Department for Transport

Further detail on RIS3 funding allocations will be set out by National Highways in its Delivery Plan.

Local Traffic Authorities have the power to introduce road charging schemes to address issues such as congestion and poor air quality, where they decide that is the best solution. They do not require Ministerial or Parliamentary approval to do this. Net revenue from such schemes are retained by the relevant local transport authority or authorities and must be used for transport purposes.

As noted in the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120682, the Department for Transport recognises the value of international comparisons for its work, including (a) Australia’s National Freight Data Hub, (b) the United States’ Commodity Flow Survey and (c) the Republic of Korea’s Transport Database.

No formal assessments of the type described have been made for the comparators listed, but they are important parts of the Department's broad evidence base for policy making that supports freight and logistics and the wider transport system.

The Department publishes several data sets on collisions that can be viewed on GOV.UK. The RAS0503: Vehicle type and manoeuvre report includes figures on the number of vehicles that were overtaking another vehicle at the time of their collision. However, this does not specify what type of vehicle they were overtaking, or if the collision was a result of an unsafe overtaking manoeuvre.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires approved driving instructors (ADI) and approved training bodies (ATB) to train learner driver and riders to the National Standards. This includes teaching learners to recognise and manage the additional risks when overtaking HGVs, including on rural roads and motorways. DVSA has no current plans to change how learners are trained or how the agency examines learner drivers and riders on their practical tests.

Both the multiple-choice and hazard perception elements already include questions on safely following, and overtaking, HGVs in a range of situations. DVSA keeps the driving and riding theory and practical test under continuous review.

The agency also encourages ADIs to include motorway driving as part of their instruction to learner drivers.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses learner postcode mapping to guide workforce planning and recruitment strategies. The DVSA will continue to assess the recruitment needs of all test centres in the UK and will continue to launch further recruitment campaigns to address demand.

The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for the months January 2026 and February 2026 respectively.

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026.

* - Includes those who are in training to be a driving examiner.

Performance Action Plans are an informal tool managed within the line management chain. Department for Transport therefore does not hold any central data on how many civil servants have a performance management plan in place.

On 13 April 2026, the Department launched a public consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7. As part of these proposals, manufacturers would be required to meet the requirements of United Nations Global Technical Regulation No.22 by fitting electric vehicles with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors. The consultation will remain open until 25 May 2026.

The Government is seeking views on these proposals through that consultation. No final decisions have been taken, and the timetable for introducing any new battery health measures will be determined following careful consideration of the responses received.

Ministers regularly engage with colleagues across government, local government partners, and relevant stakeholders on a range of issues relating to the condition, management and performance of the transport network, including its wider social and economic impacts.

The Department recognises that maintaining a safe and reliable local road network is important for all road users, including emergency services. Local highway authorities have a statutory duty to maintain their networks and are best placed to manage local issues, including those affecting response times.

The Government is providing a record £7.3 billion of funding for local highway maintenance between 2026‑27 and 2029‑30, giving authorities greater funding certainty to enable them to move away from reactive repairs and invest in preventative maintenance to support safer, more dependable journeys.

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions. The Department will publish its response shortly. This expands on the £25m grant funding for local authorities, supporting the installation of cross-pavement channels.

According to industry figures, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent 22.4% of new car sales in the year to date. In March, new BEV volumes were up 24.2% on March last year, with 86,120 BEV sales, the highest month of BEV sales by volume ever in the UK. New BEV sales increased by almost a quarter in 2025 compared to 2024, while BEVs showed the strongest growth on the second-hand market, up by 45.7%.

The Government continues to monitor regulatory approaches to support the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) in other countries and in the EU. These vary depending on economic, market, and geographic circumstances.

Transitioning to ZEVs is essential to meeting the UK’s objectives on air quality, energy security and industrial policy, and to delivering on our climate commitments. The Government has a long-standing commitment to publish a review of the ZEV Mandate by early 2027, with preparations beginning this year.

On 13 April 2026, the Department launched a public consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7. As part of these proposals, manufacturers would be required to fit electric vehicles with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors. The consultation will remain open until 25 May 2026.

The Government is seeking views on these proposals through that consultation. No final decisions have been taken, and the timetable for introducing any new battery health measures will be determined following careful consideration of the responses received.

The £2 billion Electric Car Grant has been extended to 2030 to support drivers to purchase electric vehicles by reducing upfront costs. More than 90,000 people have already benefited from grants of up to £3,750 across 45 models.

