Department for Transport

In 2025/26, the DVLA received 1,003,453 driving licence applications, renewals and notifications where a medical condition needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued. Of these, 15 per cent were made via the DVLA’s online service.

Until the end of March 2026, only a limited number of single medical conditions could be notified via the online DVLA’s Fitness to Drive Service. These included diabetes, Parkinsons, epilepsy, stroke, visual impairments or heart conditions. Notifications or renewals of all other medical conditions required applications to be submitted by post.

However, the DVLA’s new online medical services portal was launched on 31 March 2026 and most customers can now notify or renew online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The information requested about the average processing time for licence renewals where the applicant’s condition has been clinically stable for two or more consecutive years is not available as the DVLA is not required to hold information about periods of clinical stability. In 2025/26, the average processing time for all driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be investigated was 56.66 working days.

In 2025/26, the DVLA received 1,003,453 driving licence applications, renewals and notifications where a medical condition needed to be investigated before a licence could be issued. Of these, 15 per cent were made via the DVLA’s online service.

Until the end of March 2026, only a limited number of single medical conditions could be notified via the online DVLA’s Fitness to Drive Service. These included diabetes, Parkinsons, epilepsy, stroke, visual impairments or heart conditions. Notifications or renewals of all other medical conditions required applications to be submitted by post.

However, the DVLA’s new online medical services portal was launched on 31 March 2026 and most customers can now notify or renew online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The information requested about the average processing time for licence renewals where the applicant’s condition has been clinically stable for two or more consecutive years is not available as the DVLA is not required to hold information about periods of clinical stability. In 2025/26, the average processing time for all driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be investigated was 56.66 working days.

National Highways has commenced work to remove redundant biodegradable and plastic tree guards along the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme. To date, around 36,000 redundant tree guards have been removed, and the work is expected to be completed by May 2026.

Network Rail is responsible for the delivery of works at Bransty Tunnel, and my officials are supporting Network Rail on this matter.

The issue at Bransty Tunnel was identified when Network Rail, as part of routine planned maintenance and renewals, undertook ground investigations that revealed unstable conditions within the tunnel resulting from historic mining activity in the area. This is linked to the ochreous water discharge at Whitehaven harbour.

Given the remnants of the mining activity, and large amounts of flowing water, a much larger, more complex package of work than was originally anticipated is needed to rectify these poor conditions, leading to the extended closure of the tunnel.

A dedicated Network Rail Whitehaven Recovery Taskforce is now in place to address the flooding and structural issues at Bransty Tunnel linked to the historic mining activity. Detailed inspections are complete, and a permanent £49 million repair solution has been independently verified and is ready to be delivered. This includes water management, tunnel stabilisation, and subsequent track and drainage renewal.

Although Network Rail has agreed to progress, agreement is needed with the Environment Agency and the Mining Remediation Authority before on-site work can commence due to environmental and regulatory requirements. DfT Operator’s rail environment team is supporting this.

Network Rail is working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency to align the necessary environmental consents so that water contamination issues can be addressed alongside the repairs.

Network Rail will provide a further public update once work can begin. Delivery is expected to take six to nine months.

Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way. They are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the rights of way network in their area for all users. These are available on the authority’s website. This must include an assessment of the local rights of way including the condition of the network.

Local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities and allocate funding for rights of way activities accordingly.

The programme of road marking renewal works on the A34 between Chieveley and the M40 is largely complete. One remaining closure is still required to complete the final element of the works, and National Highways is working with the local highway authority to minimise disruption. All remaining works should be complete by the summer.

As part of the publication of the local road maintenance ratings for 2025/26, the Department for Transport confirmed that it will provide red-rated authorities with a dedicated support programme to help improve local outcomes. This is in the form of expert-led peer reviews, through which sector experts will work collaboratively with authorities to identify areas where performance could be enhanced. The Department has commissioned the Local Government Association to deliver these reviews.

