Submit Evidence (by 30 Jan 2026)

The Transport Committee is examining how effectively the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is progressing, considering the range of factors that are influencing uptake. This includes the effectiveness of existing financial incentives (such as the Electric Car Grant) the potential effect of the recently announced Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), and the role of second-hand markets in shaping demand. The inquiry will also consider the rollout of charging infrastructure across the country including the equity of availability in urban and rural areas, the availability of grid connections and wider factors influencing consumer confidence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of which rail fares offered by DfT managed train operating companies are not available to purchase from ticket offices.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The move to Great British Railways will enable passengers to receive a more consistent offer across the network, and we are already taking steps to overhaul the complex fares and ticketing system and make it easier and simpler for passengers to trust they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare for their journey.

As modern ticketing and payment methods roll out more widely on the railways, we will ensure that all passengers, including those who need to use cash or do not have access to smartphones or the internet, are able to buy a ticket across the different retail options.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if it is her policy that under GBR all rail fares including discounted fares will be available to purchase from ticket offices.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has set out that Great British Railways will have a broad retail function, using all available channels to serve passengers. The Railways Bill will deliver the statutory basis for this function.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on managing cruise ship traffic in sensitive coastal and marine environments.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department for Transport Ministers have not discussed with the Scottish Government limiting cruise ship activity. Nor have they undertaken any assessment of the levels of such activity.

Cruise visits bring jobs and growth to coastal communities. That’s why the Government, in partnership with the industry, published the UK Cruise Growth Plan in September 2025.

That plan offers a blueprint for future collaboration on connected priorities, such as further progress towards net zero and increasing environmental protection. It sits alongside the UK Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets out our pathway and key policies to decarbonise the maritime sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the levels of cruise vessel activity in environmentally sensitive coastal areas of the west of Scotland.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department for Transport Ministers have not discussed with the Scottish Government limiting cruise ship activity. Nor have they undertaken any assessment of the levels of such activity.

Cruise visits bring jobs and growth to coastal communities. That’s why the Government, in partnership with the industry, published the UK Cruise Growth Plan in September 2025.

That plan offers a blueprint for future collaboration on connected priorities, such as further progress towards net zero and increasing environmental protection. It sits alongside the UK Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets out our pathway and key policies to decarbonise the maritime sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned timeline is for the full transition of responsibilities from Network Rail to Great British Railways as set out in the Railways Bill.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up, which we are aiming to be around 12 months after the Railways Bill receives Royal Assent.

The detailed GBR design process is underway, considering how all functions in Network Rail, DfT Operator, publicly-owned train operating companies (TOC) and parts of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) should transfer to GBR.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with Thameslink on taking steps to reduce reliance on rest-day working to operate timetabled passenger rail services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department Officials meet regularly with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to review performance and reliability, including driver resource considerations. The Department is supporting GTR in the recruitment of nearly 100 additional Thameslink drivers, which will assist in reducing reliance on rest day working.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is being done to improve train driver availability and reduce train cancellations and delays that are caused by a lack of trained staff.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

All train operating companies have been asked to complete a seven-point traincrew resourcing proposal as part of their annual business plan. These plans cover staffing levels, recruitment, training, overtime and planning efficiency in order to improve reliability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what fiscal steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce costs for commuters in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the Spending Review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

This includes funding to extend the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027, ensuring that millions of people can access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.

This investment also includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan. Surrey County Council has been allocated £33.6 million for 2026/27 to 2028/29. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, which could include introducing local fares schemes to further reduce the cost of bus travel.

In respect of rail travel, the Chancellor and Transport Secretary have announced that regulated rail fares will be frozen for a year from March 2026, for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters in the Surrey Heath constituency could save over £200 on season tickets into London.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if it is her policy that under GBR all railcards will be available to purchase and renew at ticket offices.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has set out that Great British Railways will have a broad retail function, using all available channels to serve passengers. The Railways Bill will deliver the statutory basis for this function.

For various operational and technical reasons, it is not possible to sell certain railcards at station ticket offices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2025 to Question 93226 on Level Crossings, for what reason responsibility for assessing and managing level-crossing down-time rests solely with Network Rail rather than being shared with local authorities or National Highways.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Level crossings form part of the rail estate and legal responsibility for their safe operation falls to the relevant infrastructure manager, such as Network Rail. Infrastructure managers must operate level crossings in line with their statutory duties but they work closely with local authorities, highways agencies and users to understand the impacts of barrier downtime. Effective co-operation and collaboration between these parties is critical and each has an important role to play.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of level crossing barrier down time at East Tilbury is attributable to freight services; and what the average and maximum barrier down times are for freight movement compared with passenger services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold this information in the format requested. I have asked Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager responsible for East Tilbury Level Crossing, to write to you as soon as the information is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the resilience of rail networks during periods of extreme winter weather.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and the industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on the rail network. The industry’s winter preparedness regime begins in September each year.

Special trains and equipment are fully checked and any repairs carried out, while contingency plans are reviewed and agreed with train operators to keep passengers moving during adverse weather. Network Rail uses detailed forecasts from weather experts, MetDesk, to formulate local action plans during adverse weather to minimise disruption to journeys. These forecasts cover not just the weather but how the conditions will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the tracks, conductor rails, and overhead power lines.

A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop in real time. In extreme weather conditions, Network Rail and train operators prioritise getting passengers home safely over running the normal timetable. They also prioritise vital rail freight to ensure the supply of essential goods across the country.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) total value of fare evasion incidents on Greater Anglia services in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The most recent Ticketless Travel Survey data we hold for Greater Anglia covers rail industry period 5, starting on Sunday 26 July 2025, to rail industry period 7 ending Saturday 17 October 2025. The overall revenue-at-risk was £4.685 million, and the portion of revenue-at-risk is 3.527 per cent.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which types of railcard are currently unavailable to purchase or renew at ticket offices.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Railcards currently unavailable to purchase at stations are 16-17 Saver, 26-30 Railcard, Disabled Persons' Railcard, Veterans Railcard and the HM Forces Railcard.

In the case of the Disabled Persons' Railcard, Veterans Railcard and HM Forces Railcard station staff are not able to verify the eligibility of passengers.

The 26-30 Railcard is only available in digital format.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the feasibility of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has provided crucial certainty to industry by reinstating the 2030 phase-out date for new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines. We’re also investing over £7.5 billion to support drivers and manufacturers to make the switch to zero emission, including the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, to reduce the cost of new electric vehicles (EVs).

The certainty these commitments provide unlocks investment and benefits British consumers. More drivers than ever are choosing electric: November saw another month of increased sales, with EVs accounting for one in four cars sold.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the International Maritime Organisation on the designation of additional Emission Control Areas adjacent to the west coast of the United Kingdom.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We, alongside EU partners, are leading work at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to bring in a new Emission Control Area (ECA) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. This is a key measure, which covers over 5 million km² of ocean, to reduce air pollutant emissions of vessels across the whole of the North East Atlantic and the west coast of the UK. We will continue to support and press for adoption of this vital measure at the 84th IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee in April 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on safety incidents involving lithium batteries on commercial flights.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department for Transport (DfT) officials work closely with and regularly meet the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to monitor and discuss the risk of lithium batteries incidents, alongside other safety risks. The Dangerous Goods Governance Board meets quarterly to manage the joint DfT/CAA Lithium Batteries project which aims to reduce the risk posed by the carriage of undeclared lithium batteries aboard commercial aircraft to a level as low as reasonably practicable. In addition to the reduction of risk, the project provides assurance to the State Safety Board, which meets every 6 months, that the UK’s exposure to this safety risk is monitored, prioritised, responded to and effectively mitigated. There are also multiple other forums where DfT officials and the CAA discuss safety risks formally and informally, including lithium batteries.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Railways Bill on service reliability of rail routes (a) connecting Birmingham and Walsall and (b) the rest of the West Midlands.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Railways Bill includes the introduction of Great British Railways (GBR) which will be a new public company responsible for providing the single point of leadership our railways sorely need, squarely accountable to its passengers for the service it delivers. This will help prioritise service reliability throughout the country, including Birmingham and Walsall, as well as the rest of the West Midlands.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered the potential impact of amending the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 to introduce a statutory minimum uptime for all publicly accessible charge points, including slow on-street and residential chargers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Since November 2024, the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 have required operators to achieve an average reliability of 99% across their network of rapid chargepoints of 50 kW and above. We continue to monitor the public charging network, the impact of the regulations, and whether further steps may be required.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of increasing the bus travel fare cap from £2 in July 2024 to £3 on the accessibility of services in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 bus fare cap and its impacts. This will include analysis of bus usage. The evaluation will focus on understanding the national impacts of the scheme. The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February.

Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually. The Department also publishes statistics on daily bus passenger journeys across local authorities in England outside London. This can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/developing-faster-indicators-of-transport-activity.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve platform advance notice, customer experience and waiting hall overcrowding at London Euston station.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Euston station was designed for a different era and we acknowledge that it needs major investment and modernisation. For the majority of the time the station works, however during times of major disruption, there simply isn’t enough room for passengers and we know this can make for an uncomfortable and unpleasant environment.

Network Rail is developing plans for a major upgrade to London Euston station. Making the best use of tax-payer money, we will deliver a brand-new station concourse that’s fit for the future, and offers much better facilities to passengers. Network Rail continue to work with partners to ensure the upgraded station integrates with the new HS2 station, provides enhancements to wider local transport facilities and offers new homes, community, office and retail spaces.

Ahead of this, the Journey to a Better Euston programme is helping to improve passenger experience, reduce congestion, and enhance the provision of travel information in the short term. Building on improvements delivered over the last 12 months, which included displaying train and customer information on the station's large screen and upgrading the toilets, further plans include:

• Establishing a Customer Information Hub to provide clearer and more timely updates to passengers.
• Upgrading the Assisted Travel Lounge and refurbishing mezzanine seating to improve comfort and accessibility.
• Implementing an enhanced retail strategy and introducing a new multi-faith room to create a more inclusive environment.
• Improving visibility and clarity of travel information screens, alongside concourse adjustments to maximise space for passengers.
• Launching the Team Euston Service Academy to strengthen staff capability and collaboration across industry partners.

These measures are designed to improve advance notice of services, alleviate overcrowding, and deliver a better overall experience for all users of London Euston station.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of rail freight capacity through the West Midlands corridor.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The West Midlands Combined Authority have commissioned economists to conduct an independent prioritisation exercise called the ‘Rosewell Review’ which will produce a portfolio-level prospectus setting out major investment opportunities that will support delivery of the West Midlands Growth Plan, Local Transport Plan and wider strategic priorities. The outputs of this are expected in January 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter of 26 November 2025 from We Own It to the Transport Committee, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the reported 6120 missing responses from the Railways Bill consultation.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

An assessment can be found in the Secretary of State’s letter to the Transport Select Committee of 11 November 2025. Her letter is available here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50296/documents/271772/default/.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulatory framework governing the operation of foreign-flagged passenger vessels within UK territorial waters.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of limiting access for foreign-flagged passenger vessels to UK territorial waters. Vessels in UK territorial waters are subject to a number of controls, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and inspection at UK ports to ensure compliance with their obligations under international maritime regulations. The UK relies on both foreign-flagged and UK-registered vessels for key imports and passenger services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of limiting access for foreign-flagged passenger vessels to designated areas of UK territorial waters.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of limiting access for foreign-flagged passenger vessels to UK territorial waters. Vessels in UK territorial waters are subject to a number of controls, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and inspection at UK ports to ensure compliance with their obligations under international maritime regulations. The UK relies on both foreign-flagged and UK-registered vessels for key imports and passenger services.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 9 December (HL12329), when they plan for Euston station to be equipped with full step-free access for passengers.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Work is continuing with delivery partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for Euston Station, which will include the new HS2 terminus, along with upgrades to the existing Network Rail and London Underground stations and local transport facilities. The development of these plans will include provision of step free access for passengers. The Department will set out more details in due course as the plans for Euston Station are progressed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has asked National Highways to update its business case for the A120 dualling scheme.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

During the second Road Period (2020-2025) National Highways has been considering improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey as a possible future major enhancement to the network as part of the Road Investment Strategy pipeline.

