Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support people aged 17 years and over in resitting their GCSE English Language.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has strengthened the requirements for the mathematics and English conditions of funding to ensure every eligible student is supported to make progress towards and, wherever possible, attain GCSE English by the end of their 16-19 study. This is backed by significant additional investment, including increases to the English and mathematics funding rate of 11% in 2025/26.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper includes a package of support for English, including new level 1 stepping stone English qualifications that support students with lower prior attainment for successful GCSE resits. It also pledges to improve the gathering and sharing of effective practice to support providers’ delivery of 16-19 English in the meantime and strengthens accountability measures to hold providers to account.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the total sums paid by learner drivers to DVLA for resitting their Theory Test because they have been unable to access a practical driving test before their previous certificate expired.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The validity period of the theory test certificate is two years. The cost of taking a theory test is £23.00. It is not possible to estimate the total sums paid by learner drivers for resitting their theory test because they have been unable to access a practical driving test before their previous certificate expired.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is doing everything it can to ensure that learners can access practical tests within that time, to prevent candidates from having to retake the theory test.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the preparation of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Learners will therefore need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the validity of the Driving Theory Test certificate, in the context of long waiting times for practical driving tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The validity period of the theory test certificate is two years. The cost of taking a theory test is £23.00. It is not possible to estimate the total sums paid by learner drivers for resitting their theory test because they have been unable to access a practical driving test before their previous certificate expired.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is doing everything it can to ensure that learners can access practical tests within that time, to prevent candidates from having to retake the theory test.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the preparation of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Learners will therefore need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what standards and speed of response she expects from HMRC in providing details of settlements reached with companies to hon. Members.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC have a statutory duty of confidentiality to protect information held about taxpayers, so that such information is not passed to unauthorised parties. HMRC’s ability to disclose information held about taxpayers is restricted by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (CRCA). Section 18 of CRCA makes clear that HMRC must not disclose information to anyone, unless they have lawful authority to do so. As such HMRC are unable to provide details of any customers’ tax settlements with MPs.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the mechanisms available to Parliament to hold HMRC to account for the effectiveness of its safeguarding of public money.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC is subject to the same parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms for its stewardship of public resources as other government departments, as set out in HM Treasury's Managing Public Money guidance, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-public-money.
This means the department’s annual report and accounts must be produced in line with the requirements set out by HM Treasury, audited by the Comptroller & Auditor General and laid in Parliament. In addition, HMRC's Accounting Officer is directly accountable to Parliament and regularly appears before the Committee of Public Accounts. HMRC is also subject to departmental scrutiny by the Treasury Committee.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 delays in reinstatement of a medically revoked driving licence on people's capacity to work.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Although a specific assessment has not been carried out, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and understands the impact delays can have on people’s lives. Road safety remains our most important priority and the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards required for safe driving can be met before a licence is issued.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. Where a driver contacts the DVLA to advise that they require their driving licence for employment, the application will be prioritised where possible.
The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will enhance the handling of medical cases, support growing customer demand and help to reduce processing times. As part of this work, the DVLA has improved the quality of the correspondence provided to applicants and reviewed the questions asked of applicants and healthcare professionals when assessing medical fitness to drive, with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the reasons for delays in the DVLA's system for the reissuing of revoked driver's licenses on medical grounds.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Although a specific assessment has not been carried out, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and understands the impact delays can have on people’s lives. Road safety remains our most important priority and the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards required for safe driving can be met before a licence is issued.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. Where a driver contacts the DVLA to advise that they require their driving licence for employment, the application will be prioritised where possible.
The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will enhance the handling of medical cases, support growing customer demand and help to reduce processing times. As part of this work, the DVLA has improved the quality of the correspondence provided to applicants and reviewed the questions asked of applicants and healthcare professionals when assessing medical fitness to drive, with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
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 absence of regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK on fair competition within the UK market.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the current domestic regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward on fair competition within the UK market.
Although these vehicles lie outside the UKs operator licensing framework if they are used solely domestically, operators of these vehicles are still required to keep them correctly taxed and insured and appropriately maintained, including annual MOT testing once the vehicle is more than three years old. Employers are also required to ensure that their drivers have the correct licences, that all loads carried are appropriately secured and that the relevant drivers’ hours rules are followed.
However, the Department recognises stakeholder concerns regarding the different regulatory requirements associated with light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, and how this interacts with fair competition in the UK haulage industry. The Department continues to monitor developments in this sector.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential revenue that would be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK; and whether that revenue could be used to strengthen enforcement against non-compliant operators of such vehicles.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made a formal estimate of the potential revenue that could be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK.
While operator licensing fees contribute to the costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the goods vehicle licensing regime, any future extension of the regime to smaller, lighter vehicles used solely domestically for hire and reward would require detailed financial modelling and consultation with stakeholders, as changes would almost certainly have a financial impact on businesses.
For government, whilst it is anticipated that making this change would see an increase in revenue, this would be offset by a rise in costs associated with developing the system, as well as compliance, monitoring and enforcement. However, this is something that the Department for Transport keeps under review.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce operator licensing or equivalent regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the current guidelines Operator Licences are only required for domestic operators with vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. My Department is currently considering a range of reform options aiming to ensure that the Operator Licensing regime remains robust and effective.
Currently there are no plans to extend the domestic Operator Licensing regime to include vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when those vehicles are undertaking hire or reward operations domestically within the UK.