Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising fuel prices on the competitiveness of coach operators based in Kent.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the impact of cost increases on the coach sector, and we will continue to monitor developments closely. The Government has taken action to help support businesses with these increased costs, including extending the 5p fuel duty cut until the end of the year, benefitting coach operators, including in Kent.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department is having with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, National Highways, and other stakeholders on eliminating the need for the deployment of Operation Brock to be deployed on the M20.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The department continues to work closely with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, National Highways, Kent County Council, and other local partners to ensure that traffic management arrangements in Kent remain effective, proportionate and responsive to changing risks.
Operation Brock remains a contingency measure designed to protect the strategic road network, maintain access for local communities and businesses, and support the continued flow of freight through the Short Straits during periods of disruption. Decisions on its deployment are kept under regular review through established multi-agency arrangements, led locally by the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, so that Brock is used only where it is necessary and proportionate.
The government recognises the impact that Operation Brock can have on road users and communities in Kent and is committed to working with partners to reduce that impact wherever possible. The department, National Highways and local partners are actively considering longer-term options that could lessen reliance on queuing HGVs on the M20, including approaches that make better use of technology to manage freight movements and provide greater resilience through off-road holding capacity.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that (a) thistles and (b) ragwort are removed from land owned by her Department between the village of Mersham and the Sevington inland border facility.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The most appropriate weeding regime is being kept under review. The Department has undertaken the removal of weeds on previous occasions. The field is allocated for a biodiversity scheme, and we need to consider the impact of any weeding regime on the overall biodiversity including nesting birds. We will be working with an ecologist on the most appropriate actions.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of road signs used by local authorities to help prevent road causalities among (a) hedgehogs and (b) other small mammals.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no such assessment. Local authorities are responsible for the installation of the small wild animal road signs.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 81640 on Parking: Disability, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Kent County Council on its use of powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out disabled parking bays.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Kent County Council, as the traffic authority for Kent, are wholly responsible for exercising their powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Whilst the Department does not typically intervene in local authority decision making on marking out disabled parking bays, it publishes guidance to local authorities to support them in carrying out their responsibilities. These can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for disabled parking bays for people who are of state pension age with mobility issues but are not in receipt of the higher rate of DLA or PIP.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 provides local authorities with powers to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes.
This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 June 2025 on Dart Charge, HCWS708, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Local Resident Discount Scheme for the Dartford Crossing for users of the Crossing living in Kent.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The current approach of applying the local resident discount only to people who live within the boroughs where the Dartford Crossing is located (Dartford and Thurrock), recognises that it is the people living in those boroughs who are most affected by the heavy traffic using it.
Car drivers with a pre-paid account benefit from a 20 per cent discount for each crossing regardless of their place of residence, which offers good value for money for people who live beyond Dartford and Thurrock.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum on avoiding the routine deployment of Operation Brock during school holidays.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is operationally independent from His Majesty’s Government (HMG). The KMRF's decision to deploy Operation Brock ahead of the Easter getaway was taken after extensive discussions, taking into account previous disruption during peak periods, expected traffic levels and safety of road users.
The deployment of Operation Brock and other traffic management measures are continually kept under review by the KMRF to ensure they are designed and implemented in the most effective way possible.
The Department continues to work on new approaches to long term traffic management in Kent, considering a combination of off-road sites and technology to manage the flow of traffic to the portals during periods of high traffic volumes, keeping the strategic road network clear. We are also working on improvements in traffic forecasting using better data, AI and learning from recent experience which could mean that the use of Operation Brock on a precautionary basis could be reduced in the future.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on pavement parking on pedestrians with (a) a visual impairment (b) people with mobility issues, (c) children and (d) parents with buggies.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause for pedestrians, especially people with mobility or sight impairments, as well as those with prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to our consultation in 2020 and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government has decided its preferred way forward, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the DVSA on the adequacy of its online booking system for booking practical driving tests.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As set out in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) 2024/25 business plan, DVSA is beginning the process of replacing its booking system.
DVSA also launched a call for evidence on 18 December 2024, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This closed on 11 February 2025 and will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes.