Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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.