The last formal iteration of the business case for these proposals was developed in 2022/23. Affordability and deliverability assessments have been further tested since then to inform decision making and investment planning for RIS3 and beyond. The third Road Investment Strategy is due to be published in March 2026 and will include an updated pipeline of future enhancement schemes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to expand rail electrification to Devon.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is developing a Rolling Stock and Infrastructure strategy which will inform future electrification decisions across the country. We are working closely with Network Rail colleagues to identify the right decarbonisation approach for each line and to determine where infrastructure will be needed to support this decarbonisation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Spending Review 2025 established allocations of Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) up to financial year 2029-30. A profile of these agreed allocations is enclosed in the table below, reflecting the measures announced at Autumn Budget 2025:

Capital funding allocations in future years and how they are allocated (this includes any unallocated funds) are subject to departmental business planning processes. Furthermore, the department will provide more detail on future spending plans at the appropriate Supply Estimate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait time is for a driving test at the a) Stranraer, b) Newton Stewart and c) Castle Douglas driving test centres.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The average waiting time for a practical driving test at Stranraer, Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas is 24 weeks.

These test centres are all remote outstations served by driving examiners from the main test centres of Stranraer and Newton Stewart one day a week each. Castle Douglas is served by driving examiners from Dumfries two days a week.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times in GB. Further information on the measures announced can be found on GOV.uk.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will publish a monitoring and evaluation framework on disability equality training in order to establish a baseline level of training to meet requirements under Section 36 of the Bus Services Act 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are clear that high‑quality staff training is essential to providing bus services that are accessible for all passengers. That is why the Bus Services Act 2025 will mandate that both bus drivers and passenger-assisting staff undertake disability awareness and assistance training.

Section 36 of the Bus Services Act 2025 provides powers for the Secretary of State for Transport to require carriers and terminal managing bodies to record and publish training statistics in order to ensure that compliance can be monitored. Once commenced, we will expect all relevant operators and terminal managing bodies to comply with their reporting duties. We will engage with relevant stakeholders when developing such requirements, and will provide the industry with more information in due course.

The approach to evaluating the impact of the requirements under Section 36 will be considered as part of a wider monitoring and evaluation plan for the Bus Services Act 2025. In particular, and as stated in our Impact Assessment on the new measures on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), we intend to undertake process evaluation, for example evaluating the mechanisms for developing, delivering and reporting on the new disability training requirements, as part of the process evaluation for the Act’s wider training requirements on VAWG and anti-social behaviour.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 to apply to vehicles which have 16 or more seats, rather than carry 16 or more passengers.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Accessible Information Regulations (AIR) 2023 were introduced to support disabled people in particular to make the journeys important to them, but accessible information is valued by a wide range of passengers.

The Department considered the scope of the Regulations carefully during their development, including through a public consultation, seeking to balance the benefits of improved accessibility with the practical and financial implications for operators—particularly those using smaller vehicles. The wording selected, including the focus on total vehicle capacity was chosen for consistency with the well-established Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, albeit with a lower threshold in order to allow more passengers to benefit from audible and visible information.

I recognise the costs involved in achieving AIR compliance and the impact on smaller operators in particular and that is why the Department has made a £4.65 million grant available to operators with fleets of 20 vehicles or fewer to help cover the cost of installing the necessary equipment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92061 on Great British Railways, whether her Department has now produced (a) costed rollout plans for the Great British Railways logo and (b) estimated expenditure for the re-livery of trains; and if she will publish the estimated total cost ranges and any associated value-for-money assessments relating to the wider implementation of the Great British Railways brand.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State has asked the incoming CEO of DfT Operator to lead the rollout of the Great British Railways (GBR) branding. Ministers expect the brand rollout to maximise opportunities to grow revenue as well as to ensure value for money in its application. This includes primarily repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies, and changing station signage when it is life expired. With this in mind, Ministers do not expect significant sums to be spent on the repainting of trains as part of the rollout of branding.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to amend the penalty regime to (a) make non-compliant number plates offences endorsable with up to six penalty points and (b) increase the fixed penalty fine for such offences from £100 to £1,000.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the identified in the Government’s October 2023 cost-benefit analysis of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate represents costs to the public purse; and if she will publish a breakdown of those Government costs.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate is the largest single carbon saving measure across Government and fundamental to the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050. The cost-benefit analysis for the ZEV Mandate and CO2 regulations estimated the net value to society of the regulations. This was estimated at a benefit of £39 billion (2022 prices) over the full appraisal period, between 2021 and 2071.

There are three main sources of Government costs:

1. Taxation impacts, which are a transfer from vehicle owners to government, were also assessed (Vehicle Excise Duty, fuel duty and VAT), but these reflected policy at the time. At the time, fuel duty and VAT losses from reduced fuel consumption were estimated at £20 billion (2022 prices) over the period from 2024–2035. This does not reflect subsequent taxation decisions since publication.
2. The administrative costs of the regulation were estimated at £24 million (2022 prices). Wider indirect effects on public expenditure such as any costs from changes in traffic volumes and the weight of vehicles, and savings to the NHS from improved air quality were not quantified.
3. Some of the costs attributed to business (notably vehicle/infrastructure, and electricity network reinforcement capital costs) could fall to government, particularly where purchases or installations are subsidised, and through public-sector procurement (e.g., the Government fleet). The proportion of costs falling to government were not separately quantified and, for Government vehicles, should be considered alongside the operating cost savings from switching to electric vehicles. The proportion of expenditure that purchase grants cover implies that the vast majority of these costs will be borne by the private sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Current Direct Ministerial Appointments are set out in the table below:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many individuals had their status as Approved Driving Instructors removed by DVSA due to (a) being involved in reselling driving tests and/or (b) sharing there official driving test-booking login details with third parties in (i) 2022, (ii) 2023, (iii) 2024 and (iv) 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.

Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.

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. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.

The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.

DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.

DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to review the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to ensure it can effectively detect vehicles with obscured or altered number plates.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No assessment of potential financial losses as a result of vehicles using obscured or false number plates has been made.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

The DVLA is part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025. Officials are also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

Standards on the use of automated number plate reader technology is a matter for the Home Office which issues guidance on its use as part of the National ANPR Standards for Policing and Law Enforcement (NASPLE).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate the Government has made of the financial losses suffered by businesses as a result of vehicles using obscured or false number plates to commit fuel theft or evade charges.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

No assessment of potential financial losses as a result of vehicles using obscured or false number plates has been made.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

The DVLA is part of the British Standard Institute (BSI) committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025. Officials are also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

Standards on the use of automated number plate reader technology is a matter for the Home Office which issues guidance on its use as part of the National ANPR Standards for Policing and Law Enforcement (NASPLE).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on (a) public awareness and (b) education on (i) drug and (ii) drink driving in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport routinely engages with local authorities to assist them with using and promoting our campaigns, and we work closely with Road Safety GB who help disseminate and coordinate our outreach to their network of road safety officers and professionals.

My department has recently engaged with contacts at Surrey Roadsafe who have helped promote our THINK! drink and drug driving campaigns through their channels. Surrey Roadsafe is a road safety partnership, comprising: Surrey Police, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, Surrey County Council, Surrey Fire and Rescue and National Highways.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82988 on Bicycles: Infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of floating bus stops on independent access to bus services for blind and partially sighted people.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department recognises the concerns raised about floating bus stops, particularly by vision-impaired people, and we are taking steps to address them.

Section 31 of the Bus Services Act 2025 requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance for local authorities in England on the provision and design of floating bus stops, within three months of Royal Assent. This must be consulted on with the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee and other relevant organisations before publication. Local authorities will be required to have regard to this guidance.

In addition, local authorities have been asked to pause implementation of certain designs of floating bus stop. I wrote to all local traffic authorities on 20 November setting out the terms of this pause. This applies to floating bus stop schemes which are at the design stage, and which include designs which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of public awareness of road safety issues relating to (a) drug and (b) drink driving in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

In respect of drug driving, as the THINK! campaign, launched on the 24th Novmeber is still running. The Department has not yet made an assessment of its reach and impact as this will be evaluated in full next year.

In respect of the 2025 THINK! summer drink driving campaign, at a national level 9 in 10 of those who saw or heard the campaign took action as a result. There was a significant increase in the proportion of young male drivers who said they are very likely to have a 0% alcohol alternative when driving, up from 31% pre- to 42% post-campaign.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing police officers with additional roadside powers in cases where a driver has tested positive for (a) drugs or (b) alcohol.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences, such as drink and drug driving.

We will set out more details in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department held discussions with Hammersmith and Fulham Council regarding Hammersmith Bridge in the lead-up to the Budget 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

My Department’s officials have held discussions regarding Hammersmith Bridge with their counterparts at both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London throughout 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the(a) current DVLA registration process for number plate suppliers, (b) background checks on number plate supplier applicants, (c) measures in place to prevent the acquisition of materials to print non-compliant plates and (d) number of DVLA enforcement officers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of illegal plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. It is an offence to sell a number plate without carrying out these required checks and can lead to a fine and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

Officials are also in discussions with the British Number Plate Manufacturers’ Association about the issue of non-compliant materials.

The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered suppliers. Enforcement officers attend the premises of registered number plate suppliers to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records.

In addition, DVLA officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with our partners to investigate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of vehicle registration data captured by Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates (BS AU 145e) is published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the BSI committee that has reviewed this standard and the committee has recently proposed a number of amendments. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

The DVLA is working to further reduce the number of vehicles that have no registered keeper or are unlicensed. There are long-standing and robust measures, including legislative requirements, in place to ensure that keepers notify the DVLA when they buy and sell a vehicle. It is an offence to use a vehicle that does not have a registered keeper. The DVLA also has processes in place to correct records when it is made aware of inaccuracies.

Based on the latest available data, more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable based on the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, around 6% are in the motor trade, where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prioritise the (a) voices and (b) needs of disabled people in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The consultation on the development of the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy closed on 15 December 2025. It outlines that by 2035, this Government wants walking, wheeling and cycling to be a safe, easy and accessible option for everyone. The Department has engaged a number of disability rights organisations during the consultation including the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and held a dedicated workshop on disability and the Strategy on 6 November 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, HC 1492, from which financial year she plans to meet her target to fix an additional one million potholes each year.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government takes the condition of our country’s local highway network extremely seriously. This is why the Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. 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. These funding increases enable local authorities to fill an additional one million potholes in each year of this Parliament.

In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This enables them to better plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance so that roads can be fixed properly and kept in good condition for longer so that fewer potholes form in the first place.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made about the current levels of [i] drink driving and [ii] drug driving related accidents and fatalities on roads in the [i] UK, and [ii] Leicestershire.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Statistics regarding drink and drug driving in personal injury road collisions in Great Britain are based on data reported to police using the STATS19 system.

The estimated number of collisions and fatalities in drink-drive collisions for Great Britain and Leicestershire for 2023 (the latest figures available) are given in the table below.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 therefore 0 fatalities for Leicestershire indicates that the estimated number was less than 5:

These are based on the results of breath tests conducted by the police at the scene of personal injury road collisions and combined with data from coroners on blood alcohol levels of those killed in collisions.

While STATS19 does not attribute cause of collision, reporting officers attending the scene are able to assign up to 6 road safety factors which, in their opinion, based on the information available within a short time of the collision, they consider may have contributed to it.

In 2024, the latest year available data there were 18 personal injury collisions in Leicestershire where “affected by drugs” was assigned to a driver or rider in the collision. This is 3% of all collisions in Leicestershire where a police officer attended the collision and assigned at least 1 road safety factor, the comparison for Great Britain is 3% of collisions.

There was 1 fatality in Leicestershire in a personal injury collision where “affected by drugs” was assigned to a driver or rider in the collision, this is 4% of all fatalities in Leicestershire in collisions where a police officer attended the collision and assigned at least 1 road safety factor, the comparison for Great Britain is 8% of fatalities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to improve (a) data quality and (b) error correction processes within vehicle-related databases relied upon by enforcement authorities.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates (BS AU 145e) is published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the BSI committee that has reviewed this standard and the committee has recently proposed a number of amendments. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

The DVLA is working to further reduce the number of vehicles that have no registered keeper or are unlicensed. There are long-standing and robust measures, including legislative requirements, in place to ensure that keepers notify the DVLA when they buy and sell a vehicle. It is an offence to use a vehicle that does not have a registered keeper. The DVLA also has processes in place to correct records when it is made aware of inaccuracies.

