Department for Transport

The Department currently sponsors 26 staff on skilled worker visas.  As and when each sponsorship ends, we consider individuals on a case-by-case basis under the UK’s sponsorship rules.

Violence or abuse against public transport workers is unacceptable. The Government is committed to ensuring that staff across the network not only feel safe but are safe while carrying out their duties. The Department for Transport works closely with the transport industry and, on the railways, with the British Transport Police to maintain a safe environment for both staff and passengers.

Through the Bus Services (No.2) Act, we proposed to mandate training for staff working in the bus industry, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. We will make clear that training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so.

Rail operators take the personal safety of their staff seriously, with help given by the Department where required. Many have internal support systems in place for workers who have been assaulted or suffered abuse at work. In addition, whenever a crime is reported the police will signpost independent victim support services that the worker can contact at anytime for help and support.

It is essential that staff continue to report any instances of abuse or violence to the police so it can be investigated and offenders brought to justice. The British Transport Police are the dedicated police service for the railway and one of their priorities is ensuring it remains a safe place for staff and they will actively pursue offenders who abuse or are violent towards staff.

There have been no recent discussions between His Majesty's Government (HMG) and Welsh Government regarding a possible third road bridge across the Menai strait. HMG, through the Union Connectivity Development Fund, provided some financial support to Transport for Wales to undertake a study of the resilience of the existing Menai crossings.

The maintenance and improvement of the road network in Wales is a matter devolved to the Welsh Government.

Aviation must be accessible to all. To support this, the Department for Transport established the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, which published 19 recommendations on 16 July to improve aviation accessibility.

Two of these focus on non-visible impairments, including neurodivergence. One calls for pan-impairment requirements in airport accessibility reviews to ensure facilities, services, and support meet the needs of all passengers. The other recommends awareness campaigns to build confidence among passengers with non-visible impairments and improve understanding among staff and the public.

The Group will now support the sector in championing and implementing these recommendations.

In 2025, £2.1 million has been spent on grants for parking bays to date. This represents 37 per cent of total spend on the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) in 2025. These are estimated figures based on the proportion of parking bays and sockets funded.

The Department has made available £1.6bn in funding for local highway authorities to maintain their networks in 2025/26, a £500 million uplift compared to the previous year. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances, but the Department encourages the adoption of innovative technologies.

The Department has funded Live Labs 2, a three-year (2023/24 to 2025/26), £30 million programme managed by ADEPT to support the decarbonisation of the whole local highways sector in the UK.

It comprises seven projects, each in partnership between local highways authorities, the private sector and academia, focussing on different aspects of local highways maintenance, with lessons learned then available to the whole sector. It is founded on the idea that the sector acting together to innovate is more efficient than every authority acting on its own. A key aspect of the programme is testing, verifying and scaling low-carbon materials and technologies for improving road surfaces.

The information requested is not available because the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not record data at this level of detail.

Ensuring the railway remains safe for passengers and staff, and creating a hostile environment for criminals on the network is a priority for both the Department for Transport and the British Transport Police (BTP). Decisions on the use of resource and deployment of officers across the railway are for the BTP, as an operationally independent police service.

I would like to reassure you that the BTP have not taken the decision to stop investigating bike theft that cannot be narrowed to a two-hour window, which was reported in the media. The BTP’s screening policy, introduced in August 2024, takes into account factors including the possible time window an incident could have taken place in, but also the availability of witnesses and CCTV, the realistic prospect of a successful outcome, and a range of other factors. In some instances this may mean that an investigation is not progressed, but there is no blanket ruling and each case is judged on its own merits.

The number of deaths and serious injuries in reported road collisions are published as part of the Department's annual road casualty statistics on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics).

Statistics on roadside drug-driving tests are not held by the Department for Transport.

Everyone should be confident in choosing active travel, including cycling, as part of their everyday journeys.

