Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on changes in the number of licensed private hire vehicles in England in the last 12 months; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of that change on (a) congestion and (b) consumer safety.

The Department for Transport’s taxi statistics provide information on the number of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in England and Wales. Data are derived from the department’s survey of licensing authorities in England and Wales, which takes place every 2 years. The last survey was published in August 2015. It showed a total 166,100 private hire vehicles in England in March 2015, an increase of 11.8% since March 2013. The Department has not made a further assessment of any impacts of that change.