Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential health and social impacts of illegal vehicle emissions on communities living in areas that already breach air-quality standards; and how those findings inform the Government’s net-zero and energy-efficiency policies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Defeat devices are illegal, misleading for drivers and can have negative health impacts on the public. The Department for Transport has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential health and social impacts of illegal vehicle emissions on communities living in areas that already breach air-quality standards.
Local authorities are best placed to determine the most effective route to reducing nitrogen dioxide in their cities, and we continue to support them in meeting legally binding obligations to improve air quality. This includes implementing seven Clean Air Zones and other measures such as improved traffic management, cycle lanes and funding for vehicle upgrades. Evidence shows that Clean Air Zones are effective in reducing air pollution.
The government is committed to reducing emissions from diesel cars by reinstating the 2030 phase-out date for new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines, and by committing to phase out all new non-zero emission cars and vans by 2035.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of non-compliant diesel vehicles on the UK’s ability to meet its legally binding carbon budgets and net-zero targets.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Emissions projections for diesel vehicles used in carbon budgets modelling account for the difference between reported vehicle CO2 emissions, tested currently using the World Light Duty Test Procedure, and emissions from vehicles operating in ‘real-world’ driving conditions.
The Department for Transport, through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, is leading investigations into suspected non-compliant diesel vehicles under assimilated Regulation (EU) 2018/858. Where non-compliance is identified, manufacturers are required to take corrective action.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to improve grace periods for parking fines and transparency for the appeal and enforcement process.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A 10-minute grace period became mandatory for all councils in England on 6 April 2015. It applies at local authority owned or operated car parks and at the end of paid-for and free on-street parking in England. The grace period only applies at the end of permitted paid-for or free parking to allow for accidental overstays beyond a driver's control. It does not apply at the start of a period of parking, nor in circumstances where the driver was not permitted to park (i.e. outside the hours of permitted operation of on-street parking).
A requirement for transparency on matters relating to civil parking enforcement is enshrined in the Secretary of State's statutory guidance for local authorities in England on civil enforcement of parking contraventions.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps with the Department for Transport to improve emissions monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to prevent future breaches of vehicle emissions law.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2016, the Department has greatly increased oversight of emissions tests and established the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA’s) Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) to test vehicle emissions and investigate suspicious practice in the real world as well as in laboratory situations. MSU conducts an annual emissions-testing programme and, where non-compliance is identified, the DVSA works closely with manufacturers to ensure vehicles meet legal requirements.
Legislation introduced in 2018 made it an offence for manufacturers to place vehicles on the market containing prohibited defeat devices. The Department is currently assessing Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles to identify any non-compliance and ensure corrective action is taken promptly. Enforcement action will be taken in line with DVSA’s published enforcement policy. The Department is also considering how to strengthen ways in which it can take action in situations where modifications to vehicle emissions systems result in breaches of vehicle emissions law.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that emissions from non-compliant diesel vehicles are fully accounted for in the modelling and monitoring underpinning the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Emissions projections for diesel vehicles used in the recently published Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan account for the difference between reported vehicle CO2 emissions, tested using the World Light Duty Test Procedure, and emissions from vehicles operating in ‘real-world’ driving conditions.
The Department for Transport regularly reports its latest modelling and emissions projections to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero as required by Section 13 of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 86345 on Whitchurch Station: Access, when she plans to announce her Department’s decision regarding the stations selected for Access for All funding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Since 2006 the Access for All programme has installed accessible, step free routes at over 270 stations plus a range of smaller scale access improvements at around 1500 stations.
In May 2024, the previous government published a list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work.
Network Rail have now completed all 50 feasibility studies and we will shortly be announcing which of those stations will progress.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the Office for National Statistics to (a) determine a timescale for its review of rolling stock leasing agreements and (b) identify which leases or train operating companies will form part of the review sample.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Timescales for its work in this area are for the ONS to determine, as an independent body.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a breakdown of all committed public expenditure for the Lower Thames Crossing project to date.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department will continue to publish information on committed public expenditure for the Lower Thames Crossing through official reporting mechanisms. To date, over £1.3bn has been spent on the project, including technical surveys, design, land purchase, planning permission, and contract awards.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90397 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, what information the DVLA holds on which intermediary companies are currently used by (a) Oxford City Council and (b) Oxfordshire County Council.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is aware of the third-party providers used by the councils referenced to facilitate requests for vehicle keeper information, this relates to a commercial arrangement between them and the third parties and it would not be appropriate to disclose that information.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of a) annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports, b) the consistency of fee structures across different regions, and c) the cumulative impact of these charges on port operators and logistics businesses.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
a) The assessment annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports is undertaken by the ports who collect the fees. Ports are required to review their port waste management plan and get it re-approved every five years. The waste management plan amongst other specifications sets out the fee, and how this is calculated. Any major changes will require the port to review and change their port waste management plan before the five-year period. MCA surveyors' review, inspect and approve port waste management to ensure compliance with the regulations.
b) Ports are required to calculate their fees as mandated by the regulations, which means the ports can recover their cost and the ‘polluter’ pays. These fees will vary due to regional variances in the cost of waste management in the different regions.
c) A post implementation review of the regulations was also undertaken and published in 2023. The review found that the regulations were fit for purpose and were achieving the policy objectives and indicated that although industry had the opportunity to communicate any impacts of the requirements to the MCA, no significant concerns have been raised.