Ensuring the railway remains safe for passengers and staff, and creating a hostile environment for criminals on the network is a priority for both the Department for Transport and the British Transport Police (BTP). Decisions on the use of resource and deployment of officers across the railway are for the BTP, as an operationally independent police service.

I would like to reassure you that the BTP have not taken the decision to stop investigating bike theft that cannot be narrowed to a two-hour window, which was reported in the media. The BTP’s screening policy, introduced in August 2024, takes into account factors including the possible time window an incident could have taken place in, but also the availability of witnesses and CCTV, the realistic prospect of a successful outcome, and a range of other factors. In some instances this may mean that an investigation is not progressed, but there is no blanket ruling and each case is judged on its own merits.

The Blue Badge scheme helps people with significant mobility issues - both visible and hidden - park closer to their destination, whether they’re drivers or passengers. It offers national on-street parking concessions, including free and time-unlimited parking in restricted areas and up to three hours on yellow lines (unless loading restrictions apply). Local authorities manage the scheme, while the Department manages and supports improvements to the digital application process.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel for eligible disabled people and those of state pension age. The scheme costs around £700 million annually, and any changes must consider financial sustainability. A recent review included travel times for disabled passholders, and next steps are being considered. Local authorities administer ENCTS and may offer additional concessions at their own expense.

The Disabled Persons Railcard offers a third off rail fares for the cardholder and a companion, with over 348,000 in circulation as of March 2025. It is valid during peak times and provides excellent value. A review of the scheme has been completed, and any updates will be announced shortly.

The Department for Transport’s budget for day-to-day spending until 2028-2029, and until 2029-2030 for capital investment was set in June’s Spending Review. Delivering greener, safer and healthier transport to support the Government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050 while driving economic growth is a Departmental priority that we will deliver through a range of spend and non-spend measures. We are accelerating the transformation of existing industries, such as our automotive and maritime sectors, and supporting the growth of nascent industries here in the UK, such as sustainable aviation fuel.

Transport was estimated to emit 111.8MtCO2e (megatonnes carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2023, with 78.1MtCO2e from cars and vans. The ZEV Mandate came into force in 2024; it requires that, by 2030, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans should be fully zero emission. In 2024, the Government estimated that this policy would deliver 420MtCO2e of savings by 2050, averaging a reduction of 5.8MtCO2e between 2028 and 2032 and 15.8MtCO2e between 2033 and 2037. The emission savings estimates have been slightly reduced by the flexibilities announced in April but by less than 3% overall.

The Government has committed up to £200 million to the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) to deploy zero emission HGVs and their associated recharging and refuelling sites, most of which will be delivered by March 2026. ZEHID is making good progress with 295 of a possible 319 zero emission HGVs ordered to date (86 already delivered and in use by haulage companies) and 73 planned infrastructure locations (14 already operational). A few HGVs and infrastructure sites may be operational slightly after March 2026 and this is being carefully managed by Innovate UK, our delivery partner.

All project spend is forecast to be complete by the end of the current financial year (March 2026), and while there has been some underspend against the project’s original budget, this was due to changes initiated by projects themselves as they refined approaches following original bids submitted in 2022.

While ZEHID has been operational, there has been a measurable increase in zero emission HGVs, going from 478 when ZEHID launched in late 2022 to 1,158 in June 2025.

The Department does not hold specific data on the proportion of volumetric concrete mixers that operate above the forthcoming 32-tonne weight limit.

In the concrete delivery sector, the Department estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation. Existing vehicles can continue to operate beyond the end of the temporary arrangement provided they are loaded to the lower weight limits (for example, up to 32 tonnes for 4 or more axle rigid vehicles).

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption.

The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports.

The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption.

The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports.

The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of the availability of funding for a fixed-link viability study to the Isle of Wight. We believe that decisions on transport interventions for a local community are best made at local level and it would be for the Local Authority to lead any feasibility study work.

The Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline investment portfolio was set out in the June 2025 Spending Review settlement.

The Department for Transport is not actively exploring this proposal for the Sutton Park freight line, but local authorities such as West Midlands Combined Authority, are free to develop local proposals for investment using their own devolved transport funding.

Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and whose vehicles are already licensed in the disabled taxation class can renew their vehicle excise duty (VED) exemption online.

Those customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of PIP, which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of VED payable, must send their application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Facilitating online applications by disabled customers to claim reduced rates of VED requires the electronic exchange of data held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with the DVLA. Officials are considering how to improve the ability for customers in receipt of PIP to transact with the DVLA.

My Department has not discussed this matter with Surrey County Council. Management of traffic, including HGVs, on local roads is the responsibility of the local highway authority. They have a range of measures available to them to manage inappropriate use of roads by HGVs, such as weight restrictions and signing strategies. It is for them to determine what measures are appropriate for individual situations.

We have been working to ensure that the UK is in a position to accede to the Cape Town Agreement and I can confirm that, subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession by Spring 2026.

More needs to be done to ensure that UK haulage companies can switch to zero emission HGVs (battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell). This is particularly true as most UK haulage companies are SMEs and operate on small profit margins. As more zero emission HGVs are deployed, the costs of these HGVs should begin to fall due to economies of scale in manufacturing, which when combined with running and maintenance savings, should reduce the total cost of ownership and support a second-hand market.

We are supporting UK haulage companies while seeking to minimise the impact of the transition on costs and delivery prices through programmes such as the Plug in Truck Grant, the £30m Depot Charging Scheme and the up to £200m Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator.

We will shortly be consulting on options for the end of sales dates for new non-zero emission HGVs and will continue to support UK hauliers with appropriate incentives and clear regulatory approach.

The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation.

These priorities were identified through the National Survey of Lorry Parking (2022) which also provided an estimate of the shortfall in on site overnight parking spaces in England.

A total of 69 projects that received funding from the MFGS have been completed to date.

Window 1 – Awarded on 11 September 2023

Window 2 – Awarded on 4 March 2024

Window 3 - Awarded on 10 October 2024

Overall Total

The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation.

These priorities were identified through the National Survey of Lorry Parking (2022) which also provided an estimate of the shortfall in on site overnight parking spaces in England.

A total of 69 projects that received funding from the MFGS have been completed to date.

Window 1 – Awarded on 11 September 2023

Window 2 – Awarded on 4 March 2024

Window 3 - Awarded on 10 October 2024

Overall Total

The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation.

These priorities were identified through the National Survey of Lorry Parking (2022) which also provided an estimate of the shortfall in on site overnight parking spaces in England.

A total of 69 projects that received funding from the MFGS have been completed to date.

Window 1 – Awarded on 11 September 2023

Window 2 – Awarded on 4 March 2024

Window 3 - Awarded on 10 October 2024

Overall Total

GBR will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare. We are already bringing some of the benefits to passengers as more train operators are brought into public ownership under DfTO. As announced on 24 July, LNER, TransPennine Express and Northern have expanded the availability of advance fares, making travel cheaper for passengers on journeys that cross between them.

Unfortunately, although the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had prepared a reply to the coroner, an oversight meant it was not sent as intended. I can confirm that the DVLA has now responded to the coroner on 24 October.

On 1 January, the Government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London throughout 2025 to prevent a cliff-edge fare hike for passengers. This was initially funded by over £150 million allocated in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and the estimated cost of a £2 cap over the same period was £444 million. At the Spending Review, the Government confirmed additional funding per year to maintain and improve bus services, and extend the £3 fare cap until March 2027.

The fare cap is a voluntary scheme for eligible bus operators, who are reimbursed the difference between the cap and the shadow commercial fare via fixed funding rather than on an individual journey basis. The Department gathers extensive data from bus operators, and the methodology to determine operator allocations uses historic data from 2022 and current data to predict each operator’s ticket sales for each period of the £3 fare cap.

Participating operators receive details of their fixed funding allocations prior to the start of each phase of the scheme, minimising the financial risk to the Department. It is on this basis that the Department is able to determine the cost of delivering the fare cap.

The Department published the final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the first 10 months of the £2 bus fare cap scheme on 12 February. The Department is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, and this will be published once completed.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. This Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Our Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. We intend to publish by the end of the year.

The Government is aware that Local Transport Plan Guidance hasn’t been updated in over a decade. We are currently developing new guidance for Local Transport Authorities in line with our wider priorities. The Government intends to publish updated Local Transport Plan guidance in due course.

Greater Anglia plans to run Stansted Express services on Boxing Day this year. Services are expected to operate every 30 minutes and due to engineering work these services will start and terminate from Tottenham Hale.

South Western Railway and c2c are not running Boxing Day services this year.

The Department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer.

Typically, demand for services on Boxing Day is low and much of the network is closed to provide opportunity for essential maintenance. We expect operators and in future, Great British Railways, to continue to consider the case for Boxing Day services where there is demand and they do not further increase the burden on taxpayers.

The Secretary of State for Transport and the Rail Minister have regular engagement with the CEO and Chair of HS2 Ltd to maintain oversight of the project and support their comprehensive reset of HS2.

The government has committed an unprecedented settlement of £25.3 billion to progress the delivery of HS2 and Euston up to 2029/30, which will fund construction of the new railway at the lowest reasonable cost. New estimates for the programme’s overall costs and schedule are being developed as part of the HS2 reset.

The four-year deferral of works between Delta Junction and Handsacre Junction will enable construction efforts to focus on the cost-efficient delivery of HS2’s opening stage between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street.

The works in this area were already paused, meaning the further deferral will not incur demobilisation costs. There will be some additional costs from prolongation and inflation, but these are necessary given the HS2 reset and the need to budget carefully in the wider context of total government spending.

The Secretary of State informed the House of the action she took to bring HS2’s delivery under control in an oral statement she made in June 2025 and in her HS2 progress report of July 2025. Further updates will be provided in the Department’s future six-monthly reports to Parliament.

No rail schemes were cancelled as a part of Spending Review 2025 but we had to prioritise the schemes that would have the greatest impact in supporting our missions in the shortest period, whilst maintaining an affordable and sustainable enhancements portfolio. This meant not all schemes could be progressed at this time. The Secretary of State made clear in her 8 July 2025 announcement on rail and road projects the schemes that have been prioritised for progression in the Spending Review period. A number of schemes, including potential freight schemes, some of which had been paused or cancelled prior to the Spending Review by the previous government, could not be taken forward at this time but will be kept under review as part of our pipeline for potential progression in future as funding becomes available.

I am aware of industry proposals to enhance Kent routes to ‘W12’, in order to enable more containerised traffic from Europe, which was estimated by Network Rail to cost around £200m. Network Rail has been considering more affordable, incremental gauge clearance proposal as a step towards W12, with estimated costs below £50m. However, any investment decision will be subject to the usual business case process, working with industry, and will need to clearly demonstrate demand for enhanced infrastructure.

Network Rail have taken steps to increase port connectivity by increasing the number of paths from both Teesport and London Gateway. Collaborative working between Network Rail, DP World and freight operators has led to capacity out of London Gateway more than doubling in the past year, increasing from 10 to 22 available paths.

Launched in Summer 2024, Network Rail’s Access Charges Discount Policy offers timebound 6-month discounts on track access charges for new freight flows, whilst volumes on new services build up and become financially sustainable.

In April of this year, under the Discounts Policy, a new daily service between Teesport and Doncaster was approved, releasing more capacity from the North East to South Yorkshire. In the same month, a new service from London Gateway to Tinsley commenced, running six additional trains per week.

Following the decision to pause further electrification of the Midland Main Line, the department has been in discussion with Network Rail regarding their plans to conclude their current activities in a safe and controlled way. This has included a review of planned route clearance works in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire. As part of this review, the works at Marle Pit bridge will be replanned when funding becomes available and electrification of the route can be re-started. While this is not expected to be within the next four years, the programme is being kept under active review as part of our longer-term pipeline of schemes.

Secretary of State set out the schemes that have been prioritised for the Spending Review period in her 8 July announcement and made clear that other schemes would be kept under review as part of our pipeline for potential progression in future as funding becomes available. The Ely Area Capacity scheme was closed by the previous government and it has not been possible to reprioritise it at the most recent Spending Review.

The Department has previously approved initial progression of development work with Network Rail on a) Ely Area Capacity and b) Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Gauge Clearance schemes, both of which identified potential for increasing the capacity for freight on the routes. These schemes and a number of c) others, were not prioritised in the Spending Review for progression at this time but will be kept under review as part of our pipeline for potential progression in future as funding becomes available. The Secretary of State set out the road and rail schemes that have been prioritised for progression in the Spending Review period 8 July 2025, which includes schemes that will have benefits for freight capacity.

Initial assessments do indicate that electrifying the branch between London Gateway and Thames Haven Junction would improve the efficiency and reliability of rail freight while reducing emissions. We will continue to work closely with Network Rail and other industry partners in assessing the viability and affordability of this proposal.

In December 2024, CrossCountry removed First Class accommodation from the trains used on the Birmingham to Stansted Airport route, increasing the number of seats available to all ticket holders. All operators are expected to plan capacity on individual services to best match the expected level of demand, whilst making efficient use of the train fleet and train crew resources available to them. Officials are working with CrossCountry to develop a business case to further expand their Inter-City train fleet.

My Officials have been in regular contact with Chiltern Railways regarding the refurbishment of Haddenham & Thame Parkway car park, particularly in light of the closure of the upper deck and the resulting capacity challenges.

The Department will continue to engage with Chiltern Railways to ensure that car park improvements deliver meaningful benefits for rail users and the wider local community.

Section 6.2.2. of British Standard 8300-1:2018 gives advice on designing bus stops in relation to cycle facilities, including what are sometimes called ‘floating bus stops’. It has the status of good practice guidance as there is no requirement in legislation to comply with it. Section 6.2.2 would in practice prevent local authorities from implementing any kind of floating bus stop.

The Government does not believe that a complete ban on floating bus stops is appropriate, given the need to improve safety for cyclists and to enable more people to cycle.

The Government is fully aware of the concerns raised – particularly from visually impaired people and organisations on their behalf – about floating bus stops. The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill includes a requirement for the Secretary of State to produce statutory guidance for local authorities in England on the provision and design of floating bus stops. Alongside this, the Government has committed to asking local authorities to pause certain types of shared-use design in which the cycle route runs between the kerb and the shelter, requiring people to board or alight straight into a cycle track. More information will be provided to local authorities at Royal Assent of the Bill.

The Government set out the potential costs and benefits arising from the RCM scheme in the Cost-Benefit Analysis, published in May 2025, including potential costs for passengers and fuel suppliers. The scheme will be funded via a variable levy placed on aviation fuel suppliers, not by the taxpayer.

The RCM contracts will only be signed with UK-based SAF producers. These contracts will have a defined term length to ensure a clear end date to the subsidy and also sets a cap on the support for the sales of SAF to control the scale of the scheme. In addition, clause 1 (7) of the SAF Bill provides an end date, 10 years from the day on which the Act is passed, to new contracts being entered into.

We expect UK SAF production to be internationally competitive, with the RCM playing a key role to attracting investment for UK producers in a nascent market that is using innovative technologies. Whilst we are designing contracts, there is careful consideration towards how the volumes are sold under the RCM, including who are the offtakers and the end user’s location.