In February 2025, we announced the decision to close the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant, which closed at the end of the 2025/26 financial year. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will continue to monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions. The Department will publish its response shortly.

The Government continues to offer grant funding for those living in flats and rented accommodation, with up to £500 per charge point socket.

The Government is also continuing to support drivers to access cheaper, flexible charging tariffs, both at home and in public. The Government set out a range of steps to support this as part of its Clean Flexibility Roadmap 2025.

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions and equipment housing. The Department will publish its response shortly.

We are planning to publish the road freight value of travel time updates as definitive changes to the Transport Analysis Guidance on 28th May.

Twenty FTE (Full Time Equivalent) staff are employed on the HS2 Ltd helpdesk.

The Government’s record £7.3 billion investment over the next four years will bring annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes to over £2 billion annually, doubling annual funding by 2029-30 compared to 2024-25 levels. This funding increase is enough to enable local authorities to fill millions of additional potholes in each year of this Parliament when compared to 2024-25. At the same time, the Department is also expecting local highway authorities to adopt best practice in highways maintenance, which includes a greater focus on preventative maintenance so that fewer potholes form in the first place and a greater focus on permanent pothole repairs to reduce the need for repeated and more costly temporary repairs.

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK.

Whilst the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) cannot get details of applicant referral sources from the Government Recruitment Service, for campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the civil service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, DVSA introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. DVSA will cross-reference the data from these two surveys going forward, but for now DVSA has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign.

The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Scotland in February 2026 was 22 weeks. The table below shows the average waiting time in February 2026 for a car practical driving test at driving test centres in Scotland.

As of 26 March 2026, Civil Aviation Authority (the Regulator) records indicate that 1315 commercial pilots aged 60 to 64 are expected to reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 within the next five years.

The UK aviation sector operates predominantly in the private sector, and it is for individual airlines to recruit and train the pilots and flight instructors needed to meet both current and future demand. However, supporting the UK’s aviation workforce remains a priority for this Government. I welcome the steps taken by British Airways and Jet2.com to strengthen the future pilot pipeline, including through periodically offering partly or fully funded training programmes.

Ministers and officials continue to engage regularly with industry and with representative bodies, including the British Airline Pilots’ Association, on aviation skills issues. A major training organisation has now been approved to deliver the First Officer apprenticeship, which will enable young people to train as pilots at no personal cost. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England to encourage airlines to take up and deliver this apprenticeship.

The Department is going through their governance approval to conclude the procurement for Washwood Heath Depot (WWH). We expect to award the contract in the coming weeks.

Sustrans (now called Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust) produced a report for Bradford Council that assessed the Benefit Cost Ratios (BCR) of the active travel route options. The options included routes that would use the Queensbury Tunnel. The report made clear that the BCR scored for the routes were all very close indicating that none of them represented significantly better value for money over the others. Funding for an Active Travel route is the responsibility of the Local Authority. Therefore, without a clear commitment from either Bradford Council or West Yorkshire Combined Authority to provide funding for an active travel route utilising the tunnel, the difficult decision was taken to close the tunnel, subject to the appropriate planning approvals.

In 2024 there were 8 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’.  Of these 8 cases, less than 5 resulted in Final Written warnings or First Written Warnings.

In 2025 there were 6 disciplinary cases in the central Government Department that closed in that year and where the reason for the case was categorised specifically as ‘Breaches of the Civil Service Code’.  Of these 6 cases, less than 5 resulted in Dismissal or First Written Warnings.

Due to the small number of cases which have been identified in some outcomes, a further breakdown is withheld as it could lead to identification of individuals.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.

There is no immediate cause for concern relating to fuel stocks, and speculation will not help airlines or passengers. Many airlines lock in fuel prices in advance, to help protect tickets from spikes in price. We encourage all airlines to do what they can to ensure tickets remain fairly and appropriately priced for passengers.

My officials routinely engage with a broad range of aviation stakeholders, including the Royal Aeronautical Society, to support strong and effective collaboration between government and industry on aviation related matters.

The impacts of long‑term road or bridge closures on small businesses vary significantly depending on local circumstances and the mitigation measures put in place. Responsibility for managing and mitigating these impacts sits with local highway authorities, which are best placed to understand local conditions.

The Department for Transport’s Structures Fund will inject cash into repairing run down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels across England, mitigating the need for road and bridge closures in the future.

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) recently consulted on changes to certain fees. As part of the fee setting process the government considers all the evidence provided as well as long standing principles included in Managing Public Money. Any fee changes require the consent of this House through a fee order. As is the standard practice, I will update the House in due course

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. At the point of submitting an application on Civil Service Jobs no applicant source information is recorded.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, provides details of subsequent surveys that might be completed by applicants.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, also provided information on click through rates, but notes that it is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed applications.

All driving examiner (DE) applications are made through Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. At the point of submitting an application on Civil Service Jobs no applicant source information is recorded.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, provides details of subsequent surveys that might be completed by applicants.

Answer to Question 122526, 20 March 2026, also provided information on click through rates, but notes that it is not possible to say what number of these click throughs resulted in completed applications.

The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Wales in February 2026 was 16.8 weeks. The table below shows the average waiting time in February 2026 for a car practical driving test at driving test centres in Wales:

We are working at pace with our Master Development Partner, Lendlease, on a Masterplan for Euston, with an emphasis on growth and delivering much needed housing, and will set out a clear plan in due course.

Further, the government has appointed Bek Seeley as the Chair to the Euston Housing Delivery Group, to understand the opportunities for thousands of new homes in the wider Euston area.

The Euston Housing Delivery Group is not pre-supposing the number of homes achievable but will robustly assess the scale of opportunity for housing around Euston.

We recognise the concern regarding disruption to existing tenants due to the sale of HS2 properties that are no longer required. We are committed to ensuring that sales are delivered in a sensible and sensitive way. We will provide updates to tenants as the programme develops and, wherever possible, properties will be sold where tenancies have run to the end of their term.

The Secretary of State has requested that Mark Wild look at ways to remove gold plating and complexity from the HS2 project, and if a slightly reduced specification could save time and money. We will not make the same mistakes of the past of making changes to scope without understanding all of the impacts, including on passenger capacity. We will not take any decisions until this work is complete.

The Department has not corroborated the findings of Thatcham Research, nor has it received data on hybrid vehicle fire incidents from Fire & Rescue Services. The Chief Scientific Advisors at the Department for Transport and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government co-chair a regular Technical Steering Group, attended by Government officials, industry representatives, Fire & Rescue Service representatives, and academic experts to review current scientific literature relating to electric vehicle fires, identify gaps in understanding, and advise on how these may be addressed.

The Vehicle Certification Agency is taking forward a number of measures, including service digitisation, and updating legacy systems. This is estimated to deliver circa £1-1.5m in additional efficiency savings in the 2026/27 financial year.

As with any recruitment in the Civil Service, all applications must be made through Civil Service Jobs. There are several stages candidates must progress through before being offered employment, and consequently there will be candidates unsuccessful at various stages of the process.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) must ensure appointments are made based on merit following fair and open competition. As well as parts of the application process common to other Civil Service roles – eligibility checks, application forms, interviews, DBS checks - there are elements that are unique to the recruitment process for driving examiners (DE) when compared to other roles.

Upholding road safety standards underpins everything DVSA does, and the recruitment process has to ensure those employed as DEs can determine if a candidate is ready and safe to take to the road alone.

Candidates successful at interview will undertake an assessment of their driving ability, which they must pass. Further details of what this assessment entails can be found on GOV.UK.

Candidates who successfully pass recruitment and are offered employment must undertake and pass a training programme before conducting tests.

The VCA is currently analysing responses to its recent consultation on increasing certain fees, which would support deficit reduction. If taken forward, any fee changes require the consent of this House through a fee order. We are therefore unable to set out a specific timeframe for elimination of the deficit at this stage. As is the standard practice, I will update the House in due course.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Applications where a medical condition must be assessed before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often dependent on information from third parties, including medical professionals.

In 2025/26 the average time to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence could be issued was 56.66 days.

The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers.

The DVLA regularly reviews its funding requirements to process medical licence applications as part of its wider forecasting and business planning activity. Any financial pressures and opportunities which may arise are reported promptly to the Department for Transport as part of routine oversight. The Department and the DVLA continue to monitor demand levels and performance closely and funding priorities are kept under review to ensure resources are deployed effectively.

Where drivers indicate that their licence is required for employment and other urgent purposes, these applications are prioritised where possible.

It is important to note that most drivers may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

Over financial year 2025/26, DfT(central) had an 8% headcount reduction target which was achieved by March 2026.