectiveness of those crossings.

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

The Department is considering options for future legislative change to permit the use of side road zebra crossings in England, but no decisions have yet been made.

An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be required to permit zebra crossings to be placed without zig-zag lines or yellow globes.

The Department has been working with Active Travel England who have been carrying out further research, including on safety, to inform good practice advice to support possible future legislative change.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Class 357 units operated by c2c have been upgraded in the last 12 months.

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

The following upgrades and modifications of Class 357 units operated by c2c have been completed for the 25/26 calendar year:

• Train Painting & Corrosion Repairs: 27 units
• LED Lighting Upgrades: 10 units
• Door Overhaul: 74 units
• Tight Lock Auto Coupler Overhaul: 74 units

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether AI powered disruption updates are in use on LNER services.

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

This project is currently in development. LNER is working to introduce instant updates during disruption, powered by AI, to keep passengers informed and in control when travelling. This will enable faster, smarter decision-making, reduce delays, and help services recover more quickly, with delivery planned for later in 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passenger information screens have been replaced at LNER managed stations in the last 12 months.

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

Fifty screens have been replaced in the last 12 months at York and Newcastle stations. This forms part of LNER’s wider programme to enhance passenger information across all managed stations.

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 17 December 2025 to Question 94028, whether he plans to (a) implement the recommendations of Lord Darzi’s report on eating disorders and (b) set future targets to improve community care for young people with eating disorders.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Lord Darzi conducted an independent investigation into the National Health Service in England. He did not issue a report on eating disorders and in his independent investigation, in line with the agreed terms of reference, made no specific policy recommendations regarding eating disorders.

Through the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government will overhaul the NHS and ensure that those living with mental health conditions, including eating disorders, are given the support they need, including by recruiting an extra 8,500 new mental health workers across child and adult mental health services to cut waiting times and ensure people can access treatment and support earlier.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of banning first cousin marriage.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the increased health risks for children of first cousins and we are in contact with other Government departments, including the Ministry of Justice, to provide further information on these as part of wider discussions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department has had discussions with the Ministry of Justice on making first cousin marriage unlawful.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the increased health risks for children of first cousins and we are in contact with other Government departments, including the Ministry of Justice, to provide further information on these as part of wider discussions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of journeys on Greater Anglia services are within scope of pay as you go ticketing.

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

Greater Anglia has advised that as of the beginning of December 2025, Pay As You Go (PAYG) journeys on Greater Anglia services were 18 million per annum, accounting for 21 per cent of total Greater Anglia journeys. There are plans to further expand PAYG for journeys on Greater Anglia in the coming year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the GPS based pay as you go trial between Sheffield and Barnsley has commenced.

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

Three Digital Pay As You Go (DPAYG) trials have successfully launched across the North and Midlands. The final trial, originally due to go live in November 2025, has been delayed. During rigorous pre-launch testing, issues were identified that would have prevented the DPAYG application from functioning as intended for participants.

To ensure the trial delivers the best possible passenger experience and provides robust data for evaluation, the decision was taken to postpone the launch until these issues were resolved.

We continue to work closely with Northern and the supplier to address the problems and launch as soon as possible. Northern will provide an update to participants in the respective trial in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Southeastern stations had pay as you go ticketing on 1 January in each year since 2010.

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

From 1 January 2010, Pay As You Go (PAYG) was available at 65 Southeastern stations, increasing to 68 from 1 January 2015. On 2 February 2025, Project Oval expanded PAYG ticketing to National Rail Stations in the Southeast of England, bringing the total of Southeastern stations with PAYG services on 1 January 2026 to 74.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the modified heather dominated upland peat managed by Natural England is degraded.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Natural England manages 7,865 hectares of upland peat areas with a mosaic of dwarf shrub heath and blanket bog vegetation types. The latest condition assessments report that whilst 15% is unfavourable, either with no signs of change or declining, 72% is unfavourable recovering meaning that positive management is restoring the habitats and the ecosystem services they provide and 13% is recorded as favourable.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008 is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

The Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK Government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra is reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities.

The Environment Agency (Environment Agency: reaching net zero - GOV.UK), Foresty England (Cutting our carbon emissions | Forestry England), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew commits to become climate positive by 2030 | Kew) and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas 2030) have published separate emissions targets.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding has been allocated to onboard WiFi and catering on TransPennine Express services in the last 12 months.

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

In the 2025-26 operating year, TransPennine Express has enhanced its catering, recruiting additional staff and supporting local small suppliers. These changes have led to improved customer satisfaction and additional ticket and catering revenue. Net catering costs for 2025-26 are £5.4 million.

All TransPennine Express services offer customers free Wi-Fi. The cost of providing this in 2025-26 is £0.6 million.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 92691 on Great British Railways: Finance, if she will publish the hyperlink to the Spending Review settlement and additional commentary referenced in that Answer.

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

The links are below.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849171796e63bce58e4e705/E03349913_HMT_Spending_Review_June_2025_Elay.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68492799d0ca5d7801e4e709/Efficiency_delivery_plans_-_supplementary_document_-_FINAL.pdf

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles on the West of England line have been modernised by South Western Railway since December 2025.

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

The 15X Fleet refurbishment programme started in December 2025 with refurbishment works on the first unit commencing on 29 December.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether South Western Railway plans to consult on a new timetable in 2026.

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

South Western Railway (SWR) is planning to consult on its future timetable proposals with stakeholders and passengers during 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy on national and local transport planning; and how the Strategy will improve whole-journey integration between rail, bus, road and active travel.

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

The Department will publish the integrated national transport strategy shortly, which will set the long‑term vision for domestic transport across England.