Based on the latest available data, more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable based on the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, around 6% are in the motor trade, where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the British Standard for number plates to ensure it remains fit for purpose in supporting (a) enforcement and (b) public safety.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates (BS AU 145e) is published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the BSI committee that has reviewed this standard and the committee has recently proposed a number of amendments. The proposed amendments are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters, often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

The DVLA is working to further reduce the number of vehicles that have no registered keeper or are unlicensed. There are long-standing and robust measures, including legislative requirements, in place to ensure that keepers notify the DVLA when they buy and sell a vehicle. It is an offence to use a vehicle that does not have a registered keeper. The DVLA also has processes in place to correct records when it is made aware of inaccuracies.

Based on the latest available data, more than 93 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable based on the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, around 6% are in the motor trade, where a vehicle may legitimately have no registered keeper.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with police forces on illegal plates or cloned license plates and serious organised crime; and what steps she is taking with police forces to help tackle the use of illegal or cloned license plates.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of illegal plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. It is an offence to sell a number plate without carrying out these required checks and can lead to a fine and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police.

Officials are also in discussions with the British Number Plate Manufacturers’ Association about the issue of non-compliant materials.

The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered suppliers. Enforcement officers attend the premises of registered number plate suppliers to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records.

In addition, DVLA officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with our partners to investigate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the British Standards Institute on its review of BS AU 145e; and whether she plans to ban raised 3D and 4D number plates.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the British Standard Institution committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The committee has put forward proposed amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that electric bike rental firms ensure that all riders of rented electric bikes wear helmets.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government agrees that cyclists should wear helmets whenever possible to help reduce the risk of sustaining a head injury.

We are implementing licensing for shared cycle schemes and will consult in depth on this. Consultation will include consideration of how helmet use can be encouraged for users of shared cycles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with Surrey County Council on the review of speed limits on arterial roads in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

I have not held any recent discussions with Surrey County Council regarding a review of speed limits on arterial roads in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Local traffic authorities are responsible for making decisions about their own roads, based on their knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and circumstances. This includes setting local speed limits.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel; and what steps they are taking to strengthen life-saving provision.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

His Majesty's Government makes regular assessments of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel, in response to ever-changing operating patterns and the extremely high-risk appetite of the Organised Crime Networks that facilitate such crossings. In addition to the layered search and rescue response structure already in place, DfT, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and the Home Office Border Security Command are investigating options to increase the rescue capacity of Government-contracted surface assets in the Channel, while the MCA and Border Security Command are advancing plans to enhance the future provision of aviation search assets.

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 lower age limit for adult peak-time rail fares on the families of students who turn 18 during the academic year while remaining in full-time education until the end of that year; and whether her Department plans to review age-based rail fare eligibility to ensure consistency for students who are required to travel to school or college during peak hours.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Adult fares are payable for passengers from the age of 16. The 16-17 Saver can be purchased to extend the discount on child fares to 16- and 17-year-olds.

The Government has no current plans to amend existing concessionary discounts. As set out in the Railways Bill, in future Great British Railways will have the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers, following engagement with other operators, as passenger needs change.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to increase the number of Direct Rail Services' freight operations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the significant economic and environmental potential of rail freight and the critical role it plays in the UK’s resilience and is committed to supporting its growth. However, any freight operations run by Direct Rail Services (DRS) are an operational and commercial matter for DRS, and its parent company the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). NDA is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.

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 proposed airport expansions at (a) Farnborough, (b) Heathrow and (c) Gatwick on transport infrastructure in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the potential impact of proposed airport expansion at Farnborough Airport on transport infrastructure in Surrey and Surrey Heath constituency. Farnborough Airport Limited has submitted a planning application to Rushmoor Borough Council. The Department for Transport has no role to play in decision making relating to the planning application.

For Heathrow, the Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions and the surrounding communities. While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS as part of any Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

On 21 September 2025, the Transport Secretary approved Gatwick Airport’s application for expansion. Her decision letter, published on GOV.UK, sets out her considerations and the requirements of the planning consent; this includes improvements to highways infrastructure and Gatwick Airport’s commitments to promote the use of public transport.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the economy.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and that is why we are committed to supporting its growth.

The Spending Review confirmed a number of infrastructure schemes across the country to help support the economy, housing and jobs. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to assess and identify where there is the potential to grow rail freight across the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of expanding rail freight in Devon on the environment.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential and critical role in the UK’s resilience.

Work to develop options for investment and its potential impacts, including on the environment, is continuing, in conjunction with Network Rail. Once it is fully operational, my department will work with Great British Railways (GBR) to ensure that environmental considerations continue to be a priority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the expansion of Rail Freight in Devon.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to delivering growth and supporting modal shift to lower-carbon modes of freight transport. We have committed to the rail freight growth target of a 75% increase in freight moved by rail by 2050.

The recently laid Railways Bill sets out that the Secretary of State will provide GBR with growth targets for rail freight. As was the case during the development of the 2050 target, we will make informed forecasts about the future capability and capacity of the network. My officials, together with Network Rail, are continuing to work to identify where there is the potential for growth across the network for rail freight.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency was made aware that Approved Driving Instructors were involved in reselling driving tests; and what steps she took to address the issue.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.

Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.

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. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.

The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.

DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.

DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the extent to which Approved Driving Instructors are sharing their official driving test-booking login details with third parties in order to profit from the resale of tests.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.

Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.

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. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.

The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.

DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.

DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the extent to which Approved Driving Instructors are involved in reselling driving tests.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

While the majority of driving instructors who use DVSA’s booking services do so as intended, DVSA takes action to prevent learner drivers from exploitation and limit opportunities for misuse of the online booking services. DVSA have a zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers. In addition, DVSA will investigate any breaches reported to them.

Since the pandemic DVSA has been aware of third-party websites selling driving test appointments at inflated prices and does not approve use of such applications.