West Northamptonshire received an overall red rating under the Departments’ road maintenance rating system, with underlying scorecards showing red for condition, amber for spend, and red for best practice. The authority is therefore eligible for this support offer. The Department has written to all red-rated authorities to arrange the peer reviews and the review for West Northamptonshire will be conducted during the 2026/27 financial year.

The Department recognises that historic levels of investment have made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way that they would want to. Therefore, alongside providing this dedicated support to red-rated authorities, the Department has also confirmed a record, £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance for the next four years. This will allow local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road and local highways network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

Repairs to the central reservation drainage on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 have been completed. All traffic management was removed on 30 March 2026.

The £165 million Growth and Housing Acceleration Fund (GHAF) in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will bridge funding gaps for critical transport works on or near the Strategic Road Network to unblock stalled housing and employment sites across England. National Highways launched the GHAF on the 21 April 2026, inviting eligible authorities to register potential developments for consideration. A continuous rolling programme of delivery will be published from the end of 2026/27.

The fund is open to applications from across England, including in rural areas such as North Yorkshire. National Highways published the eligibility and assessment criteria at launch and will apply them consistently, with a focus on proposals where a specific transport constraint is preventing development and where there is evidence of a genuine viability gap, strong deliverability, and value for money.

The GHAF will support targeted, smaller-scale interventions and complements, rather than replaces, wider strategic investment programmes. As such, National Highways expects the GHAF to support both rural and urban communities, with the pipeline developed through developments submitted by eligible authorities and assessed against the published criteria.

Licensing for shared cycle services will be implemented following in-depth consultation through a combination of regulations and detailed guidance.

No decisions taken yet on final policy design etc. Safety will be a priority when considering future policy in this area.

The £165 million Growth and Housing Acceleration Fund (GHAF) in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will bridge funding gaps for critical transport works on or near the Strategic Road Network to unblock stalled housing and employment sites across England. National Highways launched the GHAF on the 21 April 2026, inviting eligible authorities to register potential developments for consideration.

The fund is open to applications from across England, including in rural areas such as North Yorkshire. To ensure rural authorities can access the fund on equal terms, National Highways has published eligibility and assessment criteria and will operate a fair and equitable process, applying those criteria consistently to all proposals.

The fund website can be found here:- Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund - National Highways

The Government is introducing a licensing regime for shared cycle services and this will be implemented through a combination of regulations and detailed guidance, following in-depth consultation.

In the meantime, Ministers and officials continue to discuss a range of matters with e-bike rental operators, including potential measures which may be included in the future licensing framework.

The Department does not currently collect data on collisions or injuries involving e-bikes operated through hire schemes.

On 25 March, Active Travel England set out the intention to publish guidance during 2026 to help authorities design safer streets for women and girls.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has published a report on their month‑long trial of higher PCNs. The Department is reviewing the findings of this trial.

The British Parking Association, the Local Government Association and other key stakeholders have been collaborating to gather comprehensive evidence on the effectiveness of current PCN levels in England outside London. Their findings and recommendations have been submitted to the Department for Transport which will be carefully considered before any decisions are taken.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) has published a report on its month‑long trial of higher PCNs. The Department is reviewing the findings of this trial which will be carefully considered before any decisions are taken.

Data for the Greening Government Commitments framework for 2021-25, including the Government Fleet Commitment (GFC), was collected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and published on GOV.UK, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greening-government-commitments-april-2021-to-march-2024-report.

Reporting for the GFC was required for in-scope vehicles only. Neither DEFRA nor the Department for Transport holds further data on vehicles that are exempted by default across Government fleets.

The National Parking Platform is intended to support greater competition and choice by enabling multiple parking app providers to operate across participating local authorities.

While the Government is keen to see this system make parking easier for all, pricing decisions relating to the operation of the National Parking Platform are commercial matters for the National Parking Platform, app providers and local authorities. Both local authorities and app providers are represented on the Board of the National Parking Platform as a part of its not-for-profit governance structure.

The Department does not currently plan to collect data from local authorities on roads awaiting adoption. However, it has commissioned research to improve understanding of adoption rates and is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has consulted on related issues, to support a coordinated cross‑government approach.

Any review would be conducted to align with the end of the period for which highways maintenance block allocations have already been made.

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.

Some medical cases take longer because the DVLA often needs information from third parties, such as doctors or other healthcare professionals, before it can make a licensing decision. The DVLA has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of medical licence applications, increasing waiting times for some customers. To improve its services, the DVLA has introduced a new casework system, and launched a new medical services portal so the majority of customers can now apply online through the DVLA driver and vehicle account.

These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.

The Department is reviewing the findings of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council month‑long trial of higher PCNs.

The Department for Transport will provide up to £300,000 to support a one-year extension to the Live Labs 2 innovation programme. This will help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to highways maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials for repairing roads more quickly, more efficiently and less often.

This will be funded from departmental budgets agreed at the Spending Review.

The Department for Transport published the Transport AI Action Plan in June 2025 which sets out the Department’s approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The action plan represents the start of a step-change for AI in our transport system, recognising its power to increase resilience, productivity and turbo-charge innovation across the private and public sectors.

Over the last 12 months, the Department for Transport has continued to use AI for operational purposes and has taken part in a pilot of the Microsoft Copilot AI product with approximately 1,300 staff, to assess its potential benefits.

However, the Department does not centrally use AI in legislative or policy decision‑making. Where such tools have been used, this has been on an assistive basis only (for example, summarising information or improving readability), and not to generate policy or legislative content. Responsibility for the substance, accuracy and final drafting of all departmental policy and legislation remains with civil servants.

Monthly driving examiner vacancy figures have limited value because numbers change frequently due to demand, training, turnover and capacity. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency manages its workforce flexibly, matching examiner numbers to demand and using a test centre level view to support recruitment and deployment.

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. Should the proposals be taken forward, they would be laid before the House.

The Department has no plans to collect and hold the data on average or individual replacement battery costs for EVs, but will closely monitor this issue through continued engagement with industry and consumer groups.

The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate regulations require manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries. During the warranty period, if battery capacity drops below 70% for cars or 65% for vans, the manufacturer must provide a replacement battery. Additionally, eligibility for the Government’s Electric Car Grant requires manufacturers to offer customers a 2-year extension on the warranty to 10 years, ensuring vehicles and their batteries have long useable lives.

DfT continues to monitor evidence on prices and projections.

The Railway Benefit Fund (RBF), which is the working name of the ‘Railway Benevolent Institution’, is an independent non-membership charity, supported by charitable fundraising and donations, and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. We recognise the value of the RBF and the important work that it does. The future role of the RBF, whether now or when Great British Railways (GBR) is established, is a matter for the charity. However, we do not anticipate the establishment of GBR to have any adverse effect on the RBF.

The Department regularly updates its projections of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) uptake. The latest published projections were included in the Cost Benefit Analysis accompanying the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025, which outlined three scenarios for ZEV uptake following the updates to the legislation, which include projections covering the period 2025 to 2030. It included three scenarios: central, low, and high. The Cost Benefit Analysis has been published at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1101/pdfs/uksiod_20251101_en_001.pdf

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

The Department has had discussions with travel agents and airlines on a range of issues.

In the UK, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261”) sets out the rights of passengers in the event of flight cancellations.

Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, passengers are entitled to a choice between a full refund or re-routing.

Where a flight booking has been made through a travel agent, passengers should, in the first instance, contact the agent in cases such as flight cancellations.

The Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide provides passengers with information on their rights and responsibilities when travelling by air, including a dedicated section on cancellations.

In the UK, Regulation 261/2004 sets out the rights of passengers in the event of cancellations, long delays and denied boarding.

Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, then passengers would be entitled to a choice between a full refund or to be re-routed. These rights would apply if disruption were linked to war.

Information on air passenger rights is already available in the Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently provided specific advice to passengers in response to the Middle East disruption.

The Department provided funding to Network Rail as part of its 'open for business' initiative:

• to look at the suitability of using Network Rail's existing trackside infrastructure (including operational GSM-R masts and overhead line stanchions) for use by mobile network operators or private 5G providers; and
• to publish guidelines for the telecommunication industry wishing to use such infrastructure. Under Great British Railways, the Department expects this to continue.

