Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at driving test centres in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The attached Excel document shows what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at driving test centres in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last ten years.
Please note there is no data available for Chadderton test centre for 2015. Chadderton was commissioned for practical car driving tests on 19 January 2017. For 2016/17 only partial data is available based on just over two months of operation.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 the introduction of non-tilting HS2-compatible trains on West Coast Main Line capacity.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We anticipate the use of non-tilting trains to have no impact on the capacity of the West Coast Mainline. We are currently developing the timetable for when HS2 opens and decisions will made closer to the start of services and will be subject to consultation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Question 85338 on Driving Instruction: Standards, how many individuals or organisations have been investigated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Counter Fraud and Investigation team in relation to (a) driving test fraud and (b) illegal driving instruction in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 24/25, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received 927 reports of illegal instruction and 2133 reports of fraud at point of theory test and practical test. DVSA thoroughly investigate all allegations, and action can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.
DVSA does not maintain records regarding the total number of investigations completed in previous years.
Whilst the volume and levels of undetected fraud are unknown, it should be noted that when compared to the number of theory and practical tests conducted in 24/25, identified cases of fraud in relation to these tests equate to roughly 0.06% for theory tests and roughly 0.01% of practical test tests respectively.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Where businesses and driving instructors have been found to have broken these terms and conditions by misuse of the booking service, DVSA has taken steps to remove access or close business accounts. Additionally in the coming months, DVSA will:
Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA has taken to investigate individuals or organisations involved in (a) reselling driving test appointments and (b) bulk booking or profiteering from driving test slots.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 24/25, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received 927 reports of illegal instruction and 2133 reports of fraud at point of theory test and practical test. DVSA thoroughly investigate all allegations, and action can range from issuing a warning to pursuing prosecution.
DVSA does not maintain records regarding the total number of investigations completed in previous years.
Whilst the volume and levels of undetected fraud are unknown, it should be noted that when compared to the number of theory and practical tests conducted in 24/25, identified cases of fraud in relation to these tests equate to roughly 0.06% for theory tests and roughly 0.01% of practical test tests respectively.
In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit.
On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Where businesses and driving instructors have been found to have broken these terms and conditions by misuse of the booking service, DVSA has taken steps to remove access or close business accounts. Additionally in the coming months, DVSA will:
Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests
Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Written Statement of 12 January 2026 on Local roads and highways, HCWS1232, whether it is her policy that local authorities that have spent all of their Highway Maintenance Grant allocations can be categorised as Red.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local highway authorities that stated they had plans to spend 100% of their DfT capital grant for highways maintenance on this purpose in 2025/26 received an amber, not red, spend scorecard. The vast majority of local highway authorities stated they had plans to spend an additional 30% or more in capital to maintain their highways, and these 113 local highway authorities received a green spend scorecard.
The ratings consider road condition, capital investment levels, and wider best practice to produce an overall rating, with each of these three elements making up a third of the overall rating. As such, it is possible for authorities to receive an overall red rating despite individual areas of good or mixed performance and where based on an overall assessment of all areas considered by the ratings the threshold for an amber rating was not met. All red-rated authorities will receive access to a dedicated support offer to help them improve their rating and to ensure road conditions improve nationwide.
This information, and the full methodology for the local road maintenance ratings has been published online, at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-road-maintenance-ratings/local-road-maintenance-ratings-2025-to-2026.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what policy reason route-level impact assessments were not published for ferry-dependent communities ahead of laying secondary legislation for the domestic maritime UK ETS.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is neither proportionate nor expected to conduct individual route-level impact assessments for all routes in scope of the ETS. An Impact Assessment was published alongside the main Authority Response to the "UK Emissions Trading Scheme Scope Expansion: maritime sector” consultation, which includes analysis of regional and distributional impacts.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105895, what proportion of the £424 million efficiency saving attributed to regulated settlements in 2028–29 is expected to be delivered by Network Rail alone.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All of the £424 million efficiency saving attributed to regulated settlements in 2028–29 is forecasted to be delivered by Network Rail. Efficiencies for National Highways for the equivalent period will be determined through the Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) process, which is currently underway and not yet complete.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to conduct an annual review of (a) the duration of closures of public level crossings, (b) the potential impact of those closures on local economies and (c) the potential merits of replacing high-delay road crossings with alternative means of crossing railway lines.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail is responsible for the safe management and operation of level crossings across the rail network, which includes monitoring their performance and usage and the duration of closures arising from train operations.
The Department for Transport has no current plans to conduct an annual review of closure durations or their economic impacts. However, Network Rail already assesses level crossing performance and considers a range of factors when reviewing whether upgrades or alternative solutions—such as bridges, underpasses or road realignments—may be justified. These decisions take account of safety risk, operational needs, local circumstances and the potential impacts on communities and the wider network. The Department continues to work with Network Rail and the safety regulator to support proportionate improvements where they deliver clear safety and network benefits.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for road maintenance for metropolitan authorities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that historic under-investment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way that they would want to. The Government has therefore confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This new, four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. By confirming funding allocations for a four-year period, authorities have certainty to plan ahead and shift from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance.
Metropolitan authorities that are part of a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) who receive a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), receive their baseline highways maintenance funding consolidated into their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) which is paid to the relevant MSA. From 2027/28, 9 eligible MSAs will receive increased funding from the Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department will treat the transfer of Dartford Crossing toll revenues to a private Lower Thames Crossing operator as a loss of income to the Department.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the entity under this model and this means charges will be used towards keeping the crossings well‑maintained and journeys running smoothly for users. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, delivering better value for taxpayers and reducing the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.