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. Since the introduction of the revised terms and conditions, DVSA has removed access for 346 businesses and driving instructors for misuse of the booking service.

The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching. They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using.

DVSA does not hold any information about ADIs sharing their official test booking login details and DVSA has not removed any approved driving instructors (ADI) from the ADI Register due to being involved in the reselling of practical driving tests. However, as stated above, where misuses of the booking service have been detected, individuals have had their access removed, to prevent the selling of tests.

DVSA has also deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly and will continue to remove the accounts of those who are proven to have broken the rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the British Transport Police Authority regarding the adequacy of current levels of funding to meet recent trends in levels of violent crime and antisocial behaviour on the rail network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators. The Department for Transport has no statutory powers to intervene in these decisions.

The BTPA agreed a three-year budget settlement for BTP on 10 December which will see BTP’s budget increase by 6.2% for FY 2026/27, 5.6% for FY 2027/28 and 2.5% for FY 2028/29.

BTP’s budget will increase by £63m from £418.5m in 25/26 to £481.5m in 28/29. This will see over 180 additional officer roles created in highly visible Network Policing, as well as a new dedicated Violence and Intimidation Against Women and Girls capability with 36 further officers by the end of 2027/28.

The British Transport Police Authority and rail industry will now need to work through the full implications of this settlement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will have discussions with Royal Mail on increasing its use of rail services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are fully committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential. My officials regularly speak with major users of rail freight in the UK as part of our efforts to grow the rail freight industry.

We have previously discussed with Royal Mail their decision to retire their dedicated mail train fleet. However, as it is a private company, not owned nor controlled by the Government, the mode Royal Mail choose to utilise for transporting mail is a commercial decision for their business.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 96304 on St Albans City Station: CCTV whether bike thefts will be included in the assessment of railway stations with the highest crime levels when prioritising CCTV integration across the network.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has committed £17 million to improve CCTV connectivity on the railway. Network Rail are delivering the project and as they are currently in the start up phase of the project the details you have requested are not yet available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 96304 on St Albans City Station: CCTV, if Network Rail will publish a list of railway stations to be prioritised for CCTV integration.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has committed £17 million to improve CCTV connectivity on the railway. Network Rail are delivering the project and as they are currently in the start up phase of the project the details you have requested are not yet available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of carriages on (a) Great Western Railway and (b) South Western Railway during the Christmas period on the delivery of those services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great Western Railway and South Western Railway are responsible for ensuring the train service they operate, including the number of carriages they deploy, is optimised to meet the needs of the passengers they serve. This is while also taking account of planned maintenance work. Officials have been working closely with all operators to review plans and ensure readiness ahead of the Christmas period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the compatibility of the government’s new ECG scheme with the principle of market competition.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Electric Car Grant is fully compatible with the principle of market competition.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the recommendations set out in her Department’s 2023 policy document entitled ‘Options for addressing the cost of pilot training’, including (a) enabling trainee pilots to access a Government-backed loan scheme and (b) addressing any outstanding issues relating to the First Officer Apprenticeship.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The ‘Options for addressing the cost of pilot training’ policy document was published during the time of the previous government.

This government is working closely with industry to address the cost of pilot training, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. Government also supports the aviation industry through the Generation Aviation programme. The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund, a part of Generation Aviation and administered by the CAA on behalf of the Department, funds outreach programmes with the aim of improving the accessibility and inclusivity of the sector and attracting the next generation of people into aviation careers, including pilot careers.

The First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) was designed by an industry group as a way of reducing the high cost of pilot training and improving access to the profession. An approved training provider (ATO) is now in place, and regulatory changes made this year have increased training flexibility for employers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May to Question 50489, what recent discussions she has had with Eurostar and SNCF1 Gare Connexions on a) the expansion of the number of border control points and e-gates, and b) longer term plans to expand the terminal.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Departmental officials engage regularly with French counterparts and industry partners to discuss plans to support the growth of international rail services and to enable competition in the coming years.

Officials from my Department, Home Office and Border Force have had several discussions this year with SNCF Gare et Connexions representatives to discuss in detail their plans to expand the Gare du Nord cross-Channel terminal which will effectively double throughput capacity by 2030. We have also committed to work with SNCF to ensure appropriate provision is made for UK and French border controls in the newly expanded terminal and these conversations are continuing. SNCF’s plans were also presented to the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), the bi-national body which oversees the operation of the Channel Tunnel and is attended by UK and French Government officials, at its most recent meeting in Paris in December.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a list of any outstanding safety recommendations from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, along with the planned implementation date for each of the outstanding recommendations.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) publishes a list of all its outstanding recommendations in its annual report. Those in receipt of RAIB recommendations must respond within three months with their plans and timescales for implementation or, if no action is planned, with their reasons. It is then for the Office of Rail and Road, as the independent rail safety regulator, to ensure these recommendations are duly considered and, where appropriate, acted on.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the newly designated flight paths to East Midlands Airport on people living in Broxtowe constituency; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing statutory compensation for affected residents, in the context of potential changes to levels of noise pollution and property values.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

East Midlands Airport is developing plans to modernise its airspace, in line with the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change process (CAP1616). This process includes a requirement for the airspace change sponsor to engage with relevant stakeholders at different stages of the process, from the initial design principles to detailed options appraisal, before any final plans are submitted to the CAA. The airport has completed Stage 2 of this process, and the next stage will include consultation on its plans with communities who might be affected. Following this consultation, and any changes required as a result, the airport is expected to submit its proposals to the CAA.

The Government’s policy on aviation noise places the responsibility with airports to offer noise insulation assistance to households exposed to high noise levels and take other steps to support communities. Many airports exceed the minimum threshold set by Government and also offer other forms of support such as community funds.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce (a) noise and (b) pollution from (i) Heathrow Airport, (ii) Gatwick Airport and (iii) Farnborough Airport in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport sets noise controls at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, including night movement and night noise quota count limits. Under Environmental Noise Regulations, these airports are also obliged to produce noise action plans. For Farnborough, appropriate noise controls are a matter for Rushmoor Borough Council as the local authority responsible for planning.

The UK has legally binding targets to reduce emissions from damaging air pollutants which will lead to improvements in air pollution around airports. The UK has also played a leading role in the International Civil Aviation Organization to develop strict standards for pollution from aircraft. Airports may be subject to specific planning conditions and environmental obligations set by local authorities, such as Farnborough’s air quality and odour monitoring scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many registered a) petrol vehicles, b) diesel vehicles, c) electric vehicles, d) hybrid vehicles and e) classic vehicles were there in Edinburgh South West constituency in the last 5 years and the last 10 years.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We do not readily hold new vehicle registration figures at the requested geographic level.

Information on licensed vehicles broken down by Upper and lower tier local authorities and lower super output areas (LSOA) are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that (1) train companies allow use of reusable cups at onboard catering facilities, and (2) provide free drinking water on trains.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government does not plan to require train operating companies to allow use of reusable cups at onboard catering facilities and provide free drinking water onboard trains. Drinking water is now available onboard some trains and at many stations. Train operating companies are required to reduce waste and increase recycling annually, but the Government does not specify how these targets should be achieved.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will consider expanding the eligibility criteria of the Electric Car Grant.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Electric Car Grant criteria were designed to support British drivers to access affordable, sustainably manufactured electric vehicles. Over 40,000 drivers have benefited from this scheme to date. The grant's design was not discussed with industry during its development to avoid market distortion.

Following launch, the Department has engaged closely with vehicle manufacturers and will continue to do so as the grant develops. All grants are regularly reviewed to ensure value for money and eligibility criteria may evolve over time.

Officials continue to monitor the grant and assess its impact as the market responds.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport infrastructure between Surrey Heath constituency and Heathrow Airport.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions and the surrounding communities.

While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS as part of any Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 15 December (HL12602), whether they will now state when the amount in question was last uprated in line with inflation.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The agreed industry scale rate for lorry drivers’ overnight subsistence is not uprated in line with inflation. Normally the relevant industry body, in this case the Road Haulage Association, would approach His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to discuss changing the industry rate. If individual haulage operators think the industry rate is inadequate, they would need to provide evidence to HMRC that drivers are incurring expenses that exceed the current benchmark rate to have a bespoke rate agreed.

Employers can choose to reimburse drivers for the actual subsistence costs incurred when staying away from home, rather than pay the set benchmark scale rate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her officials have produced an impact assessment on the market of the existing Electric Car Grant criteria; and whether she will publish it.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Electric Car Grant criteria were designed to support British drivers to access affordable, sustainably manufactured electric vehicles. Over 40,000 drivers have benefited from this scheme to date. The grant's design was not discussed with industry during its development to avoid market distortion.

Following launch, the Department has engaged closely with vehicle manufacturers and will continue to do so as the grant develops. All grants are regularly reviewed to ensure value for money and eligibility criteria may evolve over time.

Officials continue to monitor the grant and assess its impact as the market responds.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out how the electric car grant criteria were determined, including what discussions she had with the car sector.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Electric Car Grant criteria were designed to support British drivers to access affordable, sustainably manufactured electric vehicles. Over 40,000 drivers have benefited from this scheme to date. The grant's design was not discussed with industry during its development to avoid market distortion.

Following launch, the Department has engaged closely with vehicle manufacturers and will continue to do so as the grant develops. All grants are regularly reviewed to ensure value for money and eligibility criteria may evolve over time.

Officials continue to monitor the grant and assess its impact as the market responds.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how she is engaging with aviation workers and their unions about increasing the sustainability of aviation policy, including through the the Airports National Policy Statement review (ANPS) and its review of the Jet Zero strategy; and will she consider deliberative and participatory consultation methods such as a Workers' or Citizens' Assembly.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The government is committed to delivering greener transport and we are making significant progress in supporting aviation to become more sustainable. The government engages with the aviation sector and trade unions on aviation decarbonisation, including via the Jet Zero Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to identify, and advise on, unblocking key barriers to delivering greener aviation.

On 4 December 2025, I met the aviation sector Trade Unions and made clear my support for decarbonisation and addressing the skills gap.

Any proposed changes to policy in the Airports National Policy Statement as a result of the ongoing review will be subject to public consultation in summer 2026, providing the opportunity for aviation workers and their unions to respond. We have also recently published our approach to stakeholder engagement which sets out how we intend to gather a broad range of views as part of the review, which can be found here: Engagement during the Airports National Policy Statement review - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Electric Car Grant criteria will change when the review of the Science Based Target Initiative is complete; and what time opportunity will her department offer to industry regarding the implementation of the new target.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A Science Based Target validated by the Science Based Target Initiative is an eligibility requirement for the Electric Car Grant. Further details are included in the grant application guidance.

The Science Based Target Initiative is independent of Government and was not involved in the grant's creation to avoid potential market distortion.

All grants are kept under continuous monitoring and reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to deliver value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Government have had with Science Based Targets Initiative through the formulation of the Electric Car Grant.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A Science Based Target validated by the Science Based Target Initiative is an eligibility requirement for the Electric Car Grant. Further details are included in the grant application guidance.

The Science Based Target Initiative is independent of Government and was not involved in the grant's creation to avoid potential market distortion.

All grants are kept under continuous monitoring and reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to deliver value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether manufacturers are required to have Science Based Targets to be eligible for the Electric Car Grant.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A Science Based Target validated by the Science Based Target Initiative is an eligibility requirement for the Electric Car Grant. Further details are included in the grant application guidance.

The Science Based Target Initiative is independent of Government and was not involved in the grant's creation to avoid potential market distortion.

All grants are kept under continuous monitoring and reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to deliver value for money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the price of (a) rail and (b) road freight on rail freight operators in Devon.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Rail freight operations are typically long distance and cross-border in the UK. Under the Railways Bill, Government has proposed to place a duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, meaning freight operators will benefit from a longer-term strategic approach to decision making on the railway which includes charging to use the network.

As part of our continued support for the wider freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme (MSRS) since 2010. The scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. The relative costs have been reviewed to ensure that the scheme continues to achieve its goal to support modal shift and are kept under review. Any matters relating to fuel duty comes under the remit of His Majesty’s Treasury.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of disruption on the (a) South Western Railway and (b) Great Western Railway services over the Christmas period by people living Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to benefit from this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters from Yeovil to Exeter or Bristol could save around £200 across the year, while commuters to Weymouth could save around £100.