While developing the strategy, we have worked across government to ensure it aligns with forthcoming guidance and tools for local authorities and transport partners, including Outcome Frameworks and cross-government Integrated Settlements for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. We have undertaken regular engagement with stakeholders such as the Local Government Association and the Urban Transport Group, helping ensure the strategy addresses the main barriers people face in accessing good transport and supports effective planning at both the national and local levels.

On whole-journey integration, the strategy will set out this government’s priorities for creating a transport network that works well for people across England, enabling more seamless journeys however they choose to travel.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96341, what consideration her Department has given to funding Public Service Obligation air routes between UK airports which do not involve the service starting or ending in London.

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

In December 2023, the Department for Transport published updated Public Service Obligation (PSO) guidance extending support to region-to-region PSOs which removes the historical requirement for eligible PSO routes to operate into London.

Region-to-region PSOs can be used on existing routes if a route is at risk of being lost and the route meets the criteria for PSO support. These would need to be funded by the relevant local authorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the level of carbon emissions caused by (a) prescribed burns of vegetation and (b) wildfires during 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government remains committed to improving air quality to deliver benefits for public health, the environment, and the economy. This includes reducing carbon emissions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, what the cost was of each of the following HS2 environmental assessments published since 4 July 2024: a) the Environmental Sustainability Progress Report, b) Supplementary Environmental Information reports, c) Noise and Vibration reports, and d) Air Quality reports.

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

HS2 Ltd and its supply chain undertake routine environmental assessments throughout design and construction to confirm compliance with the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act, the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements, and other commitments and obligations, including those set out in existing UK environmental legislation.

Environmental assessments are a constituent part of the design and construction process, and may relate to individual assets, sectors or the whole route and can relate to a variety of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, dust or biodiversity. In view of this, neither the Department for Transport, nor HS2 Ltd, collect information related to the cost of each individual environmental assessment undertaken on the route. Such assessments inform the content of the reports referenced in the question, and it is therefore not possible to disaggregate the cost of each individual report.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she was first informed of the decision by John Larkinson, Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road, to step down from his role.

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

The Secretary of State received a letter from the Chair of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on 8 December 2025 informing her of John Larkinson’s decision to retire from the role of Chief Executive of the ORR with effect from the end of April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Department has made of whether funding arrangements for NaVCIS are adequate to meet levels of operational demand across the freight and logistics sector.

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

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy.

The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.

NaVCIS is a national policing unit that provides dedicated specialist intelligence, and it engages with a range of partners to tackle organised vehicle crime.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 96260 on Railways: Government Assistance, what her Department’s latest estimate is of the level of net Government support to the rail sector per passenger journey in the 2027-28 financial year.

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

Given the forecast steady decrease in the level of the Department's support for the 14 contracted operators and Network Rail, the level of support in 2027/28 is estimated to be slightly higher than in 2028/29.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the postponement or delay of the 2025 Basildon Borough Council elections was discussed during the meeting between Baroness Taylor and Basildon Borough Council councillors or officials during her visit to Basildon on Friday 12 December.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As would be expected, topics relating to local government reorganisation were raised with the Minister, including 2026 elections.

We have invited Basildon Borough Council and other councils undergoing local government reorganisation to set out their views on the postponement of their local election and if they consider this could release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation. This is a locally led approach. Councils are best placed to judge their local capacity and we will consider representations carefully.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, on what dates each HS2 environmental assessment published since 4 July 2024 was published, and to provide a link to each document, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance on transparency.

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

HS2 Environmental Assessments published since 4 July 2024 are available on www.gov.uk alongside their corresponding publication dates here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-environmental-sustainability-progress-report

- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sei-reports-for-new-significant-environmental-effects-on-the-hs2-phase-one-route

- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2025

- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2024

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Basildon Borough Council on the (a) proposed 27,000 home increase in the Borough and (b) potential impact of that increase on demand for C2C and Greater Anglia services.

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

We expect operators to work with local stakeholders, including local councils such as Basildon Borough Council, in relation to housing developments and their potential increase on demand for rail services. Estimates of future demand are being used to inform strategic planning across the Essex Thameside area, with collaboration across operators, Network Rail and local stakeholders such as councils.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether contracts for new rolling stock for Northern are expected to be signed in 2027.

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

It is anticipated that Northern’s new rolling stock contract could be signed in 2027, subject to the completion of Northern’s current live procurement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Northern trains have had sanding systems upgraded in each month since January 2024.

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

The number of Northern trains that have had sanding systems upgraded in each month since January 2024 is set out in the table below.

Figures up to 31 December 2025

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the expected completion date is for Southeastern’s rolling stock procurement process.

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

The Southeastern rolling stock procurement is currently live and is subject to evaluation and all necessary governance for approvals. We are unable to confirm exact timescales due to the confidential nature of the live procurement, but subject to business case approval, it is anticipated that the contract award will be in 2026. Southeastern will keep all stakeholders informed as this progresses.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ghost plates pose on (a) national security and (b) the ability of hostile or organised criminal actors to evade detection by ANPR technology; and whether she has commissioned a cross-government review on the potential impact of the use of illegal plates on investigative leads, including those related to violent crime, terrorism, and serious organised criminal activity.

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

Under the new Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January by the Department for Transport, the Government has announced firm action to tackle illegal or ‘ghost’ numberplates. This includes consulting on tougher penalties, including penalty points and vehicle seizure, more robust checks on number plate suppliers, and higher industry standards for numberplates. We also intend to commission targeted research to explore the potential use of artificial intelligence to identify illegal plates.

In addition, the Government has pledged £2.7m for each of the next three years to support a roads policing innovation programme. As part of this innovation programme, the Department for Transport and Home Office are working in collaboration with National Police Chiefs' Council and others to consider new approaches to tackling the issue of illegal plate usage.