The Department has secured funding as part of the Spending Review to deploy low earth orbit satellite to improve on train Wi-Fi on our mainline trains, and we have also asked Network Rail to explore how passenger mobile connectivity can be improved through its upgrade from the existing system, GSM-R, to the Future Railway Mobile Communication System.

From 8 April 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) required learner drivers to give 10 full working days’ notice to change or cancel their car driving test without losing the test fee.

The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066786) shows how many car practical driving tests were cancelled by learners within 10 days or fewer and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency within 3 days or fewer since 4 July 2024, including what proportion of available test slots were utilised in each month.

On 31 March 2026, the Driver and Vehicle Service Agency (DVSA) had 1,604 full-time equivalent driving examiners (DE), the highest number since 2018 and 188 more DEs than on 30 April 2025.

The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) who left DVSA and how many people successfully completed the training process in March 2026. The data for those leaving DVSA includes all DEs who have left including, for example, people were unsuccessful in completing the training process.

Data for April 2026 will be available in May 2026.

The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066787) shows the average waiting time for car practical driving tests at each driving test centre, and zone, for March 2026. This data is based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available.

Data for April 2026 will be available in May 2026.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also records national median waiting time data (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for practical car driving tests. In March 2026 this was 9 weeks. This data, broken down by test centre and zone, is currently not available for March and April 2026.

The table below shows the average number of working days taken to process driving licence applications made both online and not online

from January 2026 to date for both group 1 (cars and motorcycle) and group 2 (lorry and bus) applications.

Answers to written questions 101471 of 6 January, 104860 of 22 January, 122532 of 25 March, and 124195 of 17 April 2026, respectively provide data on how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to March 2026.

In March 2026, DVSA provided car practical driving tests from 318 driving test centres (DTC). The national average utilisation figure was 75.74% in that month. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066952) provides the utilisation figures for all DTCs in the same period. The capacity of each DTC will vary depending on the services it provides and whether DEs work full or part-time.

DVSA takes a view of the number of DEs it needs, based on demand at a national level, then split down to test centre. The agency is working on a detailed view of DE requirements, based on demand forecast modelling at test centre level, rather than nationally. DVSA expects to have that view in summer 2026.

Utilisation of DE time measures how much of a DE’s available deployable working time is used to deliver driving tests, rather than individual effort or productivity.

The intention of the forthcoming changes to practical test booking arrangements will make the system fairer for genuine learners by reducing exploitation and churn. Other measures DVSA is deploying (such as recruiting more examiners and carrying out more overtime) are designed to improve waiting times and utilisation.

Answers to written questions 101471 of 6 January, 104860 of 22 January, 122532 of 25 March, and 124195 of 17 April 2026, respectively provide data on how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to March 2026.

In March 2026, DVSA provided car practical driving tests from 318 driving test centres (DTC). The national average utilisation figure was 75.74% in that month. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066952) provides the utilisation figures for all DTCs in the same period. The capacity of each DTC will vary depending on the services it provides and whether DEs work full or part-time.

DVSA takes a view of the number of DEs it needs, based on demand at a national level, then split down to test centre. The agency is working on a detailed view of DE requirements, based on demand forecast modelling at test centre level, rather than nationally. DVSA expects to have that view in summer 2026.

Utilisation of DE time measures how much of a DE’s available deployable working time is used to deliver driving tests, rather than individual effort or productivity.

The intention of the forthcoming changes to practical test booking arrangements will make the system fairer for genuine learners by reducing exploitation and churn. Other measures DVSA is deploying (such as recruiting more examiners and carrying out more overtime) are designed to improve waiting times and utilisation.

The M54 to M6 Link Road was procured using the Regional Delivery Partnership framework, leading to a detailed design and build contract awarded by National Highways to Skanska Construction UK LTD on 23 October 2025. No future tendering exercises are scheduled on this scheme, given there is a contract in place.