Planned engineering works may impact Yeovil constituents using South Western Railway and Great Western Railway services over the Christmas period. South Western Railway customers using services towards London Waterloo will be affected by major engineering works between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and there will be some alterations to services on the Great Western Railway network. Passengers are advised to use journey planners to check before they travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make rail travel more affordable for people living in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to benefit from this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters from Yeovil to Exeter or Bristol could save around £200 across the year, while commuters to Weymouth could save around £100.

Planned engineering works may impact Yeovil constituents using South Western Railway and Great Western Railway services over the Christmas period. South Western Railway customers using services towards London Waterloo will be affected by major engineering works between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and there will be some alterations to services on the Great Western Railway network. Passengers are advised to use journey planners to check before they travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make rail travel more affordable for over 30s in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to benefit from this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. Commuters from Yeovil to Exeter or Bristol could save around £200 across the year, while commuters to Weymouth could save around £100.

Planned engineering works may impact Yeovil constituents using South Western Railway and Great Western Railway services over the Christmas period. South Western Railway customers using services towards London Waterloo will be affected by major engineering works between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction and there will be some alterations to services on the Great Western Railway network. Passengers are advised to use journey planners to check before they travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the cancellation of trains in response to an AI-generated image appearing to show damage to a bridge in Lancaster, what steps they are taking to respond to and prevent the suspension of rail services as a result of AI-generated images.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Lancaster incident shows how Network Rail put safety first while using every tool to verify quickly. An AI-generated image suggested bridge damage. Network Rail treated it like any unsolicited and unconfirmed report, such as a call from a member of the public, but acted fast.

Response teams apply established protocols: caution trains, suspend movements, and deploy staff for inspection. At the same time, Network Rail verify and triangulate the facts from such reports using all available tools including driver reports, CCTV, structural monitoring systems, and digital analytics. This parallel approach speeds up assurance without compromising safety.

AI and public reports can be useful inputs, but they do not replace evidence. Network Rail’s commitment is clear: act swiftly, verify carefully, and keep passengers and staff safe.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the upcoming expiration in February 2026 of the compulsory purchase powers for phase 2a of HS2 to Crewe, what alternative plans they have to relieve congestion on the west coast main line north of Birmingham.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Whilst we will not reverse the previous government’s decision to cancel Phase 2, we recognise concerns about rail capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester. We are reviewing our plans for future connectivity in the Midlands and the North, and we hope to say more soon, including our plans for land and property between Birmingham and Crewe.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that there are sufficient replacement trains in operation following the withdrawal of the Class 43 HST trains from services in the South West.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The remaining High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, were withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and have been replaced with existing fleet, including the recently introduced Class 175s, the first of which entered passenger services on Monday 15 December.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the withdrawal of the Class 43 HST trains from services in the South West does not result in severe disruption and cancellations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The remaining High Speed Train (HST) fleet, including Class 43 power cars, were withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 timetable and have been replaced with existing fleet, including the recently introduced Class 175s, the first of which entered passenger services on Monday 15 December.

Found: DSIT, MoD, DESNZ, Defra and the Department for Transport (DfT) are working closely together to ensure

Found: like to state in my response to the inquiry concerns the design of Highways, effectively regarding DfT

Found: very specialist infrastructure support that is utilised particularly by DESNZ, MoD and the Department for Transport

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department has reviewed the suitability of resources, including trained personnel and appropriate equipment, used by UK Border Force when searching for and rescuing migrants in the English Channel.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The operational response to these dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by migrants in small boats is led by Border Security Command’s Maritime and Small Boat Operations. The personnel and equipment needs for that command are kept under regular review to ensure that resource matches risk.

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) operations in the Channel, rescuing migrants from unseaworthy vessels, are coordinated and directed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). BSC Maritime and Small Boat Operations work closely with DfT and MCA (the regulator) to ensure safety and legal compliance.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce technological standards on the use of AI.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The use of AI varies by sector, and sector specific standards are starting to take shape, for example self-driving cars will now be in the UK from next year thanks to new standards from DFT.

The Government supports the development and adoption of technical AI standards through international processes such as the ISO and IEC, driven by an inclusive multistakeholder community, in a way that can provide practical guidance for organisations deploying AI, reduce barriers to innovation and help unlock the opportunities AI offers.

At the same time, some AI systems are more general-purpose. For these AI systems, we have built a strong AI group in DSIT, including the world-class AI Security Institute that tests frontier AI models before release.

Found: workplaces AI is used for a wide range of purposes in the public sector.n For example, the Department for Transport

Found: AECOM & Fichtner (2021) Advanced Gasification Technologies - Review and Benchmarking 70 Department for Transport

Found: of the variation between the innovation levels at the aggregate level is driven by the variation in DFT

Found: TOTAL AME DEPT AME Department for Transport X004A310 X004A310-GLAS PENSION RELATED PAYMENT

Found: Business and Trade Other departments or agencies: Department for Health and Social Care, Department for Transport

Found: The Department for Transport (DfT) and its associated arm’s-length bodies have assisted in the development

Found: The Department for Transport (“DfT”) and its associated arm’s -length bodies have assisted in the development

Found: Above Ordnance Datum BESS Battery Energy Storage System DCMS Department for Culture, Media and Sport DfT

Found: The Department for Transport (“DfT”) and its associated arm’s-length bodies have assisted in the development

Found: This programme, developed under the strategic partnership between the Department for Transport, the

Found: Department of Health and Social Care 12 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 13 Department for Transport

Found: Affairs at National Voices, a coalition of health and care charities, and advising the Department for Transport

Found: Affairs at National Voices, a coalition of health and care charities, and advising the Department for Transport

Found: Department for Transport. The Road to Zero, Ju ly 2018.

Found: (DfT) for various mobility aids (not exhaustive) are given in Table 3.

Found: class="organisation-logos__logo">

Found: in the DfT strategy document.

Found: The Annual Average Hourly HGV flow is available on the Department for Transport website, and this will