Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), how many light vehicles, excluding those used for covert purposes, are operated by West Yorkshire Police.

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

The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of vehicles that are operated by West Yorkshire Police.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), whether they will publish the livery, if any, of the vehicles funded by the consortium, and whether that livery was specially designed for escorting abnormal loads or suitable for general policing duties.

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

The vehicles funded by the West Alliance as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme are Volvo XC90s. The vehicles have standard police livery, and in addition of ‘Abnormal Load Escort’ on the rear side windows. The vehicles are only used for abnormal load escorts and not general roads policing duties. Transfer of funds took place on 26 March 2025 and 20 June 2025, amounting to £175,000.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), whether they will publish the make and model of all of the vehicles funded in whole or in part by the consortium.

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

The vehicles funded by the West Alliance as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme are Volvo XC90s. The vehicles have standard police livery, and in addition of ‘Abnormal Load Escort’ on the rear side windows. The vehicles are only used for abnormal load escorts and not general roads policing duties. Transfer of funds took place on 26 March 2025 and 20 June 2025, amounting to £175,000.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), whether they will publish the date and amount of all relevant transfers of funds from the consortium to West Yorkshire Police.

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

The vehicles funded by the West Alliance as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme are Volvo XC90s. The vehicles have standard police livery, and in addition of ‘Abnormal Load Escort’ on the rear side windows. The vehicles are only used for abnormal load escorts and not general roads policing duties. Transfer of funds took place on 26 March 2025 and 20 June 2025, amounting to £175,000.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), whether the consortium appointed by Network Rail to deliver infrastructure works to the west of Leeds as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme has made payments to crane hire companies to cover the cost of police escorts in connection with the movements of cranes and vehicles; and, if so, how much has been spent since October 2024 by their largest supplier of crane or lifting services, and for how many movements.

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

The cost for police to escort abnormal loads to Transpennine Route Upgrade worksites, when required, is included within crane hire companies’ costs to the consortium. The Department does not hold information on the breakdown of crane suppliers’ costs or the number of movements they undertake.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the tax-free overnight allowance for HGV drivers and when was it 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 allowance is currently £34.90, or 75% of this figure (£26.20) where the driver uses a sleeper cab. These are the maximum amounts that can be paid free of Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions under the agreed industry scale rate.

There is no commitment to uplifting agreed industry scale rates in line with inflation. In order to seek an increase in the rate, haulage operators would need to provide evidence to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that drivers are incurring expenses that exceed the current benchmark rate.

Alternatively, employers can reimburse drivers for their actual travel costs incurred when staying away from home rather than pay the set benchmark scale rate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), whether Network Rail’s Transpennine Route Upgrade programme is largely funded by central and local government.

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

I can confirm that the TransPennine Route Upgrade programme is wholly funded by central government.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish each occasion in this Parliament when a Minister of the Crown rode in an Ajax armoured fighting vehicle cross country or off metalled roads.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There have been two occasions where a Minister of His Majesty’s Government has ridden in an Ajax armoured fighting vehicle during this session of Parliament.

The first occasion was on 17 July 2025 and the second occasion was on 5 November 2025. Both occasions took place on a concrete hard surface test track.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish each occasion in this Parliament when a Minister of the Crown rode in an Ajax armoured fighting vehicle on metalled roads or a parade square.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There have been two occasions where a Minister of His Majesty’s Government has ridden in an Ajax armoured fighting vehicle during this session of Parliament.

The first occasion was on 17 July 2025 and the second occasion was on 5 November 2025. Both occasions took place on a concrete hard surface test track.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), what estimate they have made of the total annual budget of West Yorkshire Police.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

West Yorkshire Police will receive funding of up to £659.6m in 2025-26. You should note that this figure includes core Government grants and council tax precept only and does not represent the totality of the force’s budget. The Home Office does not routinely collect information on other police force revenue.

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.

Found: I beg to move. 7.55 pm Earl Attlee (Con): My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord F aulkner of

Found: Commons Library Debate Pack, Ajax Vehicles: Ministers 15 Dec 2025 | HL12478 Asked by: Earl Attlee

Found: Wave 10749 Alyson Hunter Romney Marsh 1 18058 Ivor Roberts-